I hope that this helps other do an easy sub-six minute oil change on their PX2 Rangers.
Sub 6 Minute Oil Change Service. PX2 Ranger
To begin with you will need the following tools and consumables :-
- 27 mm socket and a 1/2” ratchet socket driver
- A plastic “crow-bar” to remove the plastic pins holding the rubber skirt behind the front near side wheel.- only the top 4 pins need to be removed.
- A Filter Service kit – I use Ryco kits ( RSK25C ) from Super Cheap Auto (SCA)
- 10 litres of 5W/30 Full Synthetic Oil. I use either Castrol Edge or Nulon
- A Sump “tap” to replace the existing sump plug. Get one with an 8 mm nipple. I acquired mine from eBay. eBay Item Number 273879260022 $73.95
- A large oil funnel. SCA Cost $4.99
- A very small electrical style flat head screwdriver.
- An 18-litre plastic oil drain pan SCA cost $12.00
- A spray can of degreaser and a watering can with some water.
- An old newspaper.
- A can of degreaser and a watering can full of water
- A 12 volt DC pump, I got mine from eBay – it pumps 3 litres per minute, fit it with a 3 metre long extension cable with crocodile clips to enable it to be connected to your car battery. eBay Item Number 333290386663 $19.95
- 2 x 1 metre lengths of silicon hose - 8 mm ID connect each length to the pump. I got mine off eBay, I purchased 5 metres, but you can buy them in pre-cut 1 metre lengths, get semi translucent so you can see with the oil stops flowing.
Now, I will assume that you have already changed the fuel filter, air filter and the pollen filter so that all that remains is to do the oil and oil filter change.
I attach here a photo of my pump and drain pan set-up with the supply and discharge hoses and the extended electrical leads. I just initially used small cable ties to attach the hoses to the pump, no clamping was needed on the oil sump tap spigot end.
- oilpump.JPG (96.39 KiB) Viewed 252 times
- oilpump.JPG (96.39 KiB) Viewed 252 times
Okay, the nasty messy bit, swapping the original drain plug for the new drain tap. This will inevitably involve some oil spill, I swapped mine over in under 3 seconds – however I would strongly advise you do this when the oil is COLD !!
Leave the tap permanently screwed into the sump, it’s well out of the way and protected by the front differential. It has a “locking action” on the tap lever to prevent it from being knocked open while you are on bitumen or off-road driving.
Familiarise yourself with its operation so you know how to and open and later close the tap. Mine is very awkward to reach due to the ARB underbody protection plates.
The photo below is my sump tap screwed into the sump and with the 8 mm silicon hose pushed onto the tap spigot and it’s connected on the other end to the pump ( not seen in this picture ). You will see that some oil has already drained out down the hose as far as the pump.
- Sumptap (1).JPG (94.95 KiB) Viewed 252 times
- Sumptap (1).JPG (94.95 KiB) Viewed 252 times
First take the Ranger for a drive to warm up the engine oil. This isn’t mandatory but warm oil flows faster than cold oil.
Next, jack up the Ranger and remove the front near-side wheel.
You can do the oil change just by just turning the wheel full lock to the right, but I personally find that it’s awkward and a very tight squeeze.
With the plastic crowbar remove the top 4 plastic pins and let the rubber cover sheet hang down to reveal the oil filter canister.
The Oil and Oil Filter Change.
- Next remove the oil cap off the rocker cover and put the funnel in place and have the 10 litres of oil, ( normally in 2 x 5 litres ) containers ready.
- Grease the new oil filter “O” ring, I use Vaseline.
- Connect the pump to the sump tap with the silicon hose and discharge tube into the oil drain pan, open the sump tap – oil will only flow down the silicon hose as far as the pump. Do NOT turn the pump on at this point.
- You will notice that in the photo of my “unit” I have a hole drilled in the top of the drain tray for the discharge hose - I found that the pump is so powerful that the discharge hose flapped about and sprayed oil all over the place, this method of keeping it restrained resolved the issue.
- Remove the top 4 pins off the rubber screen to reveal the oil filter.
- Have the new oil filter core, the new “O” ring and the small flat head screwdriver on a sheet of the old newspaper next to you. The newspaper keeps it clean and off the ground.
- Put some newspaper sheets on the ground under the oil filter area as there will be some oil spillage.
- With the 27 mm socket unscrew the oil filter canister, pull out the old oil filter core and discard it into a container, ( I use old 1 litre ice cream plastic buckets for this purpose ) with the small screwdriver prise out the oil “O” ring and fit the new one, make sure it’s in the “O” ring groove, push in the new oil filter core into the canister and then screw the plastic canister back onto the engine block.
- I can find no given torque setting for this, so I just feel for the “O” ring being compressed and into its correct location, I then do 1-2 more turns until I can feel that’s its tight and then stop.
- Turn ON the oil pump, it will now drain the sump in about 3 minutes.
- When the sump is empty, turn the pump OFF and CLOSE the sump tap.
- Pour 9 3/4 litres of the new oil into the engine and then remove the funnel and replace the oil filler cap.
- Start the engine, the oil light will go out in under 5 seconds and the job is almost done. The entire oil and oil filter change will not have taken you more than 6 minutes.
- As an OAP I always look out for special’s, recently Castrol Edge was advertised by Repco for $28 for 5 litres, - that’s 50% off their normal retail price - so I bought 20 litres. SCA advertised some months back a “members special” - Ryco RSK25C kits for 20 % off @ $80.00 each so I bought 3. A full filter and oil change service has never cost me more than $200 for these materials.
- Turn the engine off. Disconnect the pump from the sump tap.
- I now reverse the hoses and use the electric pump to draw the old oil from the oil pan and pump it into old 5 litre oil containers, ready to be taken to my local council recycle plant.
- Spray some degreaser over the oil filter canister area, - there will have been some oil spillage when you unscrewed the oil filter canister off the engine block - and then wash the area down with water from the watering can and if you removed the front wheel replace it and remove the jack and stands etc.
- Put a couple of sheets of newspaper under this area to see later if you have any oil leaks with the engine running. I’ve never had mine leak, but it always pays to be safe.
- The oil change service is now done.
- Wait 10-20 minutes and recheck the oil levels on the dip stick. Add more oil if it’s required.
