Did my first "Do-It-Yerself" oil/filter change on our coach yesterday. It was SIMPLE! Glad I resisted the urge to take it to a commercial oil change facility. To catch the used oil, I employed a drain pan purchased locally at Tractor Supply (link below). Perfect tool for the job! Correct size and height (with coach up on safety stands), not one drop splashed out of the pan, held the contents of my "small" 8.3L Cummins sump (and the old filter) with room to spare, and was easy to slide around and move even when full. After the job, it was very handy to pour the old oil back into the empty oil jugs for transport to recycle center. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FloTool Drain Container?, 24 qt. - Tractor Supply Co. (http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/flotool-drain-24-qt)
Good job.
That looks like a great oil pan to keep the job simple and clean.
Too bad we are full time- don't have room for more stuff in the bay. Trying to clean out stuff we have not used in a while.....lol
Cya down the road
I just use a 5gallon bucket.
I like the looks of that container and plan to have one... We change oil on at least 1 rig per week and I don't care for the oil drippings we are getting on the shop floor from the rig to the 350 gallon storage tank beside the shop... Thanks for the post.
Thought I would add to this, I used with good success the rubbermaid plastic tubs from walmart. It was a translucent rough or tough something or other, around 20 gallons. Has thicker plastic and has strengthening ribs. I filled it with 19 gallons of water to test before I drained the 19 gallons of coolant. It was pretty much filled as full as it could hold. I then put new coolant in and then used the $5 harbor freight multi use transfer pump to transfer coolant back to the now empty coolant jugs. Make sure to get premixed so you have enough jugs, it's only marginally more expensive.
I then used the same tub for oil using the same system. Much less oil so there was plenty of space. I then junked the tub and pump. We're full time so we don't have space for a tub covered in oil residue so I simply spend the $12 each time to buy a new tub and pump. Seems wasteful but it's a lot cheaper than paying someone.
I had to use a lower longer tub for the transmission fluid since the transmission hangs a lot lower.
I would get a tub like that if I still had a sticks and bricks place to keep it.
We use a Rubbermaid container to catch oil, but then clean it with laundry detergent and then use it to hold things in our bay. We do buy Lowe's 5 gal buckets and cover, pour oil into them, carry to Walmart auto repair and leave the buckets, so we also buy new buckets for each oil change. We like not pumping or funneling to make our oil change less messy.
I also like that oil pan. Think I will have to get one.
BTW, up here in the north east a lot of the auto, truck maintenance and town garages keep the oil they change. They have heating systems that use the old oil for heating the work areas. In my town folks that change their own oil take it to the garage or to the dump where they have 55 gal drums to put it in and then the guys at the town garage pick them up every so ofter. Saves the town a lot of money in heating costs.
Check with your town if you live in a cold climate they may be interested.
FWIW
Norm
I use two 5 gallon containers and a Fumoto valve that allows me to open and shut. Only problem is guessing when the first container is nearing the top. For the oil filter, I use a mixing tub from Lowe's to minimize the mess and my regular car drain pan to empty the filter.
Sven, what size Fumoto valve fits the ism450 pan?
Some places around here will turn you away if you have more than five gallons to dump per visit. Congrats Chuck. Might want to delete picture number 3 after the flak I got this weekend for a post.
Keith, i had mot install the cutoff, they can tell you. It is important to change to this to avoid some changer stripping the plug.
Keith,
Here is the site listing Fumoto valves for all manufacturers: Size Chart | Fumoto® Engine Oil Drain Valves (http://www.fumotousa.com/size-chart.php)
Use the vacuum trick to install it and then all you need is one empty gallon container to fill and then empty into a larger container and repeat until the pan is empty. The one gallon container will fit between the ground and the valve.
Pierce
Fumoto T-203N Engine Oil Drain Valve