Quick oil filter question, Changing my oil for the first time today..

[Bwarren2]

On my Rebel it looks like the oil filter is on the middle-left side of the engine (facing the front of the car), looks like it will drip all over the skid plate, protective boots and make a serious mess, any tips to avoid this? Looks like the oem mopar filter is black?

 

[sticker500]

You could use the ziplock bag over the filter trick or I bought a form a funnel which you could use next time

 

[SpeedyV]

I second the Ziploc bag approach. But that alone may not be enough, as I discovered when I was forced to tilt the filter to remove it from the truck. You'll probably want some rags or oil-absorbent blankets draped over all of the mechanical bits. I don't understand the logic to this filter location; my old GMC had it located near the oil drain plug. Kudos to that engineer.

 

[Bwarren2]

I can't even get it off at this point, no room for a socket wrench to move and its not coming off by hand. Any suggestions?

 

[knightro84]

Ah it appears maybe the same gorilla that tightened the oil filter at the factory on my motor did yours as well. I ended up getting mine off with a swivel oil filter wrench, but it was quite a pain - I was able to get it to move what seemed like only a mm or two each turn... just needed to break it enough to where I could loosen it the rest of the way by hand. My hands and forearms were destroyed by the time I got it off.

 

[sticker500]

I can't even get it off at this point, no room for a socket wrench to move and its not coming off by hand. Any suggestions?

Nothing can beat this.. You can buy them anywhere, I just found the first link
https://www.homedepot.com/p/TEKTON-..._4TJWMYwU2PdcCk6gF4aAqCeEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Bwarren2]

times running short and it's not coming off, how long is the filter good for?

 

[AndreiV]

Same gorilla put my OEM filter.

 

[AndreiV]

This is what I used

 

[Bwarren2]

would you just pour old oil in, top off and take it to the dealer? I have to leave shortly

 

[AndreiV]

Assembled.
Get an adjustable wranch and a piece of some kinda rubber gasket

 

[geotex1]

All the factory filters are on way too tight!!! You must use a tool of some sort. I have an assortment from way too many years of being a gearhead, and I found this style to be the easiest on the RAM used with a regular ratchet with extension:

Definitely use a GALLON Ziploc. You will still drip some, so use the old trick of aluminum foil to make some splatter protection that can be shaped to funnel into your oil catch.

Remember, in a pinch, you can remove a stuck filter by first punching a hole in the bottom of it and letting all oil drain. Once it has, drive a long thin punch or Philips screwdriver through it an use that for leverage to twist it off. Punch twice of needed. It'll always work, but you're going to have a little mess, but that can be minimized by draining first.

 

[Adrianp89]

times running short and it's not coming off, how long is the filter good for?

Ran into this issue as well. I took a long screw driver and hammer and pounded it through, and then screwdriver created enough leverage to loosen it. It made a mess but it worked.

 

[rhill]

All the factory filters are on way too tight!!! You must use a tool of some sort. I have an assortment from way too many years of being a gearhead, and I found this style to be the easiest on the RAM used with a regular ratchet with extension:

Definitely use a GALLON Ziploc. You will still drip some, so use the old trick of aluminum foil to make some splatter protection that can be shaped to funnel into your oil catch.

Remember, in a pinch, you can remove a stuck filter by first punching a hole in the bottom of it and letting all oil drain. Once it has, drive a long thin punch or Philips screwdriver through it an use that for leverage to twist it off. Punch twice of needed. It'll always work, but you're going to have a little mess, but that can be minimized by draining first.

I have used that exact oil filter removal tool on my old 2012 and 2014 Rams. Works great! I assume the filter is in the exact same location on the 2019.

 

[Bwarren2]

Seems with the placement of the filter and the mess it's going to make, the best approach for future changes is to:

1.Tap the bottom of the filter, create a decent size hole

2. let all the oil drain out into the ziploc bag avoids mess

3.dump oil, remove filter

4 put new one on

The seems like a way to avoid the mess that is certain to happen

 

[Zinger]

Seems with the placement of the filter and the mess it's going to make, the best approach for future changes is to:

1.Tap the bottom of the filter, create a decent size hole

2. let all the oil drain out into the ziploc bag avoids mess

3.dump oil, remove filter

4 put new one on

The seems like a way to avoid the mess that is certain to happen

Step 1 for me is always to Crack the filter loose before anything else. That way you know it'll come off.

 

[Ranger482]

Second this, just like making sure you can get a fill plug out first before removing a drain plug. Nothing worse than sitting there with a hole in the bottom of a filter that you can't remove and might have to take in for "professional" help.

 

[Zinger]

Second this, just like making sure you can get a fill plug out first before removing a drain plug. Nothing worse than sitting there with a hole in the bottom of a filter that you can't remove and might have to take in for "professional" help.

Yes, that's step #1 on diffs, trans, and transfer cases!

 

[SD Rebel]

Nothing can beat this.. You can buy them anywhere, I just found the first link
https://www.homedepot.com/p/TEKTON-12-in-Oil-Filter-Pliers-5866/206180462?cm_mmc=Shopping|G|Base|D25T|25-1_HAND+TOOLS|NA|PLA|71700000034127224|58700003933021546|92700031755124811&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-8PjBRCWARIsADc18TIe9fI9_GfTLaAZQqZ3oepBMyKOYpdDF7JD_4TJWMYwU2PdcCk6gF4aAqCeEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Was the 12" the right size or would the 16" been better with the space our RAMs have?

 

[dorocks]

I can't even get it off at this point, no room for a socket wrench to move and its not coming off by hand. Any suggestions?

I too could not get the original oil filter off my 2021 Ram 3500 with a normal oil filter wrench. Too little room and on so tight I could kill the robot or person at the factory who put it on. I desperation I tried going up through the bottom oil spill hole, using an end cap wrench, instead of a swivel gripper tool. I put the end of filter cap on the filter end with a swivel adapter, from the side portal in the tire well. Coming from the bottom the ratchet extension cannot go straight up but will get up there angled towards the block. My wife held the extensions up from the bottom while I joined the parts together. Note the swivel allowed the angle difference to work. Success. Next time I should be able to go in the normal tire well way, since I hand tightened the new filter on. The picture is the tools I used.

I did use the large freezer bag to keep the filter oil contained. I loosened the filter a bit, put the bag on, and continued taking it off with the bag already on.