Well guys I bit the bullet and did my oil change today. GOt the truck in early Nov and with 2900 miles on the clock did the first oil change. Not too bad. THe only pain in the *** I could fine was trying to get the old filter off( not that it was on too tight, but just right. I was trying to use a filter wrench the strap kind and could not really fit my hand in there to get some good leverage on the wrench. SO I made up my mind and I'm going to buy the kind that cups the end of the filter so It would be easier to get off. The other thing I noticed it the catch pan that is supposed to funnel the oil when you take the filter off so it can go in use change pan. WRONG, I spun the filter off and oil went everywhere front and back of the drip pan. What great ford engineering. Oh well now I know for the future, but to get the filter off I read about another member removing the intake hose from the fender and had an easier time getting to the filter. Well I tried that a is worked perfectly. Put the new filter oil filled it with oil and VROOOMMM. Perfect. I've also noticed that my valve train is quieter after this oil change I have now Idea why but it doesn't tick like before.


James

 

A trick i use when removing the old filter is to loosen the filter up just like you normally would. Then when you have it loose enough to spin off by hand, get a big ziplock baggy. Stick the ziplock baggy around the filter and spin it off by hand. This way the oil that come out is caught by the baggy. Now you have a ziplock baggy filled with used oil and a used filter, and NO oil at all on your truck/driveway..

 

also, if you take the filter off very slowly and let the oil drain out of the filter slowly, it'll come out of only one side of that little drip pan. too fast and there's too much oil so it goes over both sides. you can also use some aluminum foil formed to create a channel to drain the oil where you want it too. have to do this with my mustang since it drains right onto the steering rack and goes everywhere. is there a remote filter kit out there yet for the 5.4L that anyone is using?

 

Bushtree, your trick has now become my trick. Thanks.
I usually place a large piece of cardboard under the truck to catch any oil that misses my catch pan. That is one ugly piece of cardboard. Now the cardboard can go in the trash.

 

Great tip, I'm going to try it out this week. I found a filter wrench for the FL-820S at work. Now I'm all set with all concerns for oil change #2. I'm using up the Motorcraft 5w-20 I have, and then it gets Mobil 1 hearafter. If anyone wants a cup type filter wrench for the factory filter I will send it out to you for just 3 dollars over actual shipping cost (padded manilla envelope via USPS). I have zero use for it anymore, and it only cost me 8 dollars. Offer not worthy of classifieds, so please forgive me o' moderators.

 

I haven 't dripped any oil on my driveway yet, but I have always loosened then let the oil filter on all my vehicles drain completely before I unscrew them entirely. I like the drip pan design, just have to have a big enough pan for it to drain into. I do not like not having room to get to the filter though, I'll have to try getting ar it from a new angle next time.

 

I'm interested!!! I have one that I think was made by Lisle, and it doesn't fit the FL-820s worth a darn. It just barely catches the flutes. So, I am in the market for a better one.