[cutty1998]

So this is my first oil change on my new truck .I picked up some Castrol 5w30 & a K&N Oil filter. I removed the oil plug and drained oil ,then I searched for the oil filter ,and all I find is a polished aluminum capped thing with a strange end and a few screws and nuts on the end. Is this the filter ,and how do I remove it ? Thanks for any help!!

 

[colin123]

look at the front skid plate it has an access plate on it with two bolts, undo those and pull the small plate off and look up

 

[cutty1998]

Thank you soo much!!!

 

[colin123]

no problem, its a bit of a pain to do through the hole so you can just take the entire skid plate off

 

[thebavarian]

Hopefully the oil filter isn't on there as tight as mine was. Had to punch through with a screwdriver to get the right torque on it.

 

[HKYStormFront]

all the ones from the factory feel like they are torqued down ridiculously tight. it will take some major effort to get that first one off, took me quite a while to do mine

 

[colin123]

yeah i'm pretty sure most oil filter boxes say to put it till tight then back off an 1/8 or a 1/4 turn and i've had good results with that method

 

[HKYStormFront]

i always oil the new seal before tightening it down and never had an issue with it coming back off when the next oil change is due. i think it's that the factory puts the filter on dry and all the heat cycles in combo with the filter being super torqued down mean it's crazy hard to get loose that first time, especially if trying to do it through the skid plate like i did. i looked like an emo kid after i got done, my wrist was all cut up

 

[thebavarian]

i looked like an emo kid after i got done, my wrist was all cut up

I hear ya. The dealers do it anytime they change the oil too. I had them do the first one just because I was at school and really didn't have an idea where else to go. After my struggle to break it loose tho, I'm never going somewhere to get something like that done

 

[dubie2003]

Is anyone else curious on what the OP was actually looking at when he thought it was the oil filter?

 

[HKYStormFront]

lol yea dubie

 

[thebavarian]

Is anyone else curious on what the OP was actually looking at when he thought it was the oil filter?

Yeah but i didn't want to be the jacka** that asked it :smileyshell:

 

[cutty1998]

I think it was the starter Solenoid??? LOl

 

[HKYStormFront]

that would make sense :laugh:

 

[cutty1998]

I figure the dealership wants every penny out of us ie : sales/parts/service and they hide the filter & and super torque it to discourage any do it your selfers.

This is gonna be fun at 7:00 AM and 88* F while trying to get 3 kids ready for school tomorrow morning! Wish I had an old rubber jar opener cloth like my grandma used to have!! I have a ratchet attachment filter wrench.

 

[HKYStormFront]

be brave!

 

[morgan]

i just did mine and i used one of the metal wrenches that fit over the end of the filter and attaches to a socket wrench. worked like a charm for my first change. also put left had in through the access and wrench/right hand through the side access. it sucks but its not that bad. good luck!

 

[RockHawk JHKU]

Wear a leather glove if you decide to do it through the access port...when it breaks loose those metal sides hurt. Did it once through that little hole and will never do it that way again.

Just saw a post yesterday where the guy (can't remember who and too lazy to search) had cut up his skid to make the access port larger and had fabbed up a new cover. I might be doing that eventually, for now, I just find its easier to remove all the screws and take the entire skid off. Plus, that makes it easier to use my strap filter wrench.

 

[morgan]

Wear a leather glove if you decide to do it through the access port...when it breaks loose those metal sides hurt. Did it once through that little hole and will never do it that way again.

Just saw a post yesterday where the guy (can't remember who and too lazy to search) had cut up his skid to make the access port larger and had fabbed up a new cover. I might be doing that eventually, for now, I just find its easier to remove all the screws and take the entire skid off. Plus, that makes it easier to use my strap filter wrench.

are you located in lawrence KS?

 

[dubie2003]

You could always be ghetto and wrap your arm in old news paper to keep it from getting cut.

For future use thou, you can use some door edge molding on the opening. Basides that, it is just easier to remove the skid if you have the time. It helps when cleaning up after the oil change since the little run-off plate doesn't really work.