This was the first oil change. After an hour trying to get the oil filter off, I was starting to worry I wasn't going to be able to get the dang thing off. Wow, they put the filter on tight at the factory. Finally, removed it with some long handled Fram pliers I found at Walmart.

 

This is an image of the filter installer at the engine plant.

 

Don't you have to have Ford do it to keep the warranty ??

 

LOL! Very awesome!

The filter on my 2004 was absolutely horrific to get off. I was hoping they had learned by now how to put one on without overkill, but sounds like they still haven't learned yet. Typical Ford, takes about 7 years for them to figure out how to correct something simple like that, Ah well, maybe we can look forward to FMC in 2014 touting the all-new F-150's Easy Use Oil Filter Replacement System. They can use a big acronym for it, like Electronic Automatic Temperature Control, or Easy Fuel Cap-Less Fuel Filler System.

Anyone who gets a '10 should be grateful to all of us for complaining about no window defroster for all these years. What'd it take them? 6 years to figure that one out? Sounds about right.

 

I feel your pain, I had to take my 08 to the dealership for them to get it off the first time I changed oil.

 

I have purchased (4) new Fords over the past few years. The oil filter on my 2005 F-150 was by far the toughest to remove, followed closely by the filter on my 2009 Ranger. However, the filters on my 2005 Escape and 2008 Mustang came off with relative ease. Go figure......

 

Holy crap, they still make the Ranger? That thing hasn't changed in decades.

 

2011 is slated to be the last year for the Ranger in its current configuration -- no details yet on whether there will be a replacement for it, or if Ford will simply let the model die. The dashboard on my 2009 is essentially exactly the same as the one on my '97 model that it replaced, which means that if I get the same number of years out of my new Ranger as I got out of my '97 I'll be staring at the same dashboard for 25+ years of my life......

 

LOL

 

It took about a hour with my father helping me on my 09. We used the oil filter cup on a rachet with a cheater pipe. One person holding the cup to the filter below and another person working the rachet/cheater pipe from above.

The last pickup was almost as bad but the filter was in a better location than a 4x4.

I had someone do an oil change for me on a pickup about twenty years ago. The next time that I changed oil I had grief getting the filter off. After I got it off I realized that the person did not put oil on the O-Ring gasket.

 

Wait till you guys try getting the filter off on a Cummins 5.9/6.7 the first time. I sear they use a 1" impact to put them on with some loctite.

 

Nope!

I get the first oil change free at the dealership where I buy my vehicles, so they take care of the first one for me!

 

Sweet! I wouldn't want them touching my 09 unless it was absolutly neccesary. My fiances Focus, as part of the deal, has free oil changes for the 3,36 warranty.

 

Perhaps ScrewBuilder can find out for us why Ford puts them on so tightly. I can't imagine FMC is NOT aware of the problem after all these years. I know my '04 was put on like it was locked, I can't recall if my '97 and '98 were awful too or not, just been too long to recall.

But I can say that the '97-'03 model sure had the filter located in a very easy to access space with both hands and an oil wrench tool. The '04-'08 model had the oil filter located in an absolute nightmare spot, there was absolutely no way to use a tool or both hands, one-handed all the way, baby! Boy did that suck. I'm not at 7500 yet, so haven't even looked to see where the oil filter is located on my '09 yet. I pray it's like the '97 and not the '04.

Edit: I just thought to myself, maybe they are concerned with theft for some reason, and that is why they put the oil filter on tighter than the outer door seals on the space shuttle.

More edit: Holy crap is the Sirius antenna hideous on the chevy trucks. Wonder why they made it so ugly compared to the sleek little one that FoMoCo uses on the '09?

 

I'll let the dealership worry about the oil filter change. On the '07, I remember hearing the service tech cuss worse than a drunken sailor trying to get the oil filter off. Maybe I get the same entertainment for free again.