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Is there a trick or easy solution to removing the oil filter on a Kohler Courage 22 hp SV715 without oil going everywhere on frame and dripping on the main engine pulley? I put a bunch of paper towels behind and below the filter but it still released a lot more oil than I thought was inside it. And yes I drained the engine first .

Hi ljb,

Pull the plug wires and crank the engine a few times while the drain plug is out, then let it sit and drain a little longer. Most oil filters have an anti-drain back valve made into them, so they are difficult to get emptied.

Next option would be to fashion a trough drain out of cardboard, then use a hammer and nail to punch a hole in the lowest area of the filter to drain it out.

Form A funnel is also an option:

Auto Doc's said:

Hi ljb,

Pull the plug wires and crank the engine a few times while the drain plug is out, then let it sit and drain a little longer. Most oil filters have an anti-drain back valve made into them, so they are difficult to get emptied.

Next option would be to fashion a trough drain out of cardboard, then use a hammer and nail to punch a hole in the lowest area of the filter to drain it out.

Form A funnel is also an option:

Home - Form a Funnel

"The Original" Form-a-Funnel® Eliminate the use of cardboard, plastic jugs and other messy solutions to changing oil. Shop Now! "The Original" Form-a-Funnel® FORM-A-FUNNEL® bends and molds around anything to create a leak proof channel for draining or a funnel for filling Shop Now! "The...

formafunnel.com

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Thanks Auto Doc for your help and tips. I will try this next time.

Never spill a drop of oil if the filter is loosened so it can be turned by hand , then a hole is drilled at 12 o'clock in the filter butt . Make a funnel that will fit under the filter that will touch the engine . Next rotate the filter ccw to 6 o'clock to put the drilled hole at the bottom and let er drain into a container .

That is a good idea, but many mower oil filters are barely accessible, much less drill a hole.

Auto Doc's said:

That is a good idea, but many mower oil filters are barely accessible, much less drill a hole.

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Yes , that won't be successful on some .

SeniorCitizen said:

Yes , that won't be successful on some .

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small 22 caliber directly through; but do it in the grass, not a concrete floor .....

SeniorCitizen said:

Never spill a drop of oil if the filter is loosened so it can be turned by hand , then a hole is drilled at 12 o'clock in the filter butt . Make a funnel that will fit under the filter that will touch the engine . Next rotate the filter ccw to 6 o'clock to put the drilled hole at the bottom and let er drain into a container .

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I like this idea. I will try this next time. Thanks

maybe one of these may help https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017MTFIYE?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

Shop vac on oil fill tube. What's not to like?

Hi Slomo,

I used that trick years ago when I worked in an automotive shop. We occasionally would have a vehicle that the drain plug would not seal properly on. Applying a vacuum to the filler and then quickly switching the drain plug worked pretty slick.

Not sure how that would work with an oil filter change on a rider engine. Maybe it will draw the excess oil out of the oil filter if left to set for a few minutes.

Oil is too heavy to get into the vacuum. Way up on top of the engine so to say.

Yep, it's too heavy. The idea is to apply a vacuum (negative pressure) effect to the crankcase.

Back when I was teaching, ran into this problem on a wide variety of engines. Made about a half dozen what I call oil troughs. Here’s what I had my students do. Get a piece of polyethylene plastic about 6” X 8”X1/8”. Get a new or cleaned up used filter you need a solution for, two work better, plus a heat gun and good gloves. Slowly heat the plastic to the point where you can form the 6” side around the filter, making a tube. It does have to be completely closed. When it is cool you may have to cut the tube back so you can turn the filter. When you want to change the filter, loosen the filter a little and then slide the tube over the filter, tight to the block. Finish removing the filter and oil runs out the tube into your drain pan. Label tube with paint pen and put in storage for future use. Students got to keep theirs, but I also kept left overs as spares. Might have to do a little rework to get them to fit right. Not perfect, but does save a lot of cleanup. PS: Found milk jug plastic to thin and flexible.

All way too complicated - I use a piece of malleable aluminium flashing (replaced lead).
Can be purchased from the hardware in a small role.
Its thin enough to cut with scissors (best with metal shears/snips), soft enough to be easily fashioned into a trough, that will hold its shape.
Can be reused indefinitely and you will find lots of other uses for malleable aluminium.

Metal was a material I tried, but found that it would not hold its form. Easily distorted especially the area around the filter. Plus it had sharp corners and edges, which caused an increase in the bandaid supply. I forgot to add that once you size the plastic around the filter, heat the plastic one more time and end in slightly, giving the tube some tension to cling to the filter.

"Metal was a material I tried, but found that it would not hold its form"

Obviously you did not try aluminium flashing. Its designed to be easily formed by hand, no tools or heating required ( similar to the lead flashing it replaces) and hold its form

did anyone look at the Amazon link I posted? These things are incredible.

sgkent said:

did anyone look at the Amazon link I posted? These things are incredible.

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Yes I did. I will order one next time I change the filter.

Yes , that would be convenient if i could find it when i needed it .

If the Form A Funnel man would do it as i do it , he wouldn't have those streams of running down the side .

Working in a trade school I had access to many different types of materials. Metal formed very easily, but the environment of a shop got banged around leaving openings around the filter which would leak. Plastic solved that problem and as I said reduced the number of times hands and wrist were cut. Out in the field we also found cardboard a good one time substitute.

sgkent said:

did anyone look at the Amazon link I posted? These things are incredible.

Click to expand...

What is it with us humans? - We almost always prefer the costly $$$ solution to the cheap.
Why purchase this single use item, in a glossy package, when you can get a small role of ductile aluminium flashing (probably for less $) that will do the job just as well & can be used for a host of other projects.
The aluminium can be shaped/formed by hand, will hold the shape as long as you want, can be cut with scissors (better with snips) into whatever length you want and reused indefinitely

Or you a shop vac you probably already have for free?