Changing oil/filter in the Ford Transit with the 3.5 EcoBlaster is a major PIA and also very messy. No matter how careful one is when removing the oil filter, oil ends up on the turbo plumbing, crossmembers, floor and anything else within 10 feet. Today, oil change #29, I finally did it free of any oily mess.
I've been perfecting a device I made over the past several oil changes. The original consisted of a plastic juice container with the bottom 2 inches cut off. The original cap with a hole drilled in the center and fitted with a rubber grommet through which a Phillips screwdriver was inserted. The idea was to use a hammer to punch a hole in the oil filter with the screwdriver. The problem with this was not much oil drained from the filter without complete removal of the filter resulting in a mess.
Oil change # 28, instead of a screwdriver I used socket extension through the cap with an oil filter socket connected on the end inside the juice container and a ratchet on the other end. The problem with this was I failed to consider that the turning extension inside the tight fitting grommet caused the cap on the juice container to unscrew resulting in another mess.
Today I tried again. This time I glued the juice container cap to the threads on the container neck and also hosed down the extension and inside of the grommet with a silicone lubricant. The extension turned freely within the grommet. The capped stayed on. The oil filter was freed from it's threaded nipple and fell into the juice container. No mess!
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I've been perfecting a device I made over the past several oil changes. The original consisted of a plastic juice container with the bottom 2 inches cut off. The original cap with a hole drilled in the center and fitted with a rubber grommet through which a Phillips screwdriver was inserted. The idea was to use a hammer to punch a hole in the oil filter with the screwdriver. The problem with this was not much oil drained from the filter without complete removal of the filter resulting in a mess.
Oil change # 28, instead of a screwdriver I used socket extension through the cap with an oil filter socket connected on the end inside the juice container and a ratchet on the other end. The problem with this was I failed to consider that the turning extension inside the tight fitting grommet caused the cap on the juice container to unscrew resulting in another mess.
Today I tried again. This time I glued the juice container cap to the threads on the container neck and also hosed down the extension and inside of the grommet with a silicone lubricant. The extension turned freely within the grommet. The capped stayed on. The oil filter was freed from it's threaded nipple and fell into the juice container. No mess!
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