Trojan Boat Forum

Does anyone have a gadget, tidbit or trick for changing the oil filter without making an absoulte mess? I've used pads and rags and still can't keep it from happening.

I put a pad below it and plastic bag around the filter . not perfect but it helps

Ditto on the plastic bag. Use a big ziplok and when you
have the filter in it then zip it closed for disposal

I can't get under my 350's so I have to pump it out through the dipstick. when my starboard engine was disassemble I noticed the dip stick tube extends to the bottom of the oil pan so I'm getting almost all of the oil using this method.....time consuming but pretty mess free. I have a small pan that fits under the oil filters............this all being said, I still manage to make a mess sometime.....a bump here or there and you got a mess..............John

I cut a plastic one gallon round jug in half lengthwise and leave the handle intact. I've tried square jugs but find in some applications that I can't always get them under filters. The round ones work great; use them for oil and fuel filters. Once you drop the filter into it, put the filter into what ever it is you will dispose of, a quick wipe of the jug and onto the next one. Keep a 5 gallon pail with it's lid; these are great for putting used filters into and taking to a garage or town's hazardous waist site where they can be disposed of properly, rags and all. When you empty the pail of filters, get some fresh rags, and wipe the inside of the pail on site so you can dispose of the rags there. Put all of the boat's oil change supplies into the clean pail; new oil/fuel filters, new rags, filter wrenchs etc., put lid back on and you're ready for your next change. No mess!

Have used the plastic bag on a friends Crusaders as the filter was really tight to get to.

On mine, I use combination of pads and a plastic oil bottle. I use a vacuum pump to empty the first engine first, then add the first litre (quart) of fresh oil, then put the cap back on the bottle, lay it on one side and cut a hole in the other side. You end up with a little rectangular quart-sized reservoir that you can hold under the filter area while removing the filter. Once all oil is captured (the pads are there to capture any final drips you don't have patience to wait for), you take the cap off and pour it into your bigger waste oil jug.

Works pretty good as long as you don't drop it!

I also use a ziplock bag for the filter and an electric fuel pump with long skinny tube attached for pumping the "warm" engine oil out the dipstick tube. Works great and no mess.

you guys that never make a mess are either lucky or lying....lol...no joke, no matter how hard I try, I still make a mess now and then.........................John

I used to use plastic zip locks but found I somehow managed to pinch a hole in the side and a mess was the result, generally found later.
I now have the side cut out a 4 liter antifreeze jug that gets wedged under the oil filter to catch the dribble. I purchased two of those long (apporox 12") plastic celery/carrot containers from the dollar store. Two oil filters fit inside end to end, snap on the lid and they can empty all they want. The other I use for fuel filters. It sits on the bottom of the bilge under the filters. Unthread them, the gas runs into the container, drop the filters inside and snap the lid on. Love it. The fuel container and wrench live by the filters should I need to do a change when not planned.

On the Crusader, i use one of those cheap aluminum throw away pans (loaf pan) from the Dollar Store..... you can bend it to fit. For fuel filters, I use a plastic quart paint bucket from the big box store, hold it under the filter and spin it right into the bucket. You won't spill a drop of gas into your bilge.

Ron