Any tips on how best to remove oil filter

[Kooter]

Does anyone have any tips on how best to remove the oil filter on the V6 engine so it doesn't spill oil on the engine (below the filter mounting flange) and make a mess that needs to be cleaned up?

Thanks!

Kooter

[Canoe2]

How about leave the car for >6 hrs then remove the filter. Most of the oil inside the filter should drain back oil pan.

[warlock]

i put a rag under the fillter and then take it off. then take the rag and clean up the spills.i also tahe it to the car wash with hot water and wash down the bay

[Nick]

rag under it, that's the only way, i usually lay out some newspaper too, if i'm doing it in my appartment parking lot

my buddy's buick century has the same problem, but its got a little tray that it drips down, but it makes it a pain in the ass if you ahve to use a strap wrench to take it off

[Kooter]

I noticed an angled tray underneath the oil filter on my car. I assume it's to help eliminate oil being spilled on the engine but I'm not so sure how best to use it to my advantage. Has anyone else seen this angled tray under the oil filter?

I don't know when Toyota started putting these trays on their cars. Maybe it's something new they just started adding.

Kooter

PS - I'll use an oil filter wrench that is made to fit over the knurled end of the filter to remove it instead of a belt-type filter wrench.

[Kooter]

Here's a picture I just took of the tray underneath the oil filter. The black oil filter can be seen at the top of the picture (slightly out of focus) with the tray (in focus) under it.

Kooter

[Nick]

if there's a tray, then use it, just wipe it off when you're done, it'll smoke for the first few dozen kms, but that's not bad at all

[Kooter]

While the tray will keep spilled oil off the engine unfortunately that tray's lower lip will cause any oil that gets on the tray to drip on a frame cross-member which is directly beneath the tray. Plus the car's underside nose (shroud) piece extends under where the tray would drip oil on that too.

I'm thinking I can place a funnel, with a hose attached to it, directly under the oil filter tray and run the hose [attached to the funnel] so that the oil will drip into the drain pan under the car. That way no oil will get on the cross-member, suspension parts or nose shroud that must be cleaned up.

I hate it when after an oil change oil drips on my driveway or garage floor from spilled oil on cross-members, suspension parts, shroud, etc.

Kooter

[Kooter]

Well, I just got finished changing the oil and filter and the angled tray (underneath the oil filter) definitely kept the spilled oil off the engine. I ended up placing a towel under the oil filter and tray area to catch any spilled oil which kept it off the cross-member, suspension parts and shroud below it.

One thing that I noticed was that the drain plug was barely tightened...maybe 1 or 2 lb-ft torque at most. I could have removed it with my fingers! Also, there was no crush-washer on the drain plug. (I'm glad I bought 5 of them as spares before changing the oil.)

Kooter