Hello to all,

I'm gonna jack up my 74' car and change the oil and filter, (Raby 2270 and front-mounted oil cooler with thermostat).

At what "points" should one jack up the car?

What is the "best" placement of the jackstands, front and rear?

Should I get the car "level", or is "tail-up" on jackstands (with the front wheels chocked) adequate?

Which position is "better" for getting all of the used oil out?

Any idea about how much new oil I'll need taking into account the oil cooler and "lines"?

Should one "warm" the engine prior to draining the oil?

I had read "somewhere" that plastic sheeting placed over the lugbolts (black) before a socket will help "save" their finish. (I do realize the wheels do not need to be removed for an oil change).


Comments, questions, suggestions?

I Know this is prosaic, but I thought a "debate" on the "best" procedure might be interesting....

TIA

John

To jack up the back, you can use the engine mount bar. The stands go under the donuts in the floor pan, near the corners. To jack up the front, you can use the big nut under the balljoint, or the torsion bar mounts.

Yes, warm up the engine before draining the oil. Take as long a drive as you can to get the oil up to operating temp.

You won't get *all* of the old oil out, so don't even bother trying. There's usually as much as a quart left in the engine, clinging to everything inside. This is a good thing, since it means you'll get oil pressure again quickly when firing it up the first time.

When refilling an unknown car, I usually throw in 2 quarts, and briefly fire up the engine. Check oil level, add more oil, wait a bit, recheck, repeat until you see the oil at the minimum line. Fire it up again, briefly, then recheck and repeat again until I'm a bit under the max mark. The firing it up part is esp. important when you have long oil lines to a remote oil cooler, to make sure they're full. You could just pull the coil wire and crank it for awhile, too. Do this long-winded procedure once, and you'll know approximately how much oil to put in the next time.

So John, show is a picture of your car.

For jackstands, I do this:

My car is very low, so I lift from the jack receiver with a lift plate and a floor jack.
I lift the car up very high and place a stand under the rear trailing arm pivot. Then the other side.

If I need all four wheels off the ground, I put a short 2x4 section on the floor jack cradle and lift from under the long towards the front of the car. I have a jack stand that with the cradle removed, is round and fits perfectly around the front donut. Perfect height, too.
Then the other side.

I've done this so many times


KT

not sure if it really matters, but i fill the new oil filter with oil before i install it in theory, the oil pressure will be 0 or low until the filter is filled with oil, similar to the removal of the coil wire in a previous thread.

Thanks Lapuwali, Trekkor and Type 47 for replies.

There has to be more "variants" on procedure than this!


Come on' People ---work with me here....

Anyone.....


anyone.......



John


P.S. What is John, in German (the NAME JOHN)?

QUOTE

.... P.S. What is John, in German (the NAME JOHN)?

Auf deutsch: " NAMENSJOHN "

?

I jack mine up with a floor juck using the donuts and put the jack stands under the trailing arm pivots.

Make sure you have a new gasket set: Copper or aluminum crush washer for the drain plug and the 2 paper gaskets for the strainer/sump plate. Warm up the motor, jack up the car, pull off the filler cap and pull the drain plug (make sure to have a suitable container under it). After the oil has drained, pull the sump plate and the filter. Take a look at the screen and plate for debris/metal bits. I remember Jake saying in his video that he throws the old strainer away and replaces it. I just clean mine up along with the sump plate with carb cleaner and re-use it. Once you have everything cleaned up (including the area where the sump plate and the filter seat) just lube up the seal on the filter with some new oil and put it all back together. One of the paper gaskets goes between the strainer and the case and the other goes between the strainer and the sump plate. Make sure you "DO NOT" over tighten the sump screen nut. 9 lbs. max IIRC. Put the new crush washer on the drain plug and install. After everything is buttoned up put 2 or 3 quarts of oil in it, put the filler cap back on and start it up for a minute or 2. Recheck oil level and top off as necessary.

For just changing the oil I use my ramps rather than jacking. It is quick and easy. Eddy

QUOTE (smooth_eddy @ Oct 8 2005, 04:14 PM)

For just changing the oil I use my ramps rather than jacking.  It is quick and easy.  Eddy

Are you talkin' drivin' UP THEM RAMPS (I am picturing stamped metal, red or black in color, perhaps 20" high) BACKWARDS?

Thanks for your response Eddy.

John

for more responses....

J

Like many things around here, it's already been done.

In the Classics section!

Jack Stand Locations, Best/safest spots

QUOTE (Flat VW @ Oct 8 2005, 07:21 PM)

QUOTE (smooth_eddy @ Oct 8 2005, 04:14 PM) For just changing the oil I use my ramps rather than jacking.  It is quick and easy.  Eddy Are you talkin' drivin' UP THEM RAMPS (I am picturing stamped metal, red or black in color, perhaps 20" high) BACKWARDS? Thanks for your response Eddy. John

Be careful with jackstands, once a 914 gets on them, they get happy and don't come down. Ask me how I know....

I always use ramps for anything under the motor. Its a little scary driving the car up there but it can be done. I had to remove my rear valance beforehand. Incidentally, when I got my last car it had some damage to the rockers in front of the wheels. I didn't know how it got there until I used my ramps for the first time. Then I realized what had happened. Driving the car down is as scary as driving it up. My ramps shoot out like watermelon seeds. Make sure no one is behind them.

QUOTE (jasons @ Oct 10 2005, 06:59 PM)

QUOTE (Flat VW @ Oct 8 2005, 07:21 PM) QUOTE (smooth_eddy @ Oct 8 2005, 04:14 PM) For just changing the oil I use my ramps rather than jacking.  It is quick and easy.  Eddy Are you talkin' drivin' UP THEM RAMPS (I am picturing stamped metal, red or black in color, perhaps 20" high) BACKWARDS? Thanks for your response Eddy. John Be careful with jackstands, once a 914 gets on them, they get happy and don't come down. Ask me how I know.... I always use ramps for anything under the motor. Its a little scary driving the car up there but it can be done. I had to remove my rear valance beforehand. Incidentally, when I got my last car it had some damage to the rockers in front of the wheels. I didn't know how it got there until I used my ramps for the first time. Then I realized what had happened. Driving the car down is as scary as driving it up. My ramps shoot out like watermelon seeds. Make sure no one is behind them.

Put your ramps on some carpet so both ramps are on the same piece of old house hold carpet plus some room for the car too and when the car goes up and down the ramps should stay put.

I actually use a couple of old brake rotors under the ramp to hold it in place. But the carpet sounds better.

QUOTE (Gint @ Oct 10 2005, 06:09 PM)

Like many things around here, it's already been done.   In the Classics section! Jack Stand Locations, Best/safest spots

Doh!

Yeah, but what about oil change procedure?

thanks,
John

QUOTE (Headrage @ Oct 8 2005, 11:59 AM)

I jack mine up with a floor juck using the donuts and put the jack stands under the trailing arm pivots. Make sure you have a new gasket set: Copper or aluminum crush washer for the drain plug and the 2 paper gaskets for the strainer/sump plate. Warm up the motor, jack up the car, pull off the filler cap and pull the drain plug (make sure to have a suitable container under it). After the oil has drained, pull the sump plate and the filter. Take a look at the screen and plate for debris/metal bits. I remember Jake saying in his video that he throws the old strainer away and replaces it. I just clean mine up along with the sump plate with carb cleaner and re-use it. Once you have everything cleaned up (including the area where the sump plate and the filter seat) just lube up the seal on the filter with some new oil and put it all back together. One of the paper gaskets goes between the strainer and the case and the other goes between the strainer and the sump plate. Make sure you "DO NOT" over tighten the sump screen nut. 9 lbs. max IIRC. Put the new crush washer on the drain plug and install. After everything is buttoned up put 2 or 3 quarts of oil in it, put the filler cap back on and start it up for a minute or 2. Recheck oil level and top off as necessary.

YEP.....I just back right up on the ramps. Fortunately my car will go on the ramps. I have to turn them ever so slightly out to clear the valences on both front and rear. But it works. It used to make me nervous backing up on the ramps but you get over it in time. I do mine on an asphalt driveway, so they don't slip going up or down. My ramps are really old. Stamped steel sheet metal type. Eddy

I don't wanna hear it!

Mr. six-buyer.....

Your gonna need a bunch more oil...

J