For the forum’s automotive brain trust. The oil filter on my wife’s 2014 Honda Accord aligns almost straight up, angled about 20-30 degrees from the vertical. As I start unscrewing it, oil starts spilling out of the filter’s base and I get most of it in the drain pan but some goes on my hand and around some of the car’s undercarriage (tight space). Once I get it free I have to tip it a bit more to get the filter out and some more oil spills, mostly in the drain pan (I also have old newspaper covering the floor).

It dawned on me to try this…loosen the oil filter, but not enough to allow oil to spill out (enough to know it isn’t stuck and will come off). Then, with a sharp-pointed nail and hammer, gently pierce a hole in the lowest part of the filter’s sheet metal (the top of the filter) and let the filter drain for several minutes, eliminating the majority of the oil. Then, when I unscrew the filter, I don’t have to worry about the oil spilling over.

Think this will work? Anyone else tried this? Is there a better way? Thanks, folks.

You could try it but that sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

Can you break it loose, then slip a plastic bag around it and spin it off and contain the oil?

Lot more trouble than it's worth. I don't think I have ever changed the oil on a vehicle without getting some on my hands. If that is not for you then maybe wear surgical gloves?

I break it loose and then put a 1 gallon ziplock over it and unscrew it and the bag catches the remainder. I leave the filter in the bag and add kitty litter to absorb.

Just a idea here. Either go to a Harley Davidson dealership or look on line at P/N 63794-10, Oil Catcher Drain Oil Funnel. Maybe that would work for you.If you have a H-D 2018 Parts and Accessory Catalog go to page 974, it's at the top.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Can you break it loose, then slip a plastic bag around it and spin it off and contain the oil?

Interesting idea. I'll see if this will work for me when I change the oil next, if I can get a bag far enough up to stop the spillover. Thank you and Riley.

I know it's not cool to read the manual, but you might give it a look. The canister style paper element on my wife's Genesis gave me fits.

Right up to the part where I read in the manual about the oil filter change bleed screw and o-ring.

I felt pretty stupid, but after reading, my oil changes cleaned up a great deal. See if it has such an item. Many cars do.

We have done that one some of the big diesel oil filters for decades. itll be fine.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Can you break it loose, then slip a plastic bag around it and spin it off and contain the oil?

That's what I do with my 2003 Civic.

I'm wondering if Honda engineers canted the filter like that on purpose. Even with the plastic bag method, I still spill oil.

I keep this under the oil drip pan:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gal...-x-25-x-1-2/48050211

If you get fed up enough, you can always install a remote oil filter mount like I did on my truck. With a FoMoCo value installed on the oil pan and this remote filter setup, I can do an oil change in a five minutes without any tools, and with virtually zero mess. Wouldn't it be nice if the OEM's offered an option like this?

Sounds like more trouble than its worth. Mines the same way. Don't think I could get a hammer in there to swing it on my car anyway.

Good luck though.

I had a Mazda 2nd gen RX-7 years ago. The oil filter was accessed from the top of the engine. Super easy to get to and since it was oriented with the opening down it was mostly empty when you took it off.

quote:

Originally posted by Riley:
I break it loose and then put a 1 gallon ziplock over it and unscrew it and the bag catches the remainder. I leave the filter in the bag and add kitty litter to absorb.

This is how I change the oil filters on the airplanes. Works great!

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Can you break it loose, then slip a plastic bag around it and spin it off and contain the oil?

This is what I do on the diesel in my sailboat. It's filter is mounted horizontally in the front of the block. No way to avoid a major mess unless you bag it first.

quote:

Originally posted by bionic218:
I know it's not cool to read the manual, but you might give it a look...

Best idea yet! If your manual is typical (not enough useful info), stop by your dealership and ask the mechanics how they avoid spillage.

In my case, I had a Mercedes with a vertical-mount oil filter at the top-back of the motor, and that filter did not drain much with the motor off. Something about not wanting a dry start. My mechanics simply loosened it, then spun it off as quickly as the could, inverted it to avoid unnecessary loss, then dumped it. The little left on top of the motor they simply wiped off with a shop rag.

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:
If your manual is typical (not enough useful info), stop by your dealership and ask the mechanics how they avoid spillage.

Just make sure if your vehicle uses those ridiculous new filter cartridges (instead of a regular style filter), you prep yourself to hear the mechanic rant and use all sorts of four letter expletives describing that 'innovation'. When I picked my son's car up from the Toyota dealer, the mechanic went on for almost 15 minutes about how much he hates those things and how he'd like to pound the engineer at Toyota that implemented that design.

They make products for this purpose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG_9BQzJePw

If your oil filter makes a mess, I recommend just changing it out every other oil change. The Fram Ultra filter is good for 20K miles, at least. Honda recommended that you change your oil filter every other oil change for a really long time, right in the manual. Ive changed my oil filter every other oil change on every one of my cars and mowers for almost two decades - no problems. Plus, I get my synthetic oil on clearance/super sale, so I literally can change the oil in my car for $5 if Im not changing the filter, or about $5 plus an $8 oil filter every other.

I do what OP is considering on my 97 Ford Powerstroke. I use a timber spike about 8"long to pierce the filter before I begin to unscrew it. A little tap with a hammer is all it takes to make a hole about 1/8" in diameter. That filter is probably holding 2qt of really black oil and it sure makes a mess if I don't poke a hole in it before I unscrew it.

Drain the engine oil first. You can remove the filter after you loosen it, using a plastic freezer bag around the filter, or you can simply punch a hole in the bottom of the filter with a screw driver, and let the oil drain out before you remove the filter.

Or just remove the filter and spray the area down with solvent or brake cleaner when you're done. Problem solved.

I think bigdeal's autocorrect got him. It's a Fumoto valve not a FoMoCo valve. I have had one on every car and truck since I read about it here years ago. A big thank you to whoever suggested these.

As far as the oil filter, on my truck I punch a few holes in the bottom of the filter. It's a big filter and the oil is hot when I change it.