Oil Drain Pan -- the "catcher" -- not the car part -- need a better one

i use a funnel and an old gas can, splash proof, drip proof and leak proof. easy to transport as well.

 

One gallon milk jugs work good too. Use the one's that have the screw on caps. Don't forget the funnel.

I have a old round metal pan, probably like what your dad has. Works great for what I do with it.

 

The Blitz container is about as close to one step as you are going to get Kris. You just have to deal with the threads.

Here's a hint on threading. Try turning counter clockwise until you feel the part drop down a little bit, then turn it clockwise. Sometimes that will help getting the threads started properly.

Threads on plastic containers are easy to cross thread, they require patience.

 

This is my favorite. The yellow funnel comes with the Wedco



screws onto one gallon milk, anti-freeze or windshield washer bottles.

I don't use the black container.

The funnel catches the drain plug and keeps it from going into the oil.

It catches all the flow from the oil filter cap, and allows the paper filter element to drain into the bottle.

Cap the bottle, and you'll just take it for recycling. The take the entire bottle with the oil in it at Walmart.

 

I do a two-step process:

1) Drain oil into 6 quart black plastic drain pan
2) Pour used oil from drain pan into a plastic container like a gallon-size antifreeze bottle or 5 quart engine oil bottle

I like the concept of the one-step drain pan except that it seemed the very large opening would leak very easily.

I think it is good to look at the drain pan as the used oil is being poured out, to see whether any metallic particles are present. If so, that is good evidence of excessive engine wear, such as camshaft bearings beginning to fall apart.

For example, my 1976 VW Dasher showed lots of visible particles in the used engine oil and the engine was getting more and more rattly in its sound. That gave me good reason to get rid of the car after around 80K miles were logged on the odometer.

 

I use an old 2 gallon oil jug with a hole cut in the side for a drain pan. Then I use a funnel to put the oil in 2 liter soda bottles for transport they are almost indestructible, and the parts store I take used oil to lets me leave the bottles with them.

 

I just pour the old oil back into the plastic jug that the new oil came in. This makes recycling easier because there's more places available where you can just drop off the jugs (without having to pour it into a bulk container or anything).

I always buy my oil in 4L or 5L containers and I just keep the old containers to recycle the old oil. Obviously I don't use all 5L to change the oil, so the newest oil jug won't necessarily be empty, but I always have one from last time. The basic idea is that what comes out can be no greater volume than what went in, so in theory you should always have enough capacity in the original containers to take whatever you drain.

 

I also do the two-step process. After collecting the oil in the Blitz pan, I use a funnel and pour the used oil into empty windshield washer bottles. The sturdier the better. The caps are also less likely to leak than those on a milk container.

 

I use the 15 qt for all my vehicles. I believe I got them at Wally World many years (14+) ago.

The container is holding up well. When full, I transfer to old 1 gal container or oil can and return to the store.

DBCassidy