Oil Filter Change with Remote Inverted Mounting

J

j-d

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Old 5.7/350 SBC had filter in the original automotive location. It was clumsy (or maybe it as just me who was clumsy) but I could change it without spilling a drop, using one of the Admiral's surplus bread pans. That and my cheap Harbor Fright "Oil Boy" knockoff.

New "357" engine (actually a 5.7 SBC bored to 355) has the filter mounted gasket down, port side top of the engine. Easy to get at but I'm making a bigger mess than before!

Working on a new plan:

1. For some reason, filter gasket really stick to the remote mounting, so First, Make Sure the Filter will Loosen with the Tools on Hand

2. Once just slightly loosened, certain it'll come off, PUNCH a small hole in the top (the bottom in car terms, end opposite the gasket) of the filter.

3. Allow Filter to Drain down its tubing into the engine.

4. THEN pull the oil out the dipstick tube, change Filter, Add Oil.

I noticed the inside bottom of the remote filter mounting, is almost a funnel, down into the oil line. So this should work, leaving me with very little oil since the vacuum holding it in the filter and mounting is broken by the hole I punch.

Am I missing something?
 
Whoever came up with the idea of an upside down remote oil filter, should be locked up with the key thrown away. What was he thinking? Oh, obviously he wasn't thinking.
 
Cheaper mounting bracket probably. Either that or they offer an aftermarket replacement at a substantial cost.
 
Sounds good if there is no anti drain back valve in the filter. It may not just be vacuum stopping the drain. If thats the case a small tube shoved into another hole at bottom might help.
 
I'm gonna try it. Will let you know in 50 or so (engine) hours.

Bruce,

Filter was pretty empty once I'd loosened it. At that point, I think "most" of the oil must have drained down the tubing. What didn't, can drip onto the alternator and I really don't like that.

bb,

Pretty pleased, at least so far, with that remote filter mounting. It's all hard tubing, no hoses. I didn't like the risk of hose or connection failures that a lot of us had. Seemed to be more on Volvos, but I decided I'd rather slither into the bilge than risk a catastrophic leak underway. I noticed this MerC mounting contacts the filter gasket with a large flat surface. It's a casting. The OEM GM one, down on the corner of the engine, uses a stamped steel gasket surface and I suspect the actual flat area is very small. I thought I'd never get the original filter off the new MerC, so I was careful to not really crank the new one on. Shoot! It was worse than the first one. Filter started to crush as I wrenched at it with an automotive steel band tool. My rubber strap wrench wouldn't budge it, only started the crush with a dent. Which is why I won't punch the "vent hole" till I'm sure I can loosen the filter.

cwms,

I pretty much agree with your observation. Although I understand the filter works in a "bypass" flow, I still like to add oil to a new filter when I can, thinking it'll help the engine get up to pressure. That said, our RV has a right-end-up filter with an oil cooler adapter directly above it. That makes for a big mess removing the filter. Last time, I had a pan under it. Filter got so oily from the cooler oil, that it turned so slippery that I dropped it. And it bounced out of the pan. Then it rolled AWAY from me, spinning oil out those holes in its base as it went. Ya know, I may try punching a hole in those too...
 
cwms: I always punched and drained my big filters on the Cummins diesels. otherwise it was like wrestling a greased pig. Originally I put a screw into the punched hole after draining but with a quick wipe there was little dripping if I let it drain for a while.
 
JD you might cover the alternator with aluminum foil or an oil diaper.
 
JD- Any chance you can just remount the remote filter bracket "right side up" w/ filter at the bottom, if that turns out to still be desirable? Or is the alternator and or belt in the way of that position?

My remotes have always been bracket up/filter down, so I can just slip a gallon Ziploc over the warm filter and unscrew/remove w/ no spills.

But if yours does drain quite well prior to loosening with TheQuickerPickerUpper wrapped around the gasket-seal area, you might end up liking that to avoid add'l pouring out into a waste oil container.
 
The other problem with the newer style mount is that you cannot pre-fill the oil filter before installing it. I like to use the K&N oil filters. Well constructed filters and they have a one inch nut on the top of the filter. This makes it easy to remove. Use a open end wrench or socket.
 
My filters are mounted upside down 4.3 Mercruisers. I punch a hole in the middle with a philips screwdriver and really don't spill anything. I use Mercruiser filters and after 14 years on a boat with twins so far so good.
 
BI, This confirms it. Make A Hole!

WalMart has those filters, easy shopping. I'm still trying to find a source for the MerC SynBlend 25W-40. WalMart has MerC oil (as Quicksilver brand, like the oil and fuel filters, even the good green lower unit lube) but I think their "4-Cycle Oil" is Dino vs Blend...
 
quote:
Originally posted by j-d

BI, This confirms it. Make A Hole!

WalMart has those filters, easy shopping. I'm still trying to find a source for the MerC SynBlend 25W-40. WalMart has MerC oil (as Quicksilver brand, like the oil and fuel filters, even the good green lower unit lube) but I think their "4-Cycle Oil" is Dino vs Blend...

Click to expand...


Not Wallyworld, but would this help?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/391429480679?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true
"Free shipping".
Certainly looks better than typical $10-12 /qt...if it is the oil you are thinking of.
I know nothing about the seller.
 
I agree with charles williams. Guy was a fool. But like any designer, he never had to do any work on 'em. The upside down filter was the reason they had to come up with the anti-drain back feature. Just mount the friggin' thing as it was originally designed by GM engineers on the block. I have mine mounted on a vertical surface just below the trim pump. Easy to get to and doesn't spill a drop sitting in a cut down 2 L soda jug.

The reason marine engines have such screwed up component mounts is cuz the designers had to come up with a totally drop-in engine unit.

Designing my own engine compartment, I made things more functionable. Like the FWC heat exchanger mounted on the transom. Opens up the whole engine and easy access to the remote mounted oil filter.

The biggest advantage for anyone doing their own work on anything is to think outside the box.
 
"The biggest advantage for anyone doing their own work on anything is to think outside the box."

But wait!!!... Doesn't that go on your PERMANENT RECORD???? :D

Sounds like a nice convenient setup, Charlie.
 
Believe me, I have an oil filter on a remote bracket with the filter suspended below on my airplane and it is no picnic either. Simply put, there is no good way.
 
I had the same issue on my Silverton with 8.1's. I loosened, punched a hole in the top, waited for it to drain and then cleaned up the mess with a couple rolls of paper towels. I am convinced the engineers who design boats have a warped sense of humor and do this crap on purpose.
 
quote:
Not Wallyworld, but would this help?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/391429480679?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true "Free shipping".
Click to expand...


So today, I'm in Wallyworld looking for an item for the RV. I pass the oil, and again, various OMC, MerC, and other label stuff, some synthetic, but the MerC 25W-40 is OIL, not Blend. Searching for the RV section (which turned out about the size of a bookcase), I see a flag sticking out marked "Marine Lubricants." Wondering if all the OMC/MerC stuff near automotive oil wasn't "Marine" I walk up to it and there's the 25W-40 Synthetic BLEND in Quicksilver packaging and just under $30 for the gallon jug. So I snag that, go back to the MerC filters (near the Other MerC oil...) get one of those for $6 something, find my RV stuff, happy Camper, happy Boater. The Oil I wanted didn't show up in WM's on-line catalog/store inventory, but there it was!
Sandy, you were nice to help with the eBay listing, wanted to follow up. THANKS!
 
Wally World is great for oil and filters but it can sometimes be a challenge to find what you're looking for.
 
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