spill-free oil changing

[sink]

Does everyone here already know how to change the oil filter without getting oil in your armpit? I've been punching a hole in the bottom of the old filter with a 12 penny nail for about 3 years now to drain it down enough to fully unscrew it. It works. Any other methods?

 

[mattadams]

Originally posted by sink
Does everyone here already know how to change the oil filter without getting oil in your armpit? I've been punching a hole in the bottom of the old filter with a 12 penny nail for about 3 years now to drain it down enough to fully unscrew it. It works. Any other methods?

you don't like oil in the armpit? Well, I suppose you could always take it to Grease Monkey... I myself have really long arms so I can practically be lying at the back of the explorer and reach the oil filter (ok, Im lying, a little) and usually can just conort my arm enough so that the draining oil doesn't hit my arm.

 

[sink]

Hey Matt- cool name. Do you ever go by Madams ? I knew I guy M. A. Lester. He always signed things Malester.
I love 4WD. Slide under any time. Plenty O' clearance. I've done clean-hands Ford changes ever since someone gave me the nail-punch trick. Except once, I forgot to break the can a little loose first and then had to get my filter wrench in the stream. But it takes about 5 min to get enough draindown to be below the top of the can.

 

[mattadams]

Originally posted by sink
Hey Matt- cool name. Do you ever go by Madams ? I knew I guy M. A. Lester. He always signed things Malester.
I love 4WD. Slide under any time. Plenty O' clearance. I've done clean-hands Ford changes ever since someone gave me the nail-punch trick. Except once, I forgot to break the can a little loose first and then had to get my filter wrench in the stream. But it takes about 5 min to get enough draindown to be below the top of the can.

Well I do get made fun fo for that at work, since thats my network signon, and any emails I send out go out from "madams@treev.com" LOL

 

[IgotTwo]

Try this-
I also got sick of that:
"Do I really need this in my armpit cause now I got the Instant Mess Blues"

Three words came to mind "a gutter"
I took a 4" pvc drain pipe (the light stuff not sch 40) and cut the thing down the middle and rounded off the edges. A band or table saw does a very professional job, finished off with a little sanding
A little clip at the bottom lets it hang on to my oil drain container. Lean that bad boy on the suspension arm and under the oil filter. Spin that filter off and you have just averted Instant Armpit Mess #1. I use the same implement for the "horizontally expelling" oil pan plug. What furtile mind at Ford dreamed that up!
You'll have to find your own length based on tires, lifts, how high you like to jack it up, etc.

Works so good for me, it hangs prominently in the garage, always ready for the next oil change.

Please be merciful, no "Wordless Workshops" jokes

 

[Rhett]

I don't use a punch to knock a hole in the old filter, unless it won't come off. I do have a filter wrench I use to loosen it a little.

Once I have loosened it with the filter wrench, I just unscrew the filter a little more with my hand, and let the oil that spurts out drain into my container. Then I turn it a bit more, let more oil drain in (I wait a few...), until it stops coming out. Then I unscrew the filter all the way, being careful to keep it vertical. Sorta like balancing a full glass of water so none will spill. Then in one smooth motion I flip the old filter over and let the oil in the filter fall into the container.

I don't get very much on my hands this way, and none in the face or armpit.

 

[sink]

Good replies. The armpit was an exaggeration. Rhett, I think you would really like the nailpunch thing. I used to do it your way for years on Fords.

Now I break it free with the wrench, then tap a sinlge 12d nailhole in the bottom center, (and new for 2001 is another hole off to the edge), after it drains for a few minutes, I continue with the old method, but the outside of the filter is dry.