8.1L Oil Filter Change

[dewfpo]

I crawled under my new truck with 970 miles on the clock to see what it was going to take to change the oil. I was planning on doing it between 1000 and 1500 miles.

 

The exhaust pipe near the drain plug I see as a pain, but the filter.....? It almost looks impossible to get out. The only way I can see getting it out is to punch a hole in it, drain it out and then try to snake it out around the exhaust pipe and the front driveshaft. Forget doing it hot. It's going to make a mess, almost guaranteed.

 

Is anyone of the list doing it themselves? Any tips? Has anyone relocated the filter with a kit?

 

This is not going to be fun, either draing the oil or changing the filter.

 

Thanks,

[Haulin' 8.1]

It's no problem at all. Get a filter strap wrench if need be. With a large drain pan start draining then loosen the filter enough that it will drain. Unless the exhaust is very different than my '01 the short filter comes out easily. Use a rag on the driveshaft but no exhaust is touched. Buy 8 Qts.

 

Vernon

[Bart2500HD]

I haven't had a problem getting oil on exhaust at all. Definitely don't change the oil while it is hot. OUCH! I used a gallon ziploc bag around the filter when loosening it and it seemed to contain the spill pretty well.

[tmf6902]

I agree with everyone else...it's not as bad as it looks.....unless you do something dumb like drop the dirty oil fliter LMAO wish I had taken pics of that mess.

[496 CUBIC INCHES]

Like the others said,its not as hard as it looks. I use a filter wrench that has a swivel where the handle meets the strap,it makes it very easy to get on the filter.

 

When you loosen the filter it pretty much drains right onto the u-joint,so place the pan under the u-joint,and you won't miss much oil. Use a rag to clean the u-joint or you'll have little drips for a day or two.

 

If you want to save some hassle,run a good synthetic like M1 or Amsoil. A good filter and oil combo will make it to 6K miles pretty easily,and then you'll be changing the oil half as much.

[dewfpo]

My biggest concern was how little room there is between the bottom of the filter and the front driveshaft. Seems like 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch or less. I guess you unscrew the filter and them pull it sideways with virtually no clearance and then snake it out around the exhaust pipe. Easy?, it ain't gonna be.

 

I guess I'll have top pick up a new strap wrench with a swivel on it.

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

DEWFPO

[linda]

Easy? Yes. Very Easy? For some. There is plenty of room there to do what you need to do. A simple Filter wrench and it can be swapped in 5 minutes (not including the drain and fill). My favorite part about changing my oil, is the fact that i dont need a jack to do it! Try that on my 91 2x4 silverado, aint gonna happen, although the oil filter on that thing is placed perfectly.

[MillerClemsonHD]

New M1 is good for 15k miles. It cost $6 a quart though. Use the M1 filter too. They also have other kinds that are good for 5k or 7.5k for less. I know mine made a huge mess when I changed it last weekend and glad I dont have to do it again for a while.

[496 CUBIC INCHES]

My biggest concern was how little room there is between the bottom of the filter and the front driveshaft.  Seems like 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch or less.  I guess you unscrew the filter and them pull it sideways with virtually no clearance and then snake it out around the exhaust pipe.  Easy?, it ain't gonna be.

 

I guess I'll have top pick up a new strap wrench with a swivel on it.

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

DEWFPO

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

You're right about the clearance. Thats why the need for the stubby filter. You don't lose much oil from the filter if you crack it loose and lets it drip for a few minutes. Then you unscrew it the rest of the way and even though you have to tip the filter,it can be done with little mess. I've been changing the oil in my HD for almost 50K. It might be easier for me as the oil change on my 98' Z-71 was the same way. I guess 8 years of practice makes perfect.

[dewfpo]

Can you believe how the engineers oriented that O2 sensor fitting in the downpipe? Would it have been a problem to rotate it towards the rear for easier access to the filter...... for a part that has to be R & R'd every sveral thousand miles.

 

We need to figure out a way to MAKE the engineers who designed these trucks have to work on them. I gaurantee, things would be engineered differently.

 

DEWFPO

 

8.1L Oil Filter Location

[renolaw]

Can you believe how the engineers oriented that O2 sensor fitting in the downpipe?  Would it have been a problem to rotate it towards the rear for easier access to the filter......  for a part that has to be R & R'd every sveral thousand miles. 

 

We need to figure out a way to MAKE the engineers who designed these trucks have to work on them. I gaurantee, things would be engineered differently.

 

DEWFPO

 

8.1L Oil Filter Location

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

Don't overlook the ease of changing the Alison filter! LOL

 

mb

[dewfpo]

And their kinking themselves for letting that one slip buy.

 

DEWFPO