Shade tree oil change for my 348

cool post, nice to see you working on it yourself. i didnt know oil changes were $400.00 either!.

 

Way to go Jim!

 

I have a 512 TR and found your experience most helpful as I prepare to do the same at some point. Tell me does the 348 have a noise/dust shield under the front of the car and did it interfere with your ability to chose a jack stand or jacking point?

 

I surprised it didnt fall off and squish your head with the stands located so far in from the ends. I would have chosen a frame rail near the engine for the rear half anyway.

 

Yikes, that is scary (please dont get me wrong - not that there is something wrong with it). It's just that I wouldnt go underneat of a car like that.

To improve it (make it safer), put more wood blocks under each tire.

 

Jim,

Is that a SS? Do you know if those chrome wheels are original?

BTW some more blocks is probably a good idea. Other than that well done!

Vincent.

 

Jim:
Congratulations on your oil change.
In my past I have had trouble putting a car on 4 jack stands--odd as it seems the car can be quite unstable on 4 stands. It is especially risky when you are jacking-up or down and the stands have an angular load on them (don't ask me how I know). If you really have to get the car up high my preference is to drive the front wheels on a stack of (2) 2X10s and jack the back-up.
Be careful, and enjoy the "bonding".

Mark

 

Congrats on the work. I have always gotten a chuckle out of pictures like this. It's sort of the 'rich trailer park' look (rich-redneck). Just funny to see a Ferrari up on jack stands in front of a house. FYI, I do the same.

 

Great to see others working on their cars. Instead of "jacking" the car up next time, why don't you try a siphon machine. You litterally stick a tube down the dipstick and suck all the oilt out of the engine, without having to undo the drain plug, raising the car, or getting where near under the car.

There are several models on the market, but I am partial to Griots Garage Oil evacuation contraption. I use it to change the oil on all my cars and I am normally wearing kakis when I do this. Just a thought.

 

I'm not sure an oil extractor like that would work in a dry sump system like the 348. I doubt the siphon tube could reach through the tank, down the plumbing and into the case. Can the real tech-junkies comment on this?

-Daniel

 

I'm one of those tech junkies - I drain most of the oil by warming the engine and extracting it from the sump (the separate one against the rear bumper) using the extraction method. I get about 9 quarts that way and then drain the engine sump (underneath the block) from below to get the last few quarts. I find it quicker, less messy and no chance of stripping the sump drain screw.

 

As Shan said, you can get alot of oil out of the oil tank, but you won't get the oil that is still on the bottom of the sump pan. Oh and the dipstick is in the oil tank, not on the engine like most vehicles. As for stripping the oil plug on the bottom of the oil tank, been there done that. The previous owners cross threaded the drain plug. The problem is that the covor on the bottom is aluminium and the plug is brass, or at least it looks brass. So if you cross thread it or over tighten it, the aluminium is softer than the plug and gets stripped. I took mine to a local machine shop and had them tap a new hole. It is a little bit bigger than the old one but it works. Also there is a nylon mesh screen on the bottom of the tank, that covers the pick up tube on the bottom. Mine had metal shavings in it from, the threads being stripped out, and the screen caught them. I cleaned it out and then put the screen back on. There is a clip that holds it in place. But in order to get the screen out you have to remove the four bolts that hold the cover on the bottom. Since I had my cover off already, I cleaned the screen. You will need to get a new gasket as well. There is another drain plug on the very bottom of the engine. DO NOT mess with that one. It goes to oil oil pump. Oh and if you need a new one, well the dealer will hit you up for $60.00 for the plug and $25.00 for the one time use crush washer. I had to get a new one of those also, so take my advice and just leave it alone.

OH Yeah, nice job Jim. LOL.

 

Are'nt chrome wheels this size very heavy? Or are these just for looks?

 

Thanks for posting how to jack up the car. Saved my day.