I am in the middle of my first oil change and am very afraid of crossing the threads of the oil filter during replacing. Any hints. It seems to hit a bit of a stop once I get it threaded a little. Is it just hard to tighten on. I'm sure I'm not at the stops/fully installed point yet. Thanks.

 

Try this: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ead.php?t=4928

Funny thing...I'm about to go change my oil.

 

Yes, I am following that 'How to'. Actually I got the oil filter back on. It just took a little more downward pressure while starting the threads. Then I was able to get it pretty far on before needing the 36mm socket.

 

I had a difficult time aligning the threads correctly too. Since you can't really see what's going on, it's all about feel. Glad to hear you got it on correctly . The alternative would be a nightmare .

 

Did you oil the o-ring around the outside of the filter housing?

 

Yes, Randy's how to suggested that. I just needed to push a little harder while starting the threads. It all worked out great. Hopefully many more oil changes to come.

 

i suggest feeling for the slot in the tread on the block and
memorizing where it is. then look at your oil filter canister,
match where the slot is, and just push it in as you turn.

You'll feel some friction but if it locks up after like 1/4 of
a turn, then you're cross threading. just back out and
try again.

 

I did my oil this weekend also . It is a challenge to get that canitster back on. The worst part of it all is trying to soak up the oil that spilled out of the canister when I took it off .

 

When taking the canister off, just unscrew it enough to break the seal. Don't take it all the way off. Once the seal is broken, let it sit for a few minutes so the oil will drain back into the block. This will prevent the spill when removing it.

 

I'll have to remember that for next time . I tried tipping it back to catch the oil but some still got away .

 

Old hand at oil changes here...

Took me 2 hours the first time, mostly trying to work out if I was cross threading!

It gets easier.


Also to stop messes I remove the sump plug, crack the filter seal, leave it till it start driping out intead of running, unscre the filter some more and leave alone again for 10 mins. That way you should harly have any oil left in the filter canister.

Also I have ramps, I wouldnt get under a car if I didn't have too, You only need to have the front wheels a few inches of the ground to be able to get the sump plug out. So you only need to go a little way up the ramps. I have used 2 planks before (On top of each other not as ramps!) but i wouldn't recomaned that!

Changing your own oil makes you feel like a real man.

 

you can toss some old rags or bath towels down there below the
canister if your header has cooled off. that's what i did.

i let the oil drain for 1hr.

 

I've done three changes, two on mine & one on a friends. I do as Pebble says & have never had any oil leakage when I remove the filter. Pretty easy car to change oil on.

 

What are you guys draining your oil into? Isn't your pan large enough to catch any spilled oil when you pull the filter cover?

If you do spill oil onto your driveway, after you are finished and have moved your car, spread a thin layer of oil dry or oil absorbant from Advance or AZ directly onto the oil spill. This stuff is made of clay, sort of like cheap kitty litter. Then walk on the dry top part of the clay and twist your feet to grind the clay into the drivway. This makes the clay break up into very tiny particles and forces the clay into the pores of the concrete. Leave this stuff there as long as you want, but in a few hours, just broom it away and your drive way will be oil free.

YD

 

word of advice: let the engine cool down before proceeding. the filter is very close to the headers and it is easy to burn yourself. found this out today...

 

Yes this is true, but you get a better drain by having a warm engine. I wear a pair of gloves when I'm handling that hot filter.

 

^^ as one mentioned above, i loosened mine and just let it drain
for 1hr. by then, it's only warm to the touch at best.



i just borrow my neighbor's dog dish.

 

I have actually used generic kitty litter too and it works well..

-Ed

 

What's a recommended overall length for the 36mm socket? The home depot socket says it's 4.5" long , but an ebay auction I saw said that they were selling their 3" because it was too long?!

I'd prefer the Craftsman so that it matches the rest of my set, but there's no detail on that one and one of the howto's I ran across mentioned the Craftsman as too long. Hmm.

 

im using the standard 36mm craftsman socket. it's a tight fit but it works.

shorter the better.

 

After the oil change how does one reset the milage? I cannot find it in the owners manual.

 

I 'modified' my Craftsman though now having done it, it's probably not necessary, but it does give a bit more room with a 1/2" drive.

 

This was posted earlier - there are several other similar posts as well.

 

I was able to remove the filter canister by using a metal strap type oil filter wrench.

 

not everyone is a body builder like yourself.