Boys and Girls,

I changed the oil yesterday on my '02 V6, and was consumed with a burning desire to track down the engineer who designed the oil filter installation. The filter points straight down from an adapter to the left of the bellhousing. Directly under the filter is a hose (power steering?). I've owned this car about 15 years and with each oil change, I'd gripe about that hose directly in the way. Here's a view looking inboard, just aft of the front left tire. The offending hose is wrapped in an aftermarket silver heat shield, as the original cover fell apart years ago:




A few years ago I had the idea to secure that flexible line out of the way during an oil change. I used a Tyrap to temporarily swing the line out of the way, loosely securing it to the a line a few inches forward of the filter. This worked, but with the wheel and jackstand in the way, you're working with one hand in this tight area. It was always frustrating to get the Tyrap started. So after years of aggravation, I finally put on my orthopedic thinking cap and came up with this simple little wire clip for one handed installation. The dimensions aren't critical, but 2 inches overall worked well:




Here's the clip installed, holding that troublesome flex line forward and out of the way. Don't forget to remove it when done:




I wish I had thought of this years ago.


Here's something else you'll want to consider, for removing the drain plug without soaking your arm. Get thee a Powerbuilt #942072 magnetic oil drain plug removal tool:

https://www.powerbuilt.com/products/...g-remover-tool



Image shamelessly stolen from Powerbuilt website


The magnetic universal adapter tip is a bit funky, so I replaced it with a normal 13mm (1/4" drive) socket for a better grip. Inside the socket, I epoxied a 1/2" diameter magnet:



To use, first break the plug loose with a regular 13mm wrench. This tool isn't designed to transmit much torque, so you have to loosen the plug first. Then with your hand safely clear of the hot oil, unscrew the plug with this handy tool. The flex extension keeps your arm clear of the oil stream, and the magnet keeps the plug from falling into your drain pan. Three thumbs up!

 

Bump to an older thread. I just picked up a set of detachable car ramps from MaxxHaul, item #50709:

https://www.maxxhaul.com/copy-of-50699




I purchased these to make oil changes easier on my car. With regular 1-piece ramps, the sloped portion gets in your way as you try to reach the oil filter. Jack stands are a little better, but still block easy access. You simply drive up on the ramps, and then remove the detachable inclined portion. Voila!

Eastwood offers their own version (#23048), which appears to be identical:

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-de...-ramp-set.html

This pic, from Eastwood, shows how the inclined portion separated but not yet moved completely out of the way:


Edit: I forgot to mention one little tidbit. Make sure the surface below is flat, or slightly raised in the middle. When I first tried these new ramps, I positioned them on a spot with a little dip (watch it!) in the middle. Under the weight of the car, the leverage wedged the joint together slightly and made it difficult to separate the pieces. I backed down, moved to a flatter spot, and all was good.