Oil change tricks to make the job easier and less messy?

[Outrider]

Anyone come up with tricks to simplify the job and make it less messy?

I have tried stuffing rags under the filter. Better than nothing, but still quite messy. I have tried custom-cutting a funnel on a hose to jam under the filter. Didn't work at all.

For reference, I owned a '97 Miata for 7 years. That care was a huge PITA for oil changes, until you learned the tricks, then it became the easiest and cleanest job ever. Once you learned how to thread your hand in there from the top to find the hidden filter that was not on too tight, and fabricated a trough from some Coroplast to jam under the filter and drain the leakage out through the wheel well into a pan, the job was very quick and easy.

I have owned this T4R for 10 years now, and it remains the biggest PITA for an oil change for any vehicle that I have ever owned. Turn the wheels to the left, remove the rubber sheet in the wheel well, stick a 24" extension on a filter socket, remove the filter and all of the oil in it runs down all over everything. The filter is situated such that it is almost impossible to route something through the wheel well do drain the spillage.

I was hoping someone had come up with a clever solution. To hopefully keep this thread on topic, I'm not asking about filter relocation kits or cutting the oil change interval in half by using synthetic oil. I'm asking if someone has come up with some way to route the oil, spilled when the oil filter has been unscrewed, into a catch pan or can. I would think if that had been done, it would have been made a Sticky here. And if someone has, then it should. I have tried to invent something, but haven't been successful.

 

[apohl17]

My go-to method for removing the filter is from inside the engine bay. If you have long enough arms and decent grip strength, you can get in there and do everything by hand without a wrench. The only thing I do is put a pan below to catch the oil held in the filter, and then wipe it off with a rag after.

When I was working on, or didnt have my front skid, it was easiest to put the truck up on a 2 post lift and take off the filter from underneath in front. Do you have the stock front diff skid installed? If not, or if you find it easy to remove, the filter is pretty accessible from beneath the front end without having to get behind the wheel trim.

Hope this helps at all.

 

[Outrider]

My go-to method for removing the filter is from inside the engine bay. If you have long enough arms and decent grip strength, you can get in there and do everything by hand without a wrench. The only thing I do is put a pan below to catch the oil held in the filter, and then wipe it off with a rag after.

When I was working on, or didnt have my front skid, it was easiest to put the truck up on a 2 post lift and take off the filter from underneath in front. Do you have the stock front diff skid installed? If not, or if you find it easy to remove, the filter is pretty accessible from beneath the front end without having to get behind the wheel trim.

Hope this helps at all.

I haven't tried it yet from above. That would definitely make the job a lot simpler, so I will try that the next time.

Mine is 2WD, so no front diff on mine. I don't have a lift. I find the skids to be somewhat of a PITA to remove, so I try to avoid that.

What I have been doing is spraying brake cleaner down there after an oil change, to rinse off some of the spilled oil. I would rather avoid that, too.

I'm hoping someone has found a clever way to rig up something to stick around or under the filter and drain away the oil that always comes out when the filter is loosened. My two attempts at that have failed.

 

[thegipper]

An oil change on these trucks is by no means a PITA but it is more difficult than every other vehicle I've ever worked on. The position of the filter makes it hard to not make a mess.

My go to method is to get the filter off through the wheel well. I put a couple rags down underneath the filter to catch most of the oil spillage. You don't need to remove the skid plates doing it this way. My arms are long enough to reach the filter from the top but the angle doesn't work with my body.

No need to grill the OP, just move along if the post annoys you....

 

[JWaldz]

Fumoto oil drain valve and remove filter from the wheel well. The oil filter should only be hand tight. I'm a rock climber (exceptional grip strength) so I can likely tighten it a little more than the average person, but regardless the filter should NEVER have to require a wrench. Put a couple rags right under the filter so any excess doesn't go all over. Keep the filter opening pointed up lol.

Removing the skid plate isn't a must, but if you want a less messy of a job it can help. My aftermarket skid plate makes it a tad tedious as it's a lot heavier, but with a stock skid plate I would imagine it only takes about 10 min to remove.

 

[mcxviii]

thanks for sharing

 

[Rancho5]

Being new to the T4R, I was stressed about oil changes after reading all sorts of horror stories on them. Turned out to be the easiest thing ever. I went from the top, reached under and found the filter and gave it a twist. It came right off and I quickly flipped the filter right-side up to avoid spillage and took it out. Oiled up the rubber gasket on the new one and installed it...not too tight!

Total time was 15 minutes. Winner winner, chicken dinner!

 

[phattyduck]

What, you don't like your skids to look like this after every oil change?

Step 1: Fumoto drain valve with nipple and a short section of hose. Tool and mess-free pain draining. You may need to use a tool to open the valve if you can't reach in there. (worked for the stock skids and my Shrockworks skids)

Step 2:Form-a-funnel under the filter ('general purpose' 6.5"x14.5" size):

After the pan is drained, move it under the a-arm and put the form-a-funnel in place. The oil will drain down in the pan. Once the filter is drained, a single shop towel will keep the couple of drips at bay as you pull it out the wheel well.

It takes a bit extra time, but you are supposed to be rotating your tires then anyway, right?

-Charlie

PS. Be glad we don't have a cartridge filter setup...

 

[Outrider]

Step 2:Form-a-funnel under the filter ('general purpose' 6.5"x14.5" size):

After the pan is drained, move it under the a-arm and put the form-a-funnel in place. The oil will drain down in the pan. Once the filter is drained, a single shop towel will keep the couple of drips at bay as you pull it out the wheel well.

It takes a bit extra time, but you are supposed to be rotating your tires then anyway, right?

-Charlie

PS. Be glad we don't have a cartridge filter setup...

Aha - that's the idea I was looking for. I have a Form-a-funnel, and tried to form it to drain outward, more horizontally, but that didn't work. Forming it to drain almost straight downward like you did looks like the way to do it. I will try that on my next change. Thanks.

 

[gamefreakgc]

all of the oil in it runs down all over everything.

Just consider it rust prevention! I haven't got a spot of rust anywhere on the frame under the engine or on my skid plate! It's awesome!

However, that form a funnel is a pretty cool little trick. I might try that on my annual oil change.

 

[calnhob]

I read on this forum when I first got my truck to put a plastic bag shopping bag under the filter to catch the dripping oil. I tried it and it worked so I've been using that method ever since.

Took a couple of oil changes to get it right but now it's pretty quick with very little spilling. I use my hand from the wheel well. No need to remove skid plate and only hand tighten when putting in a new filter.


I also have the ValvoMax oil drain system and it's great. Fumoto value is also great, I have it on my Outback.

I'm doing an oil change pretty soon to get ready for emissions testing so I can take some pics if there's interest.

 

[TheDurk]

This tip is for those that have never done any of those things. The amazing way to clean that impervious crud off your skid plate is the cleaner/degreaser that POR15 sells as prep for their rust proof paint. That crud will stand up to a pressure washer, muriatic acid, and any mortal degreaser. But this stuff melts it away. I had 18 years of gunk on there that had laughed at me every time I tried to clean it. Now I can eat off my skid plate.

 

[kolelt]

I turn my wheel all the way to driver. Then slip a bag over the filter and remove the filter by hand and quickly drop it in the bag. I don’t really try to worry about the oil that drips down. Yes I clean it up but not crazy. Why? Because it WILL NEVER RUST IN THAT AREA LOL.

 

[nobb]

Never realized it was possible to change the filter without removing the skid plate. The problem is those stupid plastic clips holding the splash guard in place...those almost always break if you handle them too much.

 

[Mark_BC]

Hire this guy to do it

What's with posting images on the new site. This link:

403 Forbidden

OK I give up

 

[octanejunkie]

I'll play

2WD makes it easy, reach right between the LCA and steering knuckle where the CV would be and you can grab the filter by hand.

I position a transmission funnel, the long tall one, vertically, just like Charlie does with his form-a-funnel, under the filter draining into a short bucket under the LCA; then just spin the filter off by hand. The plastic bag method sounds good but we don't have those as plentifully in CA anymore, plus if there's even a tiny hole in the bag it's gonna leak, guaranteed.

As others have said, a Fumoto valve makes quick work of draining the pan and minimizes the splash that accompanies removing the drain plug. Full synthetic oil and filter leads to annual oil changes which further lessens the impact of oil changes on our rigs.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I use the same kind of technique as shown by [MENTION=139000]phattyduck[/MENTION] above with the form a funnel, except lower tech.

I just take a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil about 2 feet long and tuck it up under the filter seat, then shape it and tuck it in place so it channels the dripping oil downward and into my catch pan. I usually end up with a few drops on the diff bracket and a small amount on the skid that can be quickly wiped off.

 

[pluton]

Never realized it was possible to change the filter without removing the skid plate. The problem is those stupid plastic clips holding the splash guard in place...those almost always break if you handle them too much.

Those clips aren't expensive if ordered from one of the online dealers. There are probably aftermarket ones for even less.

 

[pluton]

I read on this forum when I first got my truck to put a plastic bag shopping bag under the filter to catch the dripping oil. I tried it and it worked so I've been using that method ever since.

Took a couple of oil changes to get it right but now it's pretty quick with very little spilling. I use my hand from the wheel well. No need to remove skid plate and only hand tighten when putting in a new filter.


I also have the ValvoMax oil drain system and it's great. Fumoto value is also great, I have it on my Outback.

I'm doing an oil change pretty soon to get ready for emissions testing so I can take some pics if there's interest.

I'd like to see what you can show with pics. Seems like it'd be difficult to get a shot of the actual filter in place, but you could simulate the Hand/bag/filter positioning just for the photos.

 

[HiLife]

I use the same kind of technique as shown by [MENTION=139000]phattyduck[/MENTION] above with the form a funnel, except lower tech.

I just take a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil about 2 feet long and tuck it up under the filter seat, then shape it and tuck it in place so it channels the dripping oil downward and into my catch pan. I usually end up with a few drops on the diff bracket and a small amount on the skid that can be quickly wiped off.

This is the same way I do oil change. Throwaway or recycle the foil when done. I actually take off my skid plate then it's a angle shot to the oil filter. Following the angle of the drivers side bottom of the rad/bottom rad hose.