Messy oil change

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Okay so this is a first for me. Sure I've gotten spot of oil on the driveway before but nothing like this.

Done an oil change and true rotation on my little brothers truck. Drug out compressor and tools, jacked truck up and put on jack stands, placed oil pan and took off plug. My brother was pulling the lug nut covers off while I was doing this.

Sooo, I'm laying there waiting on the oil to drain then glance back at the pan and see the oil in the pan was about to overflow. I have the kind of pan that is covered with a plug in the middle (see where this is going). I hurried up and put the oil plug back in the trucks pan to stop the flow and assess the damage. I comment on it and say that I think I've lucked out, at this time my brother pokes his head under and says "you ought to come look at this side if you think your lucky". Long story short, out of a 6 quart sump, we poured 3 quarts out of the drain pan. So 2.5-3 quarts on the driveway. Finished up oil change and tire rotation and backed truck out, broke out the kitty litter and all is well now.

Just a small piece of my day. Painting my grandfather and 2 others graves tomorrow so hopefully no messes doing that. Hope y'all have a great weekend.
 
I've done that exact same thing. I have also not taken the little air vent off so it wouldnt go through the hole fast enough.

I busted out the kitty little, Tide powdered detergent (thanks for the tip Juan Montoya), and then the power washer and all is well. My driveway is concrete with brick decorations, but it all came up.
 
That is too funny. I've almost done the same thing, but luckily caught my mistake before the tray overflowed, hurried and unscrewed the plug, and all was well. But I appreciate your willingness to share this experience.

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
I've done that exact same thing. I have also not taken the little air vent off so it wouldnt go through the hole fast enough.

I busted out the kitty little, Tide powdered detergent (thanks for the tip Juan Montoya), and then the power washer and all is well. My driveway is concrete with brick decorations, but it all came up.


Does Tide powder actually still work on oil spill? I was told a long time ago that it was the phosphorous in Tide that made it so good a breaking down and cleaning oil off a driveway, and ever since phosphorous has been removed from laundry detergents, it just doesn't clean driveways like it used to.
 
Then what you do is go on Amazon and buy real TSP phosphate
Same thing for cleaning cooling systems, if a detergent used to be good for it, but now isn't because they took phosphates out of it, then go straight to the horses mouth and get just the phosphates.
Great for cleaning wretched cooling systems, dishwashers, and oily stains on driveways. Like $15 for a 4.5LB box.
 
Originally Posted By: BHopkins

Does Tide powder actually still work on oil spill? I was told a long time ago that it was the phosphorous in Tide that made it so good a breaking down and cleaning oil off a driveway, and ever since phosphorous has been removed from laundry detergents, it just doesn't clean driveways like it used to.

At my local small town hardware store, you can buy real trisodiumphosphate in one of the aisles that sells chemicals.

Think of the kind of hardware store where you pull the core from a faucet, hand it to the guy in the plumbing section, and he finds the equivalent in seconds.

Do you live where such stores exist?
 
I love it when you have a drain pan full of oil and drop the oil filter in it, SPLASH!

I need a drain pain with the hole in the middle.
 
I have cardboard from extra large boxes, cut into sheets. It goes under the vehicle after I run it up on the ramps. I slide it under the vehicle put the drain pan on that, problem solved. No issues with splashes, wind slinging oil anymore, or any other mishap that might occur. I would imagine dumping an oil drain pan with 6 qts. of oil might be a problem but I'm happy to report that hasn't happened to me, yet.
 
Biggest mess I had was when I forgot to put the plug in and poured 6 quarts of oil into the car. The pan I use is completely full as it is just handling the 6 quarts I took out, so it instantly overflowed. I immediately threw the plug in as soon as I noticed what I did, but I still lost over 4 quarts onto the concrete.

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I love it when you have a drain pan full of oil and drop the oil filter in it, SPLASH!

I need a drain pain with the hole in the middle.


Yeah, I pull the filter first, install the new one, dump the oil pan and then drain the sump.
 
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One time I placed the drain pan so that the oil flow was aimed at the center of the drain pan. I let it drain a while and come back to find that no part of the pan was actually under the drain hole, the last quart or so dribbled down right onto the floor.
 
Everyone has had one of these.

Take it as a rite of passage.

Many, many years ago we were draining down an old Ford C6. The buddy working with me removed a fastener he wasn't supposed to, and I got a full-face bath of Type-F as the pan opened and relieved itself on me.

But I had exceptionally silky smooth hair for the next several days. At that much younger age, it actually worked out well on my next date.
 
i usually use 2 separate pans unless the filter is relatively close to the pan plug.



I've had it where i pull the drain pan out to fast while its too full and lose a bit out of the nozzle.

luckily I do this in a garage where spills are acceptable, just throw some oil dry on it and clean it up later after it absorbs.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I have cardboard from extra large boxes, cut into sheets. It goes under the vehicle after I run it up on the ramps. I slide it under the vehicle put the drain pan on that, problem solved. No issues with splashes, wind slinging oil anymore, or any other mishap that might occur. I would imagine dumping an oil drain pan with 6 qts. of oil might be a problem but I'm happy to report that hasn't happened to me, yet.


Pretty much my MO as well.
 
Recently I was doing an oil change,and as soon as the stream of oil began to pour out,it literally bounced off the oil pan's surface and arc'd over the side of the pan and all over the driveway. Some Simple Green HD and paper towels cleaned it right up.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Recently I was doing an oil change,and as soon as the stream of oil began to pour out,it literally bounced off the oil pan's surface and arc'd over the side of the pan and all over the driveway. Some Simple Green HD and paper towels cleaned it right up.


I've had that happen before... or if it hits right in the middle of the pan where the drain hole is, it sprays all over the place like an erupting geyser. Hate when that happens!
 
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