After my dad and I doing our 3rd oil change, I though I would ask how many other very fustrated SCREW owners there are with getting that oil filter on and off are there? Especially the 4x4 with the diffrential in the way.

I understand there is a way to have the oil filter moved to a diffrent location. If this is done are there any drawbacks like needing more oil for the additional pipe/tube? Also does the extra length in the oil ciculation cause any problems?

Anyone that has done this, thinking about it, or knows about this, please put in your 2 cents. Also pics would be awesome,

Thanks!

 

dcovell
I have a 99 5.4L and my oil filter is hung out by the driver's side wheel well.

I think the ford OEM setup consists of 3 pieces, an aluminum block that attaches to the engine, 2 long oil hoses and a block for the oil filter. You should be able to use them to adapt to your engine i would think.

If you do it, i would highly recommend a skid plate since the hoses are just sitting there in the open. I lost an an engine to a damaged one of those hoses.

If you want any pics of the set up i can takes some for you.

 

Yea pics would be great, and you say Ford makes a kit for a remote oil filter? Thats cool.

By the way how do the dealers change the oil filters, do they use a special tool that makes it easiers or something?

 

I had my dealer order the parts before I drove my 01 off of the lot. I installed the remote filter when I did my first oil change.

You may end up adding 1/4-1/2 qt. more oil to make up for the oil it takes to fill the hoses.

You won't find an actual Ford "kit" The pieces have to be ordered seperately. Be sure to order a new gasket, the studs and nuts and the clip nuts and bolts to mount the adapter to the frame.

 

Mine came with the truck already, but when the mechanic was replacing the hoses, he mentioned those three pieces. I'll take some pics of the setup tomorrow, and let you know when there up.

You can reach in the wheel well and grab the filter, so they probably only use an oil filter wrench to change it.

 

Well no you can't reach in the wheel well and grab the filter, noton my truck. It is a pain, one thing I have leanrned is that by turning the wheels to the right it gives you a bit more room.

 

dcovell, if you haven't already, be sure to get a Fumoto oil drain valve as well... Draining the oil has never been simpler since I got mine!

 

Cool thanks for the tip fritoz, I may get me one of those. Say if your offroading and hit something, is there a possibility of opening the valve?

Anyways I put a link for there site for anyone else who may be intrested. (this is directly to the part for our trucks)

http://www.fumotovalve.com/merchant.cfm?pid=70&step=4

 

dcovell,

Here are those pics, sorry for the delay, it rained for the past couple of days here.

These two are what the oil filter looks like through the wheel well.

http://www.bigdaddymofo.com/images/oil1.jpg
http://www.bigdaddymofo.com/images/oil2.jpg

And here's the pic of me reaching in the wheel well and grabbing the oil filter with the remote oil filter setup.

http://www.bigdaddymofo.com/images/oil3.jpg

Hope this helps.

 

Does anyone know why Ford stopped putting the remote filters on in the first place?? must be a reason??

 

They probably stopped because of the added cost. Anytime a manufacturer can remove an item that the consumer won't really miss, it is just $ in their pocket. They certianly didn't leave it off, and then out of the goodness of their heart drop the price of the vehicle accordingly. Look at how many F-150's and Expeditions have been produced since Ford stopped installing the remote filter. Multiply that number by 100-150$ per vehicle. That makes a nice year end bonus for the CEO.

 

I have seen people state ( claim ? ) that this was due to in a front end acident that the bumper can get pushed back and damage the oil filter when it is out there.
I don't know where this info came from, but my guess is the same as above, to save a buck.

They need to pay for that new high tech plant on the 2000 acre plant that Frod himself designed. The one with the grass on the roof <g>.
With the parts costing employees ~ 400.00 ( 700.00 MSRP ), that equates to the 150.00 number in saving per truck / suv.
Over the course of thousands of trucks, that is a easy 400K in savings. none of it goes to the consumer though....