Oil Change Woes

[coltbean]

Every previous vehicle that I've owned has had the oil filter mounter horizontally so that when you loosen it the oil will spill straight down while your hand is 90 degrees out of the way. For whatever reason GM mounts theirs vertically. Is there any way to get these darned filters off without oil running down your arm?

[jf781]

Just slowly spin it off till the oil starts to run out and then let it run out till it stops, back it out a little more and do it again. If you do this a time or two most of it is out at that point so you only get a minimal amount running out.

 

Or if there is access I've done it from the top as well instead of lying underneath the truck/vehicle.

[csheatz]

[cerbomark]

not a big problem but I thought I read where someone punches a screwdriver hole thru the bottom before removing. I just loosen it, let it drain, then remove it the rest of the way.

[Nick The Great]

not a big problem but I thought I read where someone punches a screwdriver hole thru the bottom before removing. I just loosen it, let it drain, then remove it the rest of the way.

 

I once had to punch a screwdriver into a filter (as a handle) to get it off!

 

I also do the 'loosen and drain' method. At least once the oil is out, it's out. Those horizontal ones always seem to spill. And then you can't fill them up with oil to install.

 

Or just wipe your hand, you sissy!

[BadBowtie1]

I like to see someone punch a hole thru a K&N oil filter

[dlstewart01]

I like to see someone punch a hole thru a K&N oil filter

 

Ain't no problem...a sharp punch and a BFH..

[Matt_]

I like to see someone punch a hole thru a K&N oil filter

 

I do. You just go to the side of the welded on nut, not through it

 

To get the hole punching idea to work properly you need to put a hole in the bottom AND the side of the filter so both inlet & outlet chambers drain. Works like a charm

[pm26]

If you are complaining about oil filters on these trucks, you should have seen my 1992 Mazda Protege oil filter. The #$%@! thing was in the back of the engine, which was a 4 cylinder transversely mounted engine and there was about 2 inches of space between the oil filter and the firewall. There was no way to get to it from above, so you had to put the car on a high garage lift, then stick your hand and your ENTIRE arm up behind the engine, right next to the hot exhaust pipe. I burned myself on that stupid pipe every time! You could only remove and put a new filter on by feel, because there was no way to see what you were doing. The worst placed oil filter an ANY vehicle I have ever owned! And I owned a lot of them.

 

Changing oil and filter on my truck is a pleasant experience in comparison to that Mazda. The truck has so much ground clearance that I can comfortably crawl under without using a jack or high lift.

[RyanbabZ71]

wow, I think these trucks are one of the easiest oil change jobs I have ever done. My 00 impala had an oil filter that I could barely get to then had oil go all over.

 

Go to walgreens and buy some rubber gloves that will keep the oil off your hands.

[RyanbabZ71]

wait scratch that, the 2000 was my 08 5.3 and 2010 6.2 why did they decide to move the filter to the other side? screwed me up the first time I changed the oil in both of them, I was like where did they put the filter, oh we had to change things up and move it to the pass side

[KeithD]

The oil filters are in a wonderful location on these trucks! If you spin it off quick enough, but not too fast, pull it down and release it into your drain pan prior to the oil that is falling out of the engine falling on you, you will not get any on your hands. It's a bit of a trick I guess. I did one or two oil changes on these trucks in a previous career.

 

Or use a pair of latex gloves that cost pennies.

 

Either way, the ability to fill the filter prior to installation and the fact that its not in some obscure location (like fords) is well worth the trouble.

 

Although in regard to that, does anyone have any proof that filling the filter does anything? I understand the concept of the process, but I'm curious if there's ever been proven to increase durability...

Anyways, for the .25 second it takes to do, I'll still do it.

[dewfpo]

I've remote mounted filters before to make it easier and less messy. You screw an adapter plate onto where the oil filter goes and it has 2 hoses coming out of it to a new location that you choose the orientation. It makes changing the oil filter a breeze and you don't spill a drop.

 

DEWFPO

[jblakeney]

Every previous vehicle that I've owned has had the oil filter mounter horizontally so that when you loosen it the oil will spill straight down while your hand is 90 degrees out of the way. For whatever reason GM mounts theirs vertically. Is there any way to get these darned filters off without oil running down your arm?

 

Yup, take one large nail. Bigger is better here.... Drive the nail in the bottom of the filter enough that the nail punchers the filter case and bottom plate of the filter 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch. Remove nail. Oil will flow from filter. Nota Bene (NOTE WELL), first spin the filter loose but just enough that you can easily spin the filter off after it has drained. Edgewise you may end up with a screwdriver spinning the filter off (haha, hrm I have never been caught doing that but I have had to do it).

 

With that said. I have changed enough oil in GM's with vertical filters, that I have learned. Raise vehicle remove oil drain plug, allow bulk of oil pressure (LS motors shoot oil quite far upon removing the plug with a great amount of pressure), then position the pan to where it will catch both the drain plug and filter drippings. LEAVE alone for a period of no less than 30 minutes. Return screw oil filter off with rag dirtied from clean up 30 minutes prior where you should have only dirtied one finger as you were spinning the filter towards the next to last thread..

 

Jbo

 

Edit: I will give GM credit, I do not have to turn the wheel all the way to the right to change the oil filter as I do in a couple of my 4.6L cars Ford engineers, what were you thinking when you positioned the oil filters? Their is no way possible anything will ever bounce up and hit the filter. As you might guess I always remember when the car is up enough I can walk under it that I need to cut the wheel to the right....

[dlewis1111]

Every previous vehicle that I've owned has had the oil filter mounter horizontally so that when you loosen it the oil will spill straight down while your hand is 90 degrees out of the way. For whatever reason GM mounts theirs vertically. Is there any way to get these darned filters off without oil running down your arm?

 

Sure: Pay some jerk at Jiffy Lube to do it!