Vehicle Oil changes

[WinterDeere]

That's what mine are, wouldn't trade them for nuthin' . I've read a couple stories of those foam ones collapsing after a few years, granted they could have been the cheap ones.

If you were closer, I'd give you mine! As to collapsing, I would think stamped steel ramps are much more likely to experience a catastrophic failure with total collapse leading to death, versus foam ramps just partially crushing, if overloaded. But either one kept in good condition should never fail, unless overloaded.

My foam ramps have the max load (4600 lb.?) printed in large block lettering on the bottom of each ramp. I can't remember if my steel ones even have a max load label, I'll have to check next time I have them down off the wall.

If a foam ramp collapses, I'd want to know what load was on it, and how it was stored. They do come with warnings about storing in places like a hot attic, as the foam can degrade at high temperature. That might be their fatal flaw, and the one big advantage of having steel ramps, but I store mine in an air-conditioned shop.

 

[mrmikey]

I don't remember if there was any background as to why they collapsed. Could have been out in the sun, heat or any bad storage practice.
I'd think that foam would collapse more catastrophically than steel, Steel I would think would bend before collapsing.
Each type has their own advantage or disadvantage.
No disrespect , you stick with foam, I'll stick with steel LOL.

 

[WinterDeere]

I'd guess either could go either way. My thinking about steel catastrophically collapsing has to do with the design of the ones I own, which rely on a stringer riveted between the rear riser and the middle of the ramp portion. A rivet failure or damage to that stringer would severely weaken the design, and could lead to a catastrophic failure.

I'd really expect foam to partially collapse as an initial failure, rather than fully drop the vehicle to the pavement. A sort of crushing down from initial height to perhaps 70% height. But that's based more on crushing newer things made out of foam, than any formal engineering experience with these materials, or on how a ramp might behave after 20+ years of usage.

I do believe our society is far more litigious today, than 30 - 80 years ago, when a lot of these steel ramps were designed and built. So I'd be surprised if the new solution is less safe than the old, but again, a lot of assumptions in that.

 

[Sprinkler Fitter]

When i was on the volunteer Fire Dept we got a call about a man trapped under a car.

Back then I believe it was only the steel ramps. That’s what he had and he was pulling on the oil filter so hard he must have not been on the ramps perfect that both ramps tipped over and the car was on him, but also on part of the ramps and he couldn’t get out from under the car, we used airbags to get the car off of him and on my way back to work after the call I drove by the house to get to my job and he was already back under the car with it on the ramps again.

 

[Shady oak]

One should never use the word "Jack" and "oil change" in the same paragraph, not to speak of sentence!

 

[paulsharvey]

The steel ones I have are plenty strong, But the front "leg" of the stamped steel can/does sink into the sand. Never used the poly ones, but I'm assuming they cover for area to avoid sinking into the dirt

 

[oldtimer 66]

I have been changing my oil, on my truck, tractor, Gator, the wife's car, daughter, granddaughter cars, a sister in law, niece's and an some neighbors for the last 30 years. I have a car lift which makes it convenient. Nobody has mentioned how they get rid of there oil.

I have the 15 gal plasitc drums that my brother in law used for chemicals on his farm. He takes a drum and or 2 per year to oil his barn cleaner chain. He is seventy and still farming. Ta Da. The remainder, I give to different garages that have oil furnaces. They are very particular about any antifreeze and or water mixed in with the oil. It plays havoc on there furnaces. In a normal year I collect around 4 to 5 barrels.

So much for the above. I wanted to describe a process to remove a rounded over drain plug. Sorry I didn't take any pictures but you should be able to visualize this process.

I had a friend that took his cars to the local quick change for his oil changes. On his last visit they told him they could not change his oil because they could not loosen the drain plug. They said the plug was all rounded off.

It was a Jeep so he then took it to the local Jeep dealer to see what they could do. He said they tried to remove it also but they could not. He said they had the special sockets designed to remove the drain plugs that were rounded over but they did not work. There fix was $1600 for a new oil pan. The oil pan was a plastic pan with a molded in brass and or bronze insert for the drain plug.

I suggested that he bring his vehicle out so we could work on it and to bring with him some hole saws like .62 .68. and .75 dia. and a couple of new drain plugs. If I remember correctly, we used the .62 dia. hole saw, with out the pilot drill. The rounded over hex acts as a pilot for the hole saw. I used one of my battery Dewalt drills on it's slowest speed and with in a couple of minutes had the drain plug out. This particular drain plug had the outer flange with the o-ring face seal. When cutting you need to be very careful to go slow and with light pressure. You don't want to score the brass and or bronze insert. Even before the cutter had gone approx. 2/3's of the way thru the flange of the drain plug, the drain plug made a slight rotation and I stopped there. Using the hole saw relieved the pressure on the flange of the plug. I then walked the plug out by hand. Another Ta Da. Later

 

[paulsharvey]

I use an old 5 gal hydralic bucket to collect oil, and autozone/advanced will take a virtually unlimited amount, the local trash transfer will 5 gal per day per address. I dont separate hydralic, gear, motor, transmission, or "wash" diesel if it's not too noticeable. I dont put water gas, or acetone/thinner/spirits in the jug.
That more flammable stuff gets poured on a cold fire pit, and the next fire will burn off whatever residue is left in the ash.

Edit: one over looked advantage of having had a Kubota tractor, always Tons of empty hydralic buckets laying around

 

[Sprinkler Fitter]

3 miles north of me there is a oil dump site for free. Anti freeze you pay a little.

 

[WinterDeere]

Nobody has mentioned how they get rid of there oil.

I know a few guys who use it for heating shops. I pour what I can back into the gallon or 5 quart jugs that I buy the oil in, and what's left over after that goes into an old 5 gallon gas can marked "used oil", then I give it to one of them. The gallon jugs are easier, since I can just hand them to a buddy at work or when they stop by, and not have to go retrieve my gas can afterward.

Using the hole saw relieved the pressure on the flange of the plug. I then walked the plug out by hand. Another Ta Da. Later

Love it! As I was reading, I was imagining you running the hole saw in reverse, just hoping for it to grab and walk the bolt out. But I guess you were running it forward?

One of my tricks for getting broken-off fasteners out of holes is to drill the pilot hole for the screw extractor with a left-hand drill bit. Half the time, the broken fastener will walk itself back out of the hole while I'm drilling it, totally eliminating the need for the screw extractors... which so seldom actually work.