Oil Filter changing tip:

[popgun]

Oil Filter changing tip:

I changed the oil in my wife’s car today and didn’t get oil all over the front axle this time.

This little 6 cyl. engine sits sideways in this Buick, and the oil filter is sort of hard to get to.

While unscrewing it; it always drips oil all over, and behind the axle, and is hard to reach to clean it all up. Naturally, the oil that is missed finally ends up on the garage floor in little drips.

I have changed the oil twice a year on this car for 14 years and have sopped up a lot of oil in those years.

Today I took a piece of aluminum foil and placed it over the axle where the oil could funnel into the drip pan without hitting the axle at all. Problem solved.

Okay…If you have been using this technique for a long time without telling me, “Shame on you”. This little aluminum foil dam saved me a lot of rag wiping time, and I thought I’d pass the tip on to everyone here.

If you happen to be the designer that placed the filter in this position, I’m almost sure that you never changed your own oil and filters, and someday you will pay.

I have over 115,000 miles on this little car and have never changed the spark plugs.

Is there some way to reach those three plugs that are hugging against the firewall?

Oh well, I guess they are still good.

Anyone else have any tips or shortcuts?

….popgun

[coles]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

i think i have only gotten my oil changed by a shop once and that was only cuz i had a gift certificate. i change my oil every 3000 miles or at least i try. but yeah. the foil thing willhelp me. even though i dont park mine in a garage. just out on the side of the road so i dont worry bout it too much

[wtnhunt]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

Never thought of the foil, thanks for the tip. Far as the plugs, will a universal and an extension not help?

[Ravin R10 man]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

with the road salt we use up here.. a bit of oil will just help keep the rust down..LOL

[Buckslayer]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

popgun. I'm guessing it has the 3.1 v6. If so, you have to loosen the front engine mounts and rotate the engine forward using a turnbuckle to gain access to the spark plugs. Have fun!!!

Cool tip for the oil clean-up. Like Onieda man said, I usually just wipe it off quick to get the most of it. A lil oil just helps keep salt at bay for that, you know, half a square foot of frame...

[Randy]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

[ QUOTE ]

with the road salt we use up here.. a bit of oil will just help keep the rust down..LOL

[/ QUOTE ]LMBO!! Isn't that the truth!! I must have a similar problem with my truck, everytime I get the oil changed I have a small oil stain in my driveway. I thought about asking the mechanic to wipe it up!!

[SaskMan]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

Here's a tip.....................make sure the sealer ring from the old one os off before the new one goes on. lol, this will only cost you another quick change.

[Born2Hunt]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

[ QUOTE ]

popgun. I'm guessing it has the 3.1 v6. If so, you have to loosen the front engine mounts and rotate the engine forward using a turnbuckle to gain access to the spark plugs. Have fun!!!

Cool tip for the oil clean-up. Like Onieda man said, I usually just wipe it off quick to get the most of it. A lil oil just helps keep salt at bay for that, you know, half a square foot of frame...

[/ QUOTE ]Bingo on the plug issue!

[Shaun_300]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

Foil would work good, I just use brake cleaner at work, that gets it away pretty quick.

By the sounds of things, and you saying the oil gets all over by the axle I'm going to say it's a 3.8L, the 3.1L engines have the filter on the front side of the motor when looking at it from the front. For the plugs on those I use my 3/8" flex-ratchet, a 3" extension and of course the socket. The back side can be a pain in the neck. Some cars have a brace going from strut tower to strut tower, take that off with a 13mm socket, that gives you more room. If it doesn't have that, don't worry about it.

[HarvDog]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

Great tip!

[popgun]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

Buckslayer is right. It is the 3.1 V6

Thanks for the tip on the plug change.

SaskMan also had a good reminder about the seal ring. Almost as though he was speaking from experience.

Good tips.

....popgun

[SaskMan]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

popgun, I sure in the heck was.....I'm just glad I checked the oil that weekend before leaving my wife for a few days to fend for herself. She'd have seized that motor. lol

[AdvantageTimberLou]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

sad deal when you have to loosen engine bolts to change the spark plugs but now you know why its called a 100,000 mile tune-up. They know its a pain to do and costly to do.

Poor engineering if you ask me, put wrenches in those engineers hands and you will see things changed quickly! They will think of the maintenance and make things much easier to do!

[Hoosierbuck]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

Once upon a time, while busting knuckles in the August heat trying to reach the back plugs I had a flash of inspiration, and the flash said, "It would be easier if you rip out the dash, then use the sawzall to cut a hole in the firewall to pull these plugs." Luckily I collapsed from heat stroke before I got the dash all the way out.

HB<---kidding about the sawzall, really.

[LETMGROW]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

Ha! Ha! you think the 3.1, 3.4 and 3.8 GM's are bad? How about the Chrysler Concorde where you have to pull the upper intake manifold or the Ford Escape 3.0 where you have to do the same? Others are out there too. The Z-34 Beretta is another fine example of tilting the engine forward.

Now you know why we get paid the big bucks just to change spark plugs.

Then there is always the guy who comes in off the road with that proverbial emergency who needs it done right now while the engine is still at 192 deg. [ that is water temp. add in heat soak and exhaust temp.] and you wonder why we cop an attitude?

Changed a starter on a Northstar Caddy lately? It is inside the engine under the intake manifold!

I could go on for hours, but I probably wouldn't want to go to work tomorrow!

[Buckslayer]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

Shaun, I would have guess the 3.8 too, but popgun said little car so I imagined a pristine little skylark or century haha and then remembered scraping my forearms all to heck while changing plugs on that disaster of auto engineering during my short (but too long) 2 years working as an auto mechanic through college.

The sawzall comment was great by the way!! Yep, gotta love hot engines and immediate demands...

[Shaun_300]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

[ QUOTE ]

Ha! Ha! you think the 3.1, 3.4 and 3.8 GM's are bad? How about the Chrysler Concorde where you have to pull the upper intake manifold or the Ford Escape 3.0 where you have to do the same? Others are out there too. The Z-34 Beretta is another fine example of tilting the engine forward.

Now you know why we get paid the big bucks just to change spark plugs.

Then there is always the guy who comes in off the road with that proverbial emergency who needs it done right now while the engine is still at 192 deg. [ that is water temp. add in heat soak and exhaust temp.] and you wonder why we cop an attitude?

Changed a starter on a Northstar Caddy lately? It is inside the engine under the intake manifold!

I could go on for hours, but I probably wouldn't want to go to work tomorrow!

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL you got that right, lots of fun stuff in our trade! Just did a clutch slave cylinder in a 2003 Corvette Z06 on Monday/Tuesday, drop the exhaust, rear subframe, trans/rear end down just to be able to unbolt the torque-tube off the motor to change the slave, which is in the torque-tube.

[Guest Finn]

Re: Oil Filter changing tip:

That's a good tip. My Honda dealer changes oil for $15.99