Is there a simple way to get a 914 jacked up enough to change oil Options

[dlindzey]

I can't even find a shop willing to change my oil so I am going to have to crawl around on the floor for a while. I have all the parts and a creeper but get confused on where you can put a floor jack and where you should put a jack stand as seems like same point is best for both the jack and the stands.
I have located the 4 donuts at the corners of the cab/chasis juncture, they seem ok. I am tempted to just get two floor jacks and jack up the rear at the donuts and call it a day. Is it dangerous to use jacks for support rather than putting a jack stand under there somewhere?
Ramps won't work as exhaust tip hits the ramp.
How do most of you solve this issue?

[mepstein]

You absolutely need jack stands or at the very least, something that will catch the car if the jack fails. I used to jack up the car and then put the ramps under the wheels once the car was high enough in the air. Turn the ramp backwards if it’s a better fit. You are just using it as a stand, not an incline device.
Jack failure is a thing. My wife would tell me about it when she worked surgical shock trauma.
My local mechanic used to change my oil. You don’t need a Porsche shop to do it.

[emerygt350]

I wouldn't let a shop change my oil. Too much stuff to look over while while down there and the dreaded oil screen bolt. Assuming a 4 cylinder.

I back onto ramps when I do mine. I also do the slide the ramp under the tire bit for other work. I will put a jack stand under the engine cross member when poking around under there since I do use the donuts for the jack.

[Superhawk996]

Never . . . Ever . . . Get under a jacked up car without jack stands.

[emerygt350]

Never . . . Ever . . . Get under a jacked up car without jack stands.

When I was doing my engine drop I had it up on jack stands AND I put all the mounted tires I had under it as well, just in case...

[rjames]

I had issues with the tailpipe hitting the ramps I have so I built some ramps out of stacked 1x6 boards. They don't get the car as high off the ground as the ramps would, but high enough to change the oil. If I need the car up higher I'll use the jack stands.

When I jack up the car I use a short piece of 2x4 under the longs. That leaves the donut clear to get the jackstand under it.

[dlindzey]

thanks for all the feedback
when putting jackstands under do you jack the car up 12" and put a stand in place and then go the other side or do you go back and forth inch at a time or----any technique to minimize potential damage?

[gereed75]

The cylindrical inner portion of the trailing arms where they bolt into the inner suspension mount is a good place for the jack stands IMHO.

I usually jack one side up the whole way, insert the jack stand, then do the other side. Then check that the first jack stand has not tilted. Re- jack the first side and readjust the jack stand to ensure it is squarely parked on the floor.

I also block under the wheels just in case.

[Superhawk996]

thanks for all the feedback
when putting jackstands under do you jack the car up 12" and put a stand in place and then go the other side or do you go back and forth inch at a time or----any technique to minimize potential damage?

Ya. It all sort of depends on your jack and the stands you have.

But as a general statement - lifting one side too high all at once can side load the jack stands which isn’t a good idea.

Keep an eye on the opposite stand what lifting to make sure it isn’t side loading and/or getting tippy.

[Jack Standz]

I can't even find a shop willing to change my oil so I am going to have to crawl around on the floor for a while. I have all the parts and a creeper but get confused on where you can put a floor jack and where you should put a jack stand as seems like same point is best for both the jack and the stands.
I have located the 4 donuts at the corners of the cab/chasis juncture, they seem ok. I am tempted to just get two floor jacks and jack up the rear at the donuts and call it a day. Is it dangerous to use jacks for support rather than putting a jack stand under there somewhere?
Ramps won't work as exhaust tip hits the ramp.
How do most of you solve this issue?

Those "donuts" are not designed to jack up your 914. They will bend/deform.

Use a jack plate inserted into the jack point Porsche designed for jacking up your 914.

Here is a diagram showing where you can place stands. Although it shows the "donuts" in the diagram, those are not good/safe locations for jacking up your 914. You decide where its safe and less prone to damage your 914.

When we don't jack up the 914 using the jacking point, we use a 4x4 (maybe it's 6x6?) piece of hardwood that goes almost the entire width of the car and is placed under the firewall when jacking up the rear and under the area behind the front cross member when jacking up the front. Since we use a 4 post lift and two tall stands, it is very quick. One stand on each side of the 4x4 and then lower the lift and lock the safety catches and we're ready to work.

Best wishes for a safe oil change.

One final comment. It is very very dangerous to have an incompetent shop/mechanic change the oil on a 914. If the bolt that fastens the strainer cover is tightened with too much torque, you can end up with "type iv syndrome ". This is where the internal part of your engine case breaks and pretty much destroys the engine. At a minimum it's a very expensive repair.

[Osnabruck914]

Quote from Jack Standz - "Those "donuts" are not designed to jack up your 914. They will bend/deform."

Then what pray, are they for? Almost every car I've ever owned has had similar donuts or sometimes squares for use as jacking points. I've been jacking 914s for decades using those donuts with never a problem. When I go to a garage (which is rarely) they lift the car using those donuts. A rust bucket of course is another story. Porsche must have had a reason to put them there.

Osnabruck914

[emerygt350]

Quote from Jack Standz - "Those "donuts" are not designed to jack up your 914. They will bend/deform."

Then what pray, are they for? Almost every car I've ever owned has had similar donuts or sometimes squares for use as jacking points. I've been jacking 914s for decades using those donuts with never a problem. When I go to a garage (which is rarely) they lift the car using those donuts. A rust bucket of course is another story. Porsche must have had a reason to put them there.

Osnabruck914

I am with you on this but apparently the donuts were for attachment during construction and were all joined to a single jig so no one donut ever held the weight alone. I can see that, but just try and stop me from using them as jack points...

[mepstein]

Quote from Jack Standz - "Those "donuts" are not designed to jack up your 914. They will bend/deform."

Then what pray, are they for? Almost every car I've ever owned has had similar donuts or sometimes squares for use as jacking points. I've been jacking 914s for decades using those donuts with never a problem. When I go to a garage (which is rarely) they lift the car using those donuts. A rust bucket of course is another story. Porsche must have had a reason to put them there.

Osnabruck914

I am with you on this but apparently the donuts were for attachment during construction and were all joined to a single jig so no one donut ever held the weight alone. I can see that, but just try and stop me from using them as jack points...

The donuts fit the pins on the car carrier that moved the cars down the line during construction. It’s not very heavy duty metal and they tend to bend easily. There are stronger points on the car that work better for raising the car.

[Jack Standz]

Quote from Jack Standz - "Those "donuts" are not designed to jack up your 914. They will bend/deform."

Then what pray, are they for? Almost every car I've ever owned has had similar donuts or sometimes squares for use as jacking points. I've been jacking 914s for decades using those donuts with never a problem. When I go to a garage (which is rarely) they lift the car using those donuts. A rust bucket of course is another story. Porsche must have had a reason to put them there.

Osnabruck914

Not the first time this has been discussed:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/lofiversion/i...hp?t344274.html

Now, if you had some kind of a jig to raise the car by all 4 "donuts" at the same time like the factory assembly line, maybe it's OK. But, if you jack the car up by just one, they can and do bend. With enough experience with 914s, you must have seen it before, right?

Either way, using the jacking point with a jack or a jacking plate is how Porsche envisioned owners to jack up their 914s.

[wonkipop]

as a uni student i used to park my old type 3 variant up with one wheel on top of the kerb, slide under and drain the oil that way.

probably not the go in the modern eco ruled world hey? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
and it was a bit higher than a 914. and i did not have to crawl as far.
i'd go jack stands.

lucky for me i have access to a hoist.
and since we are debating donuts.
i lift it on the hoist on the donuts.
but its all four all sharing the load simultaneously.
have not bent a donut yet.

however one donut at a time might make me think twice.
esp those back ones under the engine bay.