Did mine today. Echo most of the thoughts above. I'm not installing a valve; wiping a smudge or 2 of oil off the bar is not a big deal to me. The filter is very awkward to reach. I have a filter wrench that fits over the OEM / replacement filter (3/8" drive) and with enough 'encouragement' (and general grumbling about "likely descendants of Chevy Citation engineers") got it to slowly turn, then removed the wrench and ratchet, and finished removing it by hand. The ziploc bag trick works reasonably well, thanks to all who recommended it. The new filter is slightly more than hand-tight, and should come off with less effort than the factory-installed filter. @nburd, would love to hear more about any success/failure with printed wrench should you go that route in the future. Was contemplating something similar. Thanks!
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Very first Oil change x 2, 5K OMG why did I do it....and thanks for the heads up on the filter.
- Thread starter nburd
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I found all though not optimal, this not that bad a job. A good filter wrench, a gallon ziplock and a few rags and all is OK....dealing with it is far better than having the dealership minimum wage junkies touch your truck !!!!...
OU_Elliott
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This is Elliott, 1 of the 2 guys that invented and make the Oil Udder. Neither of us own RAM's but we got ahold of one yesterday to see how the Udder works on it and what the best process is. The reviews for ram owners have been all over the place on amazon. Some people said it works great, some said it doesn't work at all.
Obviously the Oil Udder is a big picture design for "most" vehicles, but this was our experience yesterday on the RAM 5.7 4WD w/EPS. Which is literally the worst oil change I've ever seen. Also, I'm not trying to spam, I just searched "ram oil udder" and saw these posts on here and thought this might be helpful.
~Ocho1~
Active Member
I did my 1st oil change on the Ram this past weekend. Did plenty of research & read through most of the threads here. I've always done my own oil changes, mainly because I know I'll do it right.
so yeah, the drain plug is in a less than desirable place in relation to the sway bar, but I looked through my recycle bin & found an empty plastic Foldgers coffee can which I cut to make a ramp that I wedged between oil pan & sway bar & taped tot he oil pan. That directed the oil straight into my oil catch pan. Once oil drained I installed a Valvomax valve for future simplicity.
Yes, the oil filter is in a crappy position, but I used the zip lock bag method & didn't spill a drop. Overall it wasn't as bad as I expected.
so yeah, the drain plug is in a less than desirable place in relation to the sway bar, but I looked through my recycle bin & found an empty plastic Foldgers coffee can which I cut to make a ramp that I wedged between oil pan & sway bar & taped tot he oil pan. That directed the oil straight into my oil catch pan. Once oil drained I installed a Valvomax valve for future simplicity.
Yes, the oil filter is in a crappy position, but I used the zip lock bag method & didn't spill a drop. Overall it wasn't as bad as I expected.
Mirowpl
Well-Known Member
Personally I gave up on doing my own oil changes once mopar started offer the prepaid packages for oil, filter and tire rotation. They started these back in early 2000’s. the benefit is the info is now in the system or future warranty issues.
SD Rebel
Spends too much time on here
I would pay them if I trusted FCA dealerships not to screw something up or damage something. They are last place among dealerships in the US for a reason, hopefully they improve enough one day that when I have to bring in my truck for a warranty issue, I can trust them to actually do it without getting something else wrong.
bud007
Active Member
hopefully it wont be as bad as i am thinking
Last edited:
wvinson
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Going to a FCA dealership is so unnecessary -- just find a local trusted mechanic or tire shop to do all the dirty work. Just got my oil changed, cabin filter replaced, and tires rotated in under 30 minutes -- bought the oil and filters myself and total cost at my shop was $15! No oil changes for me!
Idahoktm
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I'm preparing to do my first oil change, so I've read a few threads to see if I could learn from those of you that have it down to an art. I've decided the two bag method is going to be the best way to avoid making a mess. After looking at a dozen different wrenches and comparing that to the space available, I bought this wrench. I really didn't like the idea of reaching in from the front with a strap type wrench or a big set of pliers and the socket type wrenches need some type of swivel to clear the steering rack.
After I attempt an oil change, I'll report back how it works. I'll be able to turn the filter 1/3 of a turn before the wrench makes contact with any obstructions. That should be enough to get the filter off the rest of the way by hand.
After I attempt an oil change, I'll report back how it works. I'll be able to turn the filter 1/3 of a turn before the wrench makes contact with any obstructions. That should be enough to get the filter off the rest of the way by hand.
Jako
Spends too much time on here
I let the dealership do my first oil change than I started doing my own. I used the same wrench to remove the dealer installed filter and it worked well. Since than I install the filter by hand from below and front tightening it 3/4- 1 turn. So far so good.
Best of luck.
Idahoktm
Spends too much time on here
The filter wrench I bought worked very well. I had the filter loose in just a few seconds. Taking the filter off is where I screwed up. My filter wrench reaches in from directly below the filter and I made the mistake of trying to remove the filter straight down. I did get the filter out going straight down but I spilled oil trying to get it out that way. It looks like pulling it out towards the front of the truck is the way to go. It took me about 40 minutes to change the oil and another 40 to clean up the mess. Next time I'll know better.
I bought this oil drain pan from AutoZone. The sides are about 8" high, so it does a really good job of containing the oil as it comes out. I didn't spill a drop during that part.
I bought this oil drain pan from AutoZone. The sides are about 8" high, so it does a really good job of containing the oil as it comes out. I didn't spill a drop during that part.
bigdodge
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that is a nice pan. been using it for our crv for awhile
Slipster
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