The Red Mist Guide to
Changing the Oil
Please note that this is not a complete guide, but can be used as an
example of what happens when WE tackle the job
1) Wait until Saturday, drive to the motor factors and buy a case of oil
& filter. Head to Dunnes Stores and get the kitty litter, hand cleaner and a
crate of beer.
2) Drink a beer to "get started."
3) Jack car up. Spend 30-minutes looking for axle stands.
4) Find axle stands under the last "project" car.
5) In frustration, have another beer.
6) Place drain pan (an old oil can, cut open) under engine.
7) Look for 14mm socket.
8) Give up and use mole grips instead.
9) Unscrew drain plug.
10) Accidentally drop drain plug into pan of hot oil, splashing hot oil on
you in process.
11) Crawl out from under car to wipe hot oil off of face and arms, knocking
over the oil pan in the process.
12) Throw kitty litter on oil drops.
13) Another beer while watching oil drain.
14) Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.
15) Give up; crawl under car and hammer a screwdriver through oil filter and
twist off.
16) Crawl out from under car with dripping oil filter splashing hot oil
everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among debris in
neighbours rubbish bin to avoid recycling charge. Beer.
17) Buddy shows up with your oil filter wrench. The rest of the day is spent
watching United on the TV.
18) Sunday: Up early, despite hangover, muttering "I gotta finish the oil
change." Drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car. Cleverly dump oil
in hole in back garden instead of taking it to be recycled, as you don't
have time to go to the recycling centre.
19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.
20) Beer? No, drank it all Saturday.
21) Walk to the Off-Licence, wait for it to open, and buy more beer.
22) Install new oil filter, making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to
gasket surface.
23) Dump first litre of fresh oil into engine.
24) Suddenly remember drain plug from step 18.
25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26) Recall that the used oil is buried in a hole in the back garden - along
with drain plug.
27) Beer.
28) Shovel out hole and sift through oily mud for drain plug. Re-shovel oily
dirt into hole. Steal sand from kid's sandbox to cleverly conceal oily patch
of ground and hope that the neighbours didn't spot you. Wash drain plug in
petrol.
29) Discover first litre of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw kitty
litter on oil.
30) Beer.
31) Crawl back under car, get kitty litter into eyes. Wipe eyes with oily
gas rag used to clean drain plug. Slip with stupid mole wrench tightening
drain plug rapping knuckles on sharp edge of cross-member.
32) Bang forehead on exhaust manifold in reaction to step 31.
33) Cursing fit, mainly "f**king cars, and their f**king stupid designers".
34) Throw stupid mole wrench, breaking kitchen window
35) Curse for additional 10-minutes.
36) Beer.
37) Clean up hands and head, and apply bandages to stop blood flow.
38) Beer to stop pain....
39) .... Ditto.
40) Dump in three fresh litres of oil.
41) Beer.
42) Lower car from axle stands.
43) Accidentally crush remaining case of new motor oil.
44) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil from step numbers
23 - 43.
45) Beer.
46) Test drive car.
47) Pulled-over and arrested for drunken driving.
48) Call loving wife; make bail.
49) 12-hours later; bail out car.
50) Ring window company, solicitor & marriage councillor for appointments
MONEY SPENT:
Parts 70.00
Drunken Driving Conviction 2,500.00
Taxi's for three months (lost licence) 4,500.00
Bail 1,500.00
New Kitchen window 250.00
Beer 45.95
TOTAL: 8615.95
Now, do you want to leave us do the job?