Hey Veeky Forums, complete noob here. I'm going to be changing the oil on my Ford Explorer for the first time ever and have a few questions. One is that my driveway is on a slight downhill incline. Is it still okay to change the oil on it, and if so should I be pointing up or downhill? I doubt I'll need to jack this bitch up with how much clearance there is. And two, do I need a torque wrench for the drain plug? If not how tight do I turn it? And if I do, what size drive should I buy?
Pic semi related, my driveway is only slightly sloped.
Lucas Davis
If the oil drain plug is on the back of the oil pan, let it face downhill. Apply this logic to wherever the drain plug faces.
You don't need a torque wrench, just get it snug enough with a small 3/8 ratchet to the point where you can't push it normally anymore, but don't try to "oomph" it more than that. Do not go past this point or use a huge breaker bar to tighten it as you will regret it the next time you go to undo it.
Apply similar logic to the oil filter, if you tighten it too much now you'll hate yourself for it next time you go to remove it. You might even experience this when you go to change your oil this time around since there's no telling who did what to it last time.
Jaxon Baker
Thank you user!
Lincoln Anderson
Am I an idiot or something? I've tried using my 3/8 ratchet and I can't move the drain plug one way or the other. It isn't even like its stuck, more that it feels like my sockets aren't grabbing anything, as if I were just pressing the thing against a flat surface and twisting. It clicks and moves but the bolt doesn't budge. Also I'm not 100% sure which setting to switch my ratchet to for removal, which I realize is retarded. What should I do?
Charles Smith
Lefty loosey are you sure youre using the right size socket? Also use 6-point sockets less chance of stripping the heads which is what sounds like is happening
Joseph Torres
Get ramps. Jack and stands are inconvenient for just oil.
Christian Bennett
Yeah, I have a 6-point toolkit, I'm sure it's the proper size, I tried both a 15mm and 9/16 as Ford lists but they seemed too big. So I went down to a 13mm which was the smallest size I could fit on there and still nothing.
Asher Moore
TYPICAL FERD
CANT EVEN MAKE DRAIN PLUGS RIGHT
SURE YOUR NOT TRYING TO UNDO ONE OF THE OIL PAN BOLTS INSTEAD OF THE DRAIN PLUG
Isaiah Martin
Oil the filter gasket so it doesn't stick. Make sure the old gasket came off with the filter. Don't add too much oil.
>it clicks and moves It shouldn't be clicking when you're applying force to the bolt.
Lincoln Edwards
I think you are an idiot. Check the direction your socket wrench is set to, you may have it set backwards.
Isaiah Hill
I have one question - are you a Millenial?
Angel Reed
>my ratchet clicks and moves >but the bolt wont move! Kek So a ratchet usually has 3 directions, with a little sliding selector on it, right left and middle. Middle stays stuck wherever you are, the clicking allows you to move the ratchet backwards WITHOUT moving the bolt youre trying to take off, so you can take it off without having to remove and reattatch the ratchet to the bolt if you dont have enough space to go in a circle Use this for the first few turns and get it loose, it should be stiff with the handle not clicking until you get to the point you cant turn anymore, then move your arm back the same direction. The ratchet should easily move back and click, then repeat Once it gets loose enough the slight force on the reset motion (the clicking one) will actually move the bolt and you wint get anywhere, but at that point it is easy enough to remove by hand Youre using the reset motion to try and take the bolt off, switch the selector to the opposite side, or put it in the middle for tard-proof mode where it will be essentially a wrench
Jordan Cox
This is kinda important. You do NOT want to double gasket an oil filter. That's bad, very very bad.
Luis Foster
If the bolt is really stuck you can simply drill a new hole in your pan to let the oil out. Put a bolt in the hole when all the oil has come out.
Caleb Perez
>It shouldn't be clicking when you're applying force to the bolt. That's what I thought.
Honestly I know righty tighty lefty loosey but I was still getting a bit confused by which direction it was relative to the bolt.
Nope, Gen Y.
No shit? I didn't even realize there was a middle setting, thank you. I bet you anything I'll be able to solve it now.
Landon Diaz
This is a nu-male who can't even figure out how a socket wrench works. You might as well be talking about brain surgery as far as xe's concerned.
Hudson Gonzalez
YOUD GOTTA TAP THREADS INTO THE HOLE FIRST
THE SLICKEST MOVE IS CHUCK THE DRAIN PLUG AND PUT IN A FUMOTO DRAIN VALVE
IT NARROWS THE ID A LITTLE SO DRAINS A BIT SLOWER BUT ITS BASED AF, NOTOOLS ONE FINGER OIL DRAINING
SLAMMED STANCEDFAGGOTS WITH DOWNSPOUT DRAINS NEED NOT APPLY THEY'LL TEAR IT OUT GOING OVER A SPEED BUMP
Gavin Lopez
Should be a middle setting, mine has one as well as any other Ive used, but Ive leatned there is no end to tool manufacturers retardation for adding/removing certain features sometimes
Nathaniel Bailey
Oh yeah also let us know if you got it, I wanna know if we helped and I didnt just sit on my ass all day without contributing to society
Liam Diaz
It's lefty locky righty relaxy you idiot
Aaron King
The drain bolt threads are stripped. Does the truck have Jiffy Lube history?
Robert Edwards
Youtube is your friend. Search for your make and model year and the words "oil change". Somebody will have made some video showing you what you need to do.
Isaiah Miller
Since it's your first time doing an oil change. You should flush the engine. You need to run your garden hose to the filler hoke/neck. Make sure the drain plug is removed. Flush it until clean water comes out of the drain. New filter and oil and it'll run as good as new.