Question for the Dads!! Please Help!

Good luck!

hi -
what a great idea! I just asked my husband (who has changed his own oil for 20 years). He said you need:
1) oil filter wrench (he does not have a brand preference)
2) wrench for an oil filter cap in the cars oil pan - this varies by make/model of car
3) an oil pan
4) oil
5) a funnel

I'd suggest you find an Auto Zone or other auto supply store and ask them - they will be able to tell you what wrench you cars need and should have the other supplies.

Good luck!

PS my dh said he does not use a jack to change the oil (that would make the oil shift in the car so it would not completely drain). Also Cindy bring up a good point - you may want to call around to see if someone will take the used oil - my dh said he takes it to Auto Zone for free

Do you have a recycling center that will take the used oil? If not, it may not be worth the trouble/cost to do it at home.

My DH says a good floor jack and a good set of jack stands for him to be safe. Sears is an excellant brand and KMart sells Sears Brand too. He would need an oil filter wrench and an oil pan and of course Oil filters and Oil. Any store you go to that carry's this type of things will usually have someone in that department to help you. You might also like to get him a creeper to make it easier to get under and out from under the car and an old piece of carpet works good so he doesn't have to lay on the cold floor. I hope this helps and Happy Birthday and Father's Day to your DH.
Kay

CRAFTSMAN! for your brand of jack get a 2ton or 3 ton floor jack from either Sears or Murrary's or whatever your car supply stores are in your state. That will help him lift up the car in the front or get some car ramps. His ramps can suppport the weight of a large SUV. I'm not the man but I have these things in my house or have bought them for my boyfriend because he does our oil changes and brakes.They (MEN) also like rachet sets and try to get the one with lots of pieces to it. Oh and a breaker bar ( i have no idea what it does but my man was aching for one) but i know its a tool they like. But i would recommend going to sears and ask one of the associates there and believe it or not when i went there was a female associate that knew every tool and what it was for so hey whatever works. and if you take your car to an oil change palce just ask them the best brand for your car and van then go to the auto parts store and purchase the brand sometimes its 10X30 or 10X40 or somewhere along that line.oh and a oil pan set for when he changes the oil he will really need that ( it's for catching the old oil when he changes it). hope that helps. good luck p.s. CRAFTSMAN is the brand that sears sells. TOUGHGAURD oil & air filters. LATEX & regular work GLOVES!

i know you're looking for advice from dads, but i happen to know our local parts store has "kits" that you can buy that include everything you need to change the oil. it looked like the employees put them together, but I would just go to one of those stores (o'reilly, napa, etc) and tell them what you want. they will fix you up. (and you know they won't push the cheap stuff on you! lol!)

My husband swears by Craftsman tools.

for $20 I would just stick the the dealership or oil change place...they run specials all the time. Buy him some other tools to do other more intense "jobs" around the house and cars. Do you really want that oily mess in your garage? I speak from experience with a DIY husband...it never turns out the way you intended.......

My husband says if cash is not an option log on to either snap-on.com or mac tools and you buy anything for mechanic in your life. Napa has a good selection as does Craftsman. A good jack or wheel ramps, jack stands if you choose to buy a jack, acouple of wrenchs ( oil plug neds just one but he want to help others) 9/16, 15 mm, 5/8 and 17 mm wrenchs take care of most vehicles, go with a 6 point not a 12 point boxed end on wrench, oil drain pan a filter wrench - band or cup style either works and a adjustable filter pliers for extra hard to remove filters. Throw a creeper in there and he will be happy.

You could get one of those little roll beds that they lay on. We had one for years. G. W(I grew up with mechanics and have also changed oil )

Yeah! Question for Dadapedia! First of all, I'm going to assume that your husband knows how to change the oil in a vehicle. But there is no "brand" of oil-changing equipment; all that is necessary is a few tools.

1- a basic funnel like this:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/accessories/accP...

2 - a drain pan similar to this (but this one is way overpriced):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OIL-DRAIN-PAN-PLASTIC-15-Q...

3 - a filter wrench like this:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/accessories/accP...

4 - a floor jack like this:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/accessories/accP...

5 - a roll/box of blue shop towels or white Scott towels (these are both actually very thick paper towels)

6 - Goop or Go-Gel Orange hand cleaner (sorry, but your common anti-bacterial dish soap just won't cut it)

He'll also need a socket set and ratchet or wrench to take off the drain plug, but he probably already has that. Before you buy, peruse the garage and see what he already has. When it comes to filter wrenches, there are many types to choose from. Some work better in different vehicles depending on how hard the filter is to reach. I myself use a strap wrench. When it comes to jacks, don't fret over brands - a jack is a jack. A jack may not even be necessary but they're good to have around. I think all of this can be found at Wal-Mart, Autozone or Pep Boys. I take my old oil to AutoZone (Trinity Mills/Midway). To buy oil, a filter and a can of Berryman's ChemTool or RXP is not much less expensive that going to Jiffy Lube, but there's nothing like the satisfaction a man gets from a job well done - and you choose the products, not just take what they give you. And my garage is always spotless afterwards. Good luck!

Hi, first of all brands don't really matter unless he is making a living with his tools. My husband has a garage full of them and does mechanic work on the side so I have been around this for 13 years now. First off you need a floor jack, you can buy them at any auto parts store: Oreillys, autozone, or even walmart. Most of them are sufficient enough to lift any regular auto, but I would get a 1 or 2 ton jack just to be sure. Next you need a set of jack stands. Those are the things you put under the car for safety after you jack it up. My husband uses both the jack and the stands while working on a car and again you can buy them at any of the places that you can get a jack. I'm not sure what kind of oil filter you have but you can go in to the auto parts store and tell them what you are doing and they can pull your car and tell you what kind of wrench to get for the filter you have. The last thing you should need is an oil pan. Again can be purchased from the parts store. It is a big usually black flat bucket that has a small hole on the top so the oil can drain out of the car. My husband does not like oil stains on our driveway so he also has a bag of oil dry just in case (just like kitty litter used for soaking up oil on ground) I think your best bet will be to go to Oreillys or autozone and tell them what you want, they will be able to tell you exactly what you need. Hope this helps, good luck!
M.

Another excellent place to pick up tools is a pawn shop. You can get jack stands; floor jacks, etc. at pawn shops. If you buy craftsman tools there, the guarantee is still effective. My husband makes his living with his tools and is an avid pawn shop guy. I think it's wonderful you are making him a good start to his "man cave".

Blessings!
L.