[C320-list] OIL CHANGE

[Jeff Church]

Third attempt to send this, my apologies if you've seen it before but I don't think it got thru to the list......


I think you guys are going about this the hard way. I just form a trough out of heavy duty aluminum foil which I slide under the filter and up against the engine block. The trough channels the oil forward from the engine where it drains into a ~12" foil pan that sits on the sole. After I remove the filter I just fold up the trough and pan and throw them in the garbage. Done.

JeffC  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jeffrey Hare 
  To: 'C320-List' 
  Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 9:03 AM
  Subject: Re: [C320-list] OIL CHANGE


  Hi Warren,

    I always get a little oil dripping when changing the filter.  The way I do
  it is to stuff paper towels in the space below the filter.  Then loosen the
  filter slightly (not enough to let it drip), then slip a large ziplock over
  the filter.  I press the ziplock against the engine and paper towels and
  loosen it as fast as I can.  Others have mentioned using
  newspaper/disposable diapers, etc in the bottom of the engine pan.  Whatever
  works, nothing's perfect.. :)

  My trick for the cleanup is to have a bottle of water soluble spray
  degreaser. Then it wipes up easily from the pan in less than a couple
  minutes.  I do always take a rag with wd40 and wipe down the engine block to
  keep it as clean as possible.  That way it's easy to notice a new leak.

  -Jeff

  -----Original Message-----
  From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
  [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Warren Updike
  Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 8:09 PM
  To: c320-list at catalina320.com
  Subject: Re: [C320-list] OIL CHANGE

  Cheeze, I'm so angry I could s?it (apply the appropriate letter of your
  choice, H or P.)  This time I loosened the filter just enough so I could
  turn it by hand, stuffed oil absorbant material undet the filter, then
  punched a hole in the top of the end, put a plastic bag over it and rotated
  it until the hole was at the bottom (that's a mere 1/2 turn.)  Sure enough,
  the oil oozed out into the bag.  I thought I was in fat city (anyone
  recognize that term?)  That is, until I looked under the engine to see a
  smear of black oil coming down the sump.  This was the worse mess of any
  previous filter change attempt.  Why would one design such an affair.  Isn't
  there an adapter to allow a remote filter install?   Time to change the
  filter: 5 min.; time to clean-up: 35 min.  To make matters worse, unless you
  are Ichabod Crane or anorexic, there is no way to reach far enough under the
  oil pan to clean-up all the mess.  (You can guess my age group by the
  comparisons I use.)

  Back to the drawing board.

  Warren & Pattie Updike
  C320, #62, 1994, "Warr De Mar"
  Frog Mortar Creek, Middle River
  Chesapeake Bay