Orderly Oil Change Setup
Overhead oil tanks, drip collectors and organized filters keep Howard Ewen’s shop clean and neat, making oil changes a lot easier. With 4 IH 4586 diesels, around 30 Olivers, 5 or 6 farm trucks, 3 pickups and several pieces of homemade equipment, he goes through a lot of oil and filters.
“I have five 75-gal. oil tanks mounted on a rack above my head with a fill cabinet for pitchers and 2 1/2-gal. jugs mounted at one end of the rack,” says Ewen. “Rack space at the other end holds a case of transmission fluid, ether windshield washer fluid, and other liquids.”
Like most farmers, Ewen used to keep his oil in barrels with a hand pump on each. When he had a chance to pick up an old service truck bed with the tanks on it, he grabbed it.
“I have 4 tanks filled with different types of oil and one filled with solvent,” explains Ewen.
A 2-in. outlet on the bottom front corner of each tank has an elbow with a 1 1/2-in. reducer on it and pipes that lead to ball valves above a fill shelf. The shelf is expanded metal with a catch tray beneath to collect drips and spills.
“Any drips from ball valves or containers drain into a 5-gal. bucket and are used for oiling parts,” says Ewen. “Even a few drops at a time count up, and it keeps the shop clean.”
The fill cabinet doors are sealed with rubber foam to keep dust from collecting on the pitchers and jugs.
A large steel cabinet nearly 7 ft. tall and the width of the rack does double duty as filter storage and as a walkway for filling the oil tanks. A ladder on one end gives Ewen easy access. When one of the tanks runs out, he retrieves a barrel from nearby storage and lifts it into position above the tanks with his shop hoist.
“I made a harness for the barrel so it tips it forward,” says Ewen. “Each tank has a 2-in. inlet on it at the rear. I lower the barrel’s faucet end into the inlet pipe and open it up. Once I loosen the bung, it empties out quickly.”
Ewen’s wife Pat maintains inventory on the filters. When a filter is used, a slip of paper is filled out with the filter number and the date and dropped in a box. When filters go on sale locally, Pat pulls the slips and determines how many filters of various types are needed.
“We usually keep around 100 on hand,” notes Ewen. “Having a place for them and always having them on hand makes maintenance of equipment easier to do.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Howard Ewen, Jr., 6997 W State Rd. 8, Lacrosse, Ind. 46348 (ph 219 754-2365).
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Orderly Oil Change Setup FARM SHOP Miscellaneous Overhead oil tanks drip collectors and organized filters keep Howard Ewen’s shop clean and neat making oil changes a lot easier With 4 IH 4586 diesels around 30 Olivers 5 or 6 farm trucks 3 pickups and several pieces of homemade equipment he goes through a lot of oil and filters “I have five 75-gal oil tanks mounted on a rack above my head with a fill cabinet for pitchers and 2 1/2-gal jugs mounted at one end of the rack ” says Ewen “Rack space at the other end holds a case of transmission fluid ether windshield washer fluid and other liquids ” Like most farmers Ewen used to keep his oil in barrels with a hand pump on each When he had a chance to pick up an old service truck bed with the tanks on it he grabbed it “I have 4 tanks filled with different types of oil and one filled with solvent ” explains Ewen A 2-in outlet on the bottom front corner of each tank has an elbow with a 1 1/2-in reducer on it and pipes that lead to ball valves above a fill shelf The shelf is expanded metal with a catch tray beneath to collect drips and spills “Any drips from ball valves or containers drain into a 5-gal bucket and are used for oiling parts ” says Ewen “Even a few drops at a time count up and it keeps the shop clean ” The fill cabinet doors are sealed with rubber foam to keep dust from collecting on the pitchers and jugs A large steel cabinet nearly 7 ft tall and the width of the rack does double duty as filter storage and as a walkway for filling the oil tanks A ladder on one end gives Ewen easy access When one of the tanks runs out he retrieves a barrel from nearby storage and lifts it into position above the tanks with his shop hoist “I made a harness for the barrel so it tips it forward ” says Ewen “Each tank has a 2-in inlet on it at the rear I lower the barrel’s faucet end into the inlet pipe and open it up Once I loosen the bung it empties out quickly ” Ewen’s wife Pat maintains inventory on the filters When a filter is used a slip of paper is filled out with the filter number and the date and dropped in a box When filters go on sale locally Pat pulls the slips and determines how many filters of various types are needed “We usually keep around 100 on hand ” notes Ewen “Having a place for them and always having them on hand makes maintenance of equipment easier to do ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Howard Ewen Jr 6997 W State Rd 8 Lacrosse Ind 46348 ph 219 754-2365
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