I did my first oil change this past weekend. After warming to the idea of evacuating the old oil with a hand pump, having the filter topside had a lot to do with that, I decided that I just couldn’t do it. I pumped it out, but the apprehension of dirty oil being left in the pan proved to be just too much. So I jacked it up ( floor jack) and placed jack stands, took off shroud, and drained by the pan plug.
I only got about a third a cup of the remaining oil, but I don’t regret going to the trouble. Just good to know, and I may go that route in the future. It sure makes it quicker, and less dangerous!
Which brings me to my question. I used the floor jack at the point directly below where the tire-change jack would go. It seemed to be reinforced there with a molded “cup” that fit right into the “dish” on the end of my floor jack’s arm. I placed the jack stand (lowest notch, but at what I felt, might have been reaching the upper limit if my floor jack). Still wasn’t high enough, but enough to get the shroud off, whereupon I moved the jack to those points in the frame/cross-member where the two screws that hold the shroud on are. The cross-member seemed especially heavy there. So jacked up a little more (enough to move the jack stands to a notch or two above the lowest) First one side, place the stand below the tire-change jack spot, then the same on the other side.
It seemed sturdy, but I am second-guessing the whole time I’m under there! There must be a better way. Many thanks! Bob