The idea has crossed my mind. It's usually when I fight with my diesel catch bottle. It slips out then rolls down the driveway. Then I gotta climb out and go get it, climb back underneath, try again


Really though, you're right about not sweatin' the small amounts. Thought I'd check to see. I only pulled 11qts of oil out. And that was with a full qt in the filter. I put in 11qts and measured the dipstick on my sloped driveway. It's marking in the safe level. I'm going to back down the drive, stop at a level and recheck. I'll add as necessary. I've been told the dipstick fluid level is pretty sensitive to slope.

For the fuel canister, I did the blue shop towel thing. But there was too much left in there. I'm talking about a good quarter of the canister still had diesel. I went through a lot of blue towels and they were saturated and dripping

I was thinking there's just enough of too much left that might better see if I can correct it.

 

I have a sloped driveway myself. I've had these things for over 10 years now. I think I paid $25 for it back then. I think they're closer to $40 now. http://www.rhinoramps.com/home.html

 

My driveway is sloped pretty good, about 3 feet in 25 feet! So I check my fluids on the level.

I always get a lot less oil out than I put in even thought the dipstick says its normal. I do 2.5 gallons at each change and get about 2 gallons out, but I haven't added any oil between changes in the 60K miles I have owned it and I change it at 5000 miles pretty religiously.

I have a quick drain and tube from Geno's and use an old detergent bottle to catch it all. It makes it pretty quick and clean, the filter is another story as you know!!

 

I use 2x12's... it works pretty good. It's an old pic...

I also have a drain valve... it's slow, but works great. Fumoto valve. I got the one that has the piece sticking out so you can put a hose on it... no mess, until you get to the filter, as stated above...

http://www.fumotousa.com/

 

Thanks for the ideas. I do have a Fumoto drain valve on there and it makes the oil change super easy. I make more mess pulling the oil filter haha

 

I've recently been thinking about installing a remote oil filter for just this reason...

 

Before you unscrew the oil filter (after oil is drained), crank the engine about three times. This will take about a cup of oil out of the filter so it wont leak all over the place.

 

why not just take the front springs out

 

Or just UN-slope the driveway. Granted, you couldn't drive into it anymore, but most garages are filled with junque anyway!

 

At oil change time, I put the drain tube on the valve and run that into a 3 gal container. I then poke a hole into the old filter and give it a blast of compressed air. This usually lowers the oil level about an inch and a half. The blown oil drains with the rest of the old. The filter comes off without a spill.

Seems a whole lot easyier than the baggie idea I had read about.

Since I use the drain valve/tube method, I usually try to do the changes hot to get the best flow. A less full filter is less a pain at that temp.

 

I worry that if I crank it it may start up and I get nerved about there not being any oil in there!

 

Be glad you have a 4x4.

 

just turn the key back off. Not really any different then when you crank her over after sitting a long time without being started. A couple or three revs will take enough oil out of the filter so it doesn't spill all over when you break the seal.

 

I ran a quick 1035ml trip immediately following this maintenance. I think the fuel filter made a noticeable difference in how the truck ran. I think that fuel filter was about 10k old. Before changing it the truck felt a bit sluggish and stuffed up. Like she didn't want to accelerate as smoothly. With a new filter, she's fine like new.

As far as running mpg numbers it was 16.5 heading south into the headwind, then 18mpg coming north with a wicked head & crosswind from a big line of storms. That included some running around town on that tank and long country roads with headwind. I'm ok with that. Though would have liked to see 20 like I usually do on my run back north. Yup, I said 20.


Now that does make sense. I love the fact that the current location protects the filter very well. But yeah, it is a stretch to reach up there.


Count me in I bump it for the fuel system when needed but definitely unnerving without oil. Not saying it doesn't work, just saying I'm chicken. If I get nerve I'll try it.

 

Sorry for bringing back an older thread, but I just did my oil change and fuel filter today, and this is how I go about it in my driveway. Always make sure you have plenty of beer before you start, because once you start, and find out you're out of beer, there's no going to the store to get any! Oh, and yes, a ladder is needed in this situation! And Sirius sat radio is set on Outlaw Country channel!