Where are the jack points on an SDL?

[Hatterasguy]

Where do you put the floor jack, to jack up the front too change the oil? Where are the rear jack points to?
Thanks.

[whunter]

Hello Hatterasguy
Look for the rubber pads, if they are missing, get some new pads.

[sixto]

In front I use the main crossmember. In the rear I use the pad under the diff. This is in section 00-9007 of the shop manual... when yours gets there.

Since Larry's not posting as frequently these days, I'll dare to get the ball rolling on the next debate - you lift the car to change the oil?

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

[84300DT]

you don't need to lift the car to change the oil - you're supposed change the filter and leave the old oil to drain out overnight in your garage before filling up with fresh oil in the morning!

[whunter]

Hello Everyone
This is how I do my personal vehicles.
I lift the car at the hoist lift points with a floor jack, put jack stands under the engine crossmember, R&R filter, drain oil, add five quarts of fresh oil, run for thirty minutes, drain the oil and R&R the filter, refill oil, start car, lower car and drive.

My average oil change is 13 - 15 quarts of oil.
My gassers get the same type of treatment.

Oil change every 2500 - 3000 miles.

[CSchmidt]

Folks,

I have several low cars that won't go up ramps for changing oil. A solution I have found is to use some lengths of 2x8 and drive the front wheels up on them. A 2' piece with a 1' piece nailed in on top makes a simple, cheap ramp that raises the front of the car about 4". If needed you can bevel the front edges to make the transition easier.


Chuck

[Hatterasguy]

How do you change the oil without jacking up the front? I don't have a pump yet. I'll just jack it up and drain the oil to the flow slows down. Long as I get about 8qts, thats good enough. Thanks I'll check for those pads.

[CSchmidt]

Hatterasguy,

If the car is up just a little, it is pretty easy to reach the mounting points for the belly pan from on the ground reaching under the front. Then if you have a reasonably thin oil pan (that holds 8 quarts) the drain plug is easy to reach as well. Remember to loosen the top of the oil filter container so it will drain as well while the pan is there.

The oil filter is accesses from the top. A trick mentioned before is to use a plastic supermarket bag to put the oil filter into as soon as you lift it up, prevents drips all over.

Good luck.

Chuck

[sixto]

Put your hand in the bag, use the bagged hand to lift the filter wire handle, roll the bag over the filter as you pull it out, pinch the open end of the bag when the filter's all the way out.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

[BoostnBenz]

There is about a 4" step in my garage, with the car pulled upto that I could still reach down and undo the drain plug.

Wow whunter, I hope you aren't using an expensive synthetic!! I've been thinking of going the opposite way, adding a bypass filter and running the drains upto (at least) 7.5k miles instead of 3k or 5k. But I do wonder, if one were to change the oil like you do wouldn't it be more valueable to change it every 1500miles rather than flushing it before changing it every 3k?

[whunter]

Hello BoostnBenz
Synthetic only.
mobile 1, 5W30 on my modern domestic
mobile 1, 15W50 on my 300SD
mobile 1, 10W30 on my 1954 caddilac
Durability testing shows best interval is 3K, I would rather go 2.5K to 3K than risk the engine.
I have no extra time to build another engine.

Originally posted by BoostnBenz
There is about a 4" step in my garage, with the car pulled upto that I could still reach down and undo the drain plug.

Wow whunter, I hope you aren't using an expensive synthetic!! I've been thinking of going the opposite way, adding a bypass filter and running the drains upto (at least) 7.5k miles instead of 3k or 5k. But I do wonder, if one were to change the oil like you do wouldn't it be more valueable to change it every 1500miles rather than flushing it before changing it every 3k?

[rickjordan]

You shouldn't need to jack the car up to change the oil. In both of my cars, ther is enough room to place one of those large oil pans underneath. Jacking the car up will prevent all the old oil from getting out. If you jack her up, alot of oil will go towards the back of the pan.
I am not even going to add any fuel to the small fire that is starting with regard to synthetic oil changes.

[Hatterasguy]

Maybe I can, after I get those plastic covers off I will actualy be able to see the oil pan!

Wow whunter now thats overkill!!

[BoostnBenz]

Wow, that really is overkill. Does it seem to keep the oil clean/clear for a while when you do it that way?

[whunter]

Yes.
After the first three or four changes on most used cars.
Umm, I change the oil filter every 1500 miles, between oil changes.
Ok; I know that I am extreme, it is cheap insurance for me.

Originally posted by BoostnBenz
Wow, that really is overkill. Does it seem to keep the oil clean/clear for a while when you do it that way?