John Deere 870 Oil Change

Pull the hood release latch at the front right of the tractor and lift the hood up.

Lift the hood prop bar from its seat and place it in the hooks on the underside of the hood.

Pull each tab straight away from the panel and twist them 90° so that they fit through the slots in the panel.

Pull the top of the engine panel straight out until it is free from the tabs.

Lift the engine panel up to remove it and set it aside.

The drain plug is a 17 mm hex bolt located on the underside of the tractor.

Use a 17 mm box end wrench to loosen the drain plug 3/4 of a turn.

Loosen the drain plug by hand until it comes out and oil begins to drain from the oil pan.

While the oil is draining, wipe off the drain plug with a clean rag or towel.

Remove the old drain plug gasket and replace it, making sure that the new gasket fits over the threads of the drain plug.

Wipe down the area around the drain plug with a clean rag or towel.

Reinstall the drain plug and tighten it as much as you can by hand.

Use a 17 mm box end wrench to tighten the drain plug until it is snug.

Move the oil drain pan so that it is directly under the oil filter.

Remove the oil filter by turning it counterclockwise until it comes free.

Place the oil filter with the open end facing down onto the oil drain pan to allow the old oil to drain out.

Dip a clean, gloved finger into a fresh bottle of oil and spread a thin layer of oil on the new oil filter's gasket.

Wipe off the oil filter threads and contact area on the engine with a clean rag or towel.

Place the new oil filter over the threads and turn it clockwise until it is snug.

Twist the oil filler cap counterclockwise and remove it from the valve cover.

Place a funnel in the oil filler hole.

Hold the funnel with one hand to steady it and pour 5.1 quarts of 15W-40 oil into the funnel.

Reinstall the oil filler cap and turn it clockwise until it is snug.

The engine oil dipstick is located on the right side of the engine and has a yellow handle.

Remove the dipstick, wipe it off with a clean rag or towel, reinsert it, and remove it again.

Read the initial oil level. It should be somewhere in the crosshatched region. It is acceptable for the level to be slightly high, since it hasn't filled the oil filter and other nooks and crannies of the engine yet.

Reinsert the dipstick and add or remove any oil, if necessary.

Place the engine panel back in its original location, making sure the two retaining tabs go through their respective slots in the panel.

Secure the engine panel by pulling the retaining tabs straight out, turning them 90°, and laying them down flat.

Hold the hood up with one hand and use the other hand to return the hood prop to its original location

Close the hood firmly and make sure that the hood latch engages.

Allow 12-24 hours for all of the oil to drain out of the old oil filter.

Take your old oil and filter to a recycling facility. Most auto parts stores and repair shops accept these at no charge to you. In addition, some cities and/or counties have a service where they will collect used oil and filters from your home. For more information, see the American Petroleum Institute's web page on used motor oil collection and recycling.