choinga

Just a quick glance...trying to do this while watching both my kids so it's going very slow...

I got the panels off - is the oil pan the stainless steel ribbed piece that's right in between both of the panels that is partially exposed? I see a screw on the side of that. Seems like it's easier to just pull the back panel off with no need to even mess with the front panel. I don't see how I'm going to get the oil to drain out into my pan with that panel lying in between it and the screw.

gtroth

Turn the key to the point where you can pop up the headlights, then turn the ignition off (gets headlight linkage out of the way). Parking lights will be on, but this won't take too long.

I never poke a hole. I stuff a bunch of paper towels down where the oil might spill then pull the filter quickly, turning it upside down as quick as I can and get it in a plastic bag right away.

Cover the nose panel with a towel or little rug or something.

You can do this job using rhino ramps if the car is not lowered.

choinga

Thanks everyone...

Update: Oil is changed. I'm now using Brad Penn 20W-50. PO was using Mobil 1 100% synthetic. I used the Mahle filter I picked up from Paragon. Fit perfectly - works great. I idled it for a bit after and then took it for a test spin. Solid oil pressure a smidgen above "4" when accelerating. I'll check the dipstick tomorrow to make sure I'm full. Speaking of the dipstick - mine doesn't seem to have any print markings on it. Is that how it is from the factory? If so - where is full?

Wow - I'd like to punch the engineer that thought that was a good spot for the filter right in the kisser. I opted for the hole poke method and let it drop for about an hour. I stuck a bunch of rags down there but in the process of pulling out the filter it just hung up on a hose or something and I had to regroup and fish it out of there...all the while oil is dumping everywhere. What a pain in the ***.

With my pan, I didn't spill a drop underneath, which was nice. The oil does start coming out fast though that's for sure...

Thanks for the help everyone!

dillon410021

they make a wrench adapter for our oil filters which is sold at autozone. It will save a lot of time when removing the oil filter

JohnKoaWood

Auto zone also sells relocate kits for relocating the oil filter to a place where you can have it inverted, I need one on my Durango as the oil filter is about 1" away from the Passenger side frame rail...

the relocate kit just screws onto the factory location, and uses flex lines to locate a new filter flange to wherever you want to put it, I was thinking of going to the PS fender well or space just outboard of the PS headlight on the frame rail, it is where I put the ballast resistor when I installed my MSD coil...

whalebird

+1 on turning on the headlights. If you are not doing this you are making a mess. Put 6 qts back in and go for a ride. I think any cap-style oil-filter wrench will work as long as it's for the small filter size.
Drain plug is a 15mm I believe.