Oil Change with OEM Jack

[HotRod]

Does the Acura jack Lift the car up high enough and is it stable enough to do an oil change or would you suggest getting a nifty after market floor jack? I saw the one being offered in the market section for $160 bucks and thought that was a bit much for a just doing simple maintenance. I also wondered if there is some type of Honda/Acura support piece that would allow a standard floor jack to fit to that bar under the chassis where you place the OEM Jack. Any comments would be appreciated.

Rod

 

[W]

The OEM jack does lift the car high enough but please lower it onto jackstands for added safety.

I find the OEM jack a pain so I bought a very sturdy steel floor jack for under $100.

For most things like oil changes, I use ramps(under $30) because they are much quicker.

 

[MvM]

I've used the OEM jack once, after a blown tire and had no difficulty. However, since this jack is simply not ment do be used heavily. For that I have invested in a small hydraulic car jack and carstands that I use for things like oil-changes, as well as other work. There is no need at all to take the of the car coming down on you when you are under it. Jack and stands cost be about 40 Euro total.

 

[ss_md]

For your own safety you should invest in a set (2 pair) of Jack Stands. They are cheap and could save you from bodily harm should your car slip off the OEM jack. JMO

The choice is yours LOL.

Originally posted by W:
The OEM jack does lift the car high enough but please lower it onto jackstands for added safety.

[This message has been edited by ss_md (edited 22 March 2003).]

[This message has been edited by ss_md (edited 22 March 2003).]

 

[HotRod]

Thanks for the input. I will difinitely invest in the stands and hydraulic jack.

"W" How tall are those ramps? I saw some at the parts store. Do you any problems with the front lip contacting when you drive onto them?

Rod

 

[W]

Originally posted by HotRod:
Thanks for the input. I will difinitely invest in the stands and hydraulic jack.

"W" How tall are those ramps? I saw some at the parts store. Do you any problems with the front lip contacting when you drive onto them?

Rod

I use the plastic Rhino ramps which are about 6.5 inches high. I cannot drive forward onto just the ramps since my front end is a little under 4 inches high. I've never had to do this but a couple of 2x4's should solve the problem. I only back up onto the ramps to change the oil filter.

 

[PKim]

I've been changing the oil on my car since I purchased it last year and IMO ramps are the way to go. I have a steel ram that my fatherinlaw gave me. I have a slight incline at my house so I back up my car on to the ramp and the car is pretty much sitting level. This is the easiest car to change a oil on. It takes me 15min.

 

[I Grok NSX]

I like to use stands at all four corners during an oil change as I check the entire underside of the car for potential problems.

------------------
1994 Green-black roof/tan, 5 speed
Do you know of another Green-Black roof NSX?? Please email me if you do.

 

[matteni]

I use the ramps too (just did oil change yesterday). For your safety - please make sure you get some chucks and chuck the front wheels to insure the car will not move forward.

 

[rrwildman]

I've been reluctant to use ramps with this car on oil changes because I figured that on reasonably level ground, elevating the rear of the car would inhibit effective drainage due to the rear-facing plug. Maybe I should look for a hill...

Richard

 

[HotRod]

Thanks for the help. The Rhino ramps worked great. Only $20, and I did find a leak in my oilpan gasket while I was under there. The ramps were stable and easy to park on once I figured that the engine and oil were behind the seats(Ha!Ha!). The trick with the Zip lock bag and the oil filter also worked quite well. I used one of those funnels with the on off valve and top and bottom covers without spilling a drop. The only other question I had was about removing the oil filter. I could not fit one of the end fitting units with the ratchet attachment to remove the oil filter. It was obstructed by the U shaped bar. I did eventually use one of those metal band units that cinches to the oil filter. Unfortunately, I could not torque it on correctly. Any suggestions?

Rod

 

[matteni]

I have a hell of a time getting the metal band past the sensor cable and the U shaped bar too. Turn it sideways and squeeze it with one hand. You may also want to put a little lubricant on the outside of the filter so it slips by.

I have considered on of those informercial / Sears rubber wrenches because of this - might be a lot easier for you.

------------------
Nick M

91' Red/Black with Many Mods
99' Honda Odyssey with Many Kids

 

[nsxtasy]

I agree that jack stands or ramps are essential for safety reasons, rather than working on a car under a jack.

Going back to your question about jacks, the jack that comes with the NSX is fine for emergencies or occasional use, but if you plan to work on your car with any frequency, you will need a hydraulic jack.

There are various jacks on the market and they vary in terms of price, weight, size, ease of use. The Harbor Freight jack for $170-200 is very nice - large, light weight (for its size), easy to use (a few pumps). I have a small, inexpensive hydraulic jack, possibly like the one that MvM mentioned. It cost around $20-30. It's a regular hydraulic jack with a lever, not a bottle jack. One nice thing about this jack is that it fits on the passenger side floor of the NSX with the seat full forward, so it's easy for me to bring it with me to the track. Different jacks for different needs.

 

[matteni]

I really like some aspects of the scisser jacks except the turning to get them into the air. They are small, cheap, light, low, and sturdy.

So - does anyone know a way to lift a scisser jack using a drill or another type of power tool?

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by matteni:
I really like some aspects of the scisser jacks except the turning to get them into the air. They are small, cheap, light, low, and sturdy.

So - does anyone know a way to lift a scisser jack using a drill or another type of power tool?

I find them slightly awkward as far as getting a good grip on the parts that hold onto the part of the scissors to turn it. Because of the grip problem, I don't think a power tool would help.

You can get a hydraulic scissors jack if you're interested. Pep Boys sells a compact one for $40. I think minimum height will just barely fit under a stock NSX, might not fit under a lowered one...

 

[HotRod]

Matteni, I tried one of those rubber wrenches but it did not create enough torque for me to remove the oil filter.
I also tried the power drill on the scissor jack. The hard thing is to find an attachment piece that spins concentrically off of the power drill. I even went as far as placing the handle of a screw tap into the jack's hook attachment holes. This was not balanced enough to keep the jack from wobbling.
I think Ken is right. A small lever hydraulic jack is probably best. Ken, do you put anything between the jack and your undercarriage/bar to keep from scratching the paint?

Rod

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by HotRod:
I think Ken is right. A small lever hydraulic jack is probably best. Ken, do you put anything between the jack and your undercarriage/bar to keep from scratching the paint?

Yes, a shop rag. And, of course, I only jack at one of the three jacking points on each side. In my case, usually the middle one, because I'm usually changing tires and that way I can swap both tires with one jacking. I would imagine you can jack on the middle point enough to slip jack stands under the other two points if needed...?

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 26 March 2003).]

 

[matteni]

Originally posted by nsxtasy:
Yes, a shop rag. And, of course, I only jack at one of the three jacking points on each side. In my case, usually the middle one, because I'm usually changing tires and that way I can swap both tires with one jacking. I would imagine you can jack on the middle point enough to slip jack stands under the other two points if needed...?

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 26 March 2003).]

That is exactly what I do. No problem at all.

 

[HotRod]

Thanks for the tips. Who would have thought that lubrication could be so interesting?

Rod