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For those that have a horizontal mounted filter that seems to have no good way to change without getting oil everywhere but where it needs to be, in the drain pan, try this method.

Loosen the filter until it can just be turned by hand with some effort. Drill a hole in the side of the filter near the bottom at 12:00 O'clock. Be certain to drill through both sections of the filter. Form a funnel of aluminum foil or other handy material placed under the filter then rotate filter counter clockwise 180° and the oil goes into the drain pan.

Pretty slick trick you showed us, I like it.
When I change the oil on my Harley's that have the horizontal filter I use a one liter plastic bottle that I cut the bottom end and part of the side off so I can slide up up under the filter. I do like you do in breaking the filter loose, slide the bottle in place and unscrew the filter and pull it and the bottle away, very little oil drips off the filter mount but a shop rag catches that.
Tom

Actually I was somewhat surprised how little oil was lost at the gasket area when I saw 0.0 drops, but as always everyone's mileage may vary a little.:laughing:

Glad I could help someone with this tip and dummy me I didn't even think of all the motorcycle riders and others that may benefit from it.

One problem; I doubt Shark Tank investors would go for it.:thumbdown:

SeniorCitizen said:

Actually I was somewhat surprised how little oil was lost at the gasket area when I saw 0.0 drops, but as always everyone's mileage may vary a little.:laughing:

Glad I could help someone with this tip and dummy me I didn't even think of all the motorcycle riders and others that may benefit from it.

One problem; I doubt Shark Tank investors would go for it.:thumbdown:

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Yes great idea!

I've had a car or two in my time that I could have spared a big mess with that method also. Always amazed me how an engineer could let something like that out of Detroit.

SeniorCitizen,
I have said for years now I want to go to the Harley factory and find the designer that put the oil filter in front of the engine in a horizontal mount and beat them with a big stick.

BWH I have seen a car with the filter mounted vertically but the open end was pointed down. WTH????

Tom

If I'd known that trick 50 years ago, changing the filter on Ole Blue, the 1965 Ford Pickum-up truck with a 240 / 6 would have been a snap. And that was before cordless drills.:laughing:

That's the only vehicle I ever drove that I could stand inside the engine compartment by straddling the cross member and change oil. Just reach down and pull the drain plug at the rear of the pan and the filter was on the left side.

Putting the hole in the filter is a great idea. One thing I always do is pre-fill the oil filter before installing. Just pour new oil into the mounting hole of the filter and let it set for a few seconds to allow the element to absorb the oil and you can mount the filter without hardly any dripping out. Did you ever go and have the oil changed in your car and when you first start the engine afterwards, the engine rattles for a second or two? Pre-filling the filter will help reduce the rattle. It is especially good practice on air cooled engines that have hydraulic lifters and on some of the newer vehicles that have a DOHC engine with variable camshaft/valve timing. Some of the actuators that control the valve timing are controlled by oil pressure and a good supply of oil to them at initial start-up is better.

SeniorCitizen said:

If I'd known that trick 50 years ago, changing the filter on Ole Blue, the 1965 Ford Pickum-up truck with a 240 / 6 would have been a snap. And that was before cordless drills.:laughing:

That's the only vehicle I ever drove that I could stand inside the engine compartment by straddling the cross member and change oil. Just reach down and pull the drain plug at the rear of the pan and the filter was on the left side.

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That is a good looking truck.
Tom

Ok, I am officially taking a roll of foil out to the garage. Not sure how many tricks I've tried in the past, Plastic, Paper, Cardboard.. They all seem to fail or create a bigger mess.

This foil idea just might stick. Nice idea!

I have a Ford 3.0 V6 with oil filter mounted at about 45 degrees. Ford anticipated leaks and installed from the factory a funnel underneath the filter to catch the oil and direct it to the drain pan. Good idea, but it doesn't work very well.

What I've found is that if you drain the oil when hot but not remove the filter until the engine is cool, enough of the oil in the filter is gone so that it doesn't leak. Where this oil went, I have no idea but it works that way every time, not a once-shot occurrence. It's also a lot easier to lift it up by the exhaust manifold that is no longer hot.

If you are talking about cars. When I started as a car mechanic (40's and 50's) oil filters were a option in which was mounted some place in the engine compartment and inside a canister. Very messy. What I do with lawn mowers is my wife cuts up a lot of old cloth in which we find at flee markets, lawn sales, etc. for very little money. I just lay these cloth pieces under the filter in which it collects the old spilled oil and then this soiled cloth go's into the garbage. Works good for me.

I make my oil drain guides out of old aluminum siding, so I can reuse them. They have a lip at the back which hooks behind the filter, preventing any mess while unscrewing. Whenever I come across an application when i don't have one that fits, i just pull out the snips and make another. I keep them all in a tin box so they are handy. Some were made to put under carburetors when I just want to quickly pull the bowl.

On my Kawasaki mower engine, it has a ledge under the oil filter. (Gotta love it) Perfect to get the oil away from the block by about 1-1/2" & from there I use a cup I cut open from a plastic hand wipe container, & cut it to fit perfectly under the ledge. Golden !!!

I just did the neighbors' new Simplicity w/ B&S 23 hp, that oil filter is almost even with the engine mounting base. That one required a tilt & lots of rags, but next time will be better, I cut up a plastic bottle to funnel it & capture it. :confused2:

PS: I also always pre-fill the oil filters.

SeniorCitizen said:

If I'd known that trick 50 years ago, changing the filter on Ole Blue, the 1965 Ford Pickum-up truck with a 240 / 6 would have been a snap. And that was before cordless drills.:laughing:

That's the only vehicle I ever drove that I could stand inside the engine compartment by straddling the cross member and change oil. Just reach down and pull the drain plug at the rear of the pan and the filter was on the left side.

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This was my first vehicle. Almost identical to the one you pictured.