Welcome everyone to the July meeting of Eden DIY, I am so happy to see y’all here.

As some of you know, this topic is something that I have been doing for over 35 years. Yes, even at five years old I was changing oil and working on cars with my dad. Since then I have saved countless dollars by working on my cars, trucks and motorcycles. I can truthfully say that not one mechanic shop has ever changed my oil. I never saw the need to pay someone $30-$50 dollars (or more) for something I can do myself for much cheaper, plus there is the wait while some guy I don’t even know puts his hands all over my precious.

Now, it is true that shops like Jiffy Lube also check other areas on your car like the air filter, radiator fluid and the air in your tires but these are things you should be checking anyways.

You do check then routinely, right?

So, let’s get to it, shall we? Oh ya, did I mention that I have a couple of Eden GC’s for today? Silly me, how could I forget that? less

To begin, let’s take a quick look at what old and new oil looks like.


The spot of oil on the left is the old oil from my wife’s Explorer, would you believe that it only has 1500 miles on it? Now normally you should change your oil at the 3000 mile or three months (5000 for synthetic oil) mark but I just put in a new motor and the first few oil changes need to be done at different intervals due to the break in of the motor. Still, you can see a major difference in the oil from new to old. Think of the discoloration as dirt in your motor, not good, eh? less

For those that do not have the tools needed, this is also the time to buy them. You will need; a filter wrench to take off the oil filter, a wrench that will fit the drain plug, something to catch the used oil, a pair of jack stands and a funnel. Chances are you will spill some oil onto the ground so some oil absorbent or cheap kitty litter will be needed too. You may also want to buy a pair of gloves (latex or rubber gloves will work too, just not as good) and some rags. I just use old cloths or towels. Also, when under the car a pair of safety glasses is a must. A couple notes about the filter wrench and wrench for the drain plug. The filter wrench has a few options; there are some that go around the filter and some that fit like a socket on the bottom. Which one you buy will depend on where the oil filter is on the motor. It may be a good idea to look before hand where the filter is before purchasing. As you will see in a bit the standard filter wrench does not work on the Explorer due to the small space. For the Explorer the socket type wrench works the best. The drain plug wrench is another one where there are lots of options. You first need to know the size wrench it will take, most of the time it is 9/16” or 13mm but not always. You can buy a wrench in the size or even better, buy a small socket set. The socket set in the picture only cost me $20 at Home Depot and has a large variety of sizes. Well worth the investment. Now most vehicles have a jack for changing tires, this can be used or even better (and safer) you can buy a floor jack. Either way you will need a way to jack your car up (unless you can fit your body and the drain pan under the vehicle). A pair of jack stands or ramps will be needed too, never and I mean NEVER trust a jack when you will be under the vehicle. Really, a pair of jack stands or ramps is damn cheap versus being crushed by a two ton car. Jack Stands, $30-$50Car ramps, $50-$75According to what I can find on the web, that is the world’s biggest vehicle. It belongs to Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan and is a replica of a 1950 Dodge Power Wagon. less