Did my 1st oil change yesterday and when I pulled out the drain plug (not on bottom of pan, rather rear side corner), oil came shooting out like a rocket at me. Most of it I got in drain pan, but some landed on blacktop, creeper and me. Thank goodness is had cooled a lot. Let oil drain from pan till hardly anything and then loosened filter. Like w/ the drain plug, good thing I had the drain pan under it as well. Couldn't believe how much came from it as it ran down the filter. Let that drain till and while it almost stopped, put pan plug back in. Found a couple pieces of wood that straddled the pan and placed a wire screen I found in garage to place filter on (top down) so oil would drain out. Installed new filter.Once complete underneath, time to add new oil. Need a step stool and of course, funnel doesn't fit 100% and not the easiest to hold and pour from jug at same time, but, got it done. Honestly, I think changing the oil on the 6.0 was easier and cleaner.So my question to those that have do their own oil changes, what do you do to lessen the mess? Different drain plug/valve? Is the oil filter getting covered after loosening it just part of doing the process? I don't mind getting dirty, but don't recall getting or making this much of a mess in quite sometime.

If you figure out how to do it without getting oil soaked you let me know, all 3 of our vehicles cover my hand and forearm with oil all the time. and the oil plug is just a disaster because I have to use something to change the flow so the oil goes into the pan and not all over the ground. currently I use a 1 x 6 about 2 feet long to change the flow into the oil pan. Not great, but at lease it is keeping the concrete clean.

If the drain plug is in the side of the oil pan, replace it with a Fumoto valve with an appropriate length of plastic hose going down into your oil pan. After the oil is drained, remove, clean and store the hose until next time.Some people use the valve even when their drain plug is in the bottom of the pan. I'm always afraid of hitting something with it and breaking it off. I don't worry if the valve is on the side of the pan.The other thing you could do is use a very large oil drain pan so there's a larger pan surface to catch the oil as it shoots out horizontally. These used to be yellow plastic pan that probably held almost five gallons of oil. I haven't seen them around lately.Fumoto Clicky Bill

The Fumoto valve is the way to go IMO. My drain is on the bottom of the pan, but I don't worry about it. Since there's so much oil in the filter, I take a nail and poke a hole in the bottom so it can drain out. Takes a little while, but ZERO mess. Make sure to refill the new filter before installing it.The above is for my diesel pickup.

ACZL wrote:Did my 1st oil change yesterday and when I pulled out the drain plug (not on bottom of pan, rather rear side corner), oil came shooting out like a rocket at me. Most of it I got in drain pan, but some landed on blacktop, creeper and me. Thank goodness is had cooled a lot. Let oil drain from pan till hardly anything and then loosened filter. Like w/ the drain plug, good thing I had the drain pan under it as well. Couldn't believe how much came from it as it ran down the filter. Let that drain till and while it almost stopped, put pan plug back in. Found a couple pieces of wood that straddled the pan and placed a wire screen I found in garage to place filter on (top down) so oil would drain out. Installed new filter.Once complete underneath, time to add new oil. Need a step stool and of course, funnel doesn't fit 100% and not the easiest to hold and pour from jug at same time, but, got it done. Honestly, I think changing the oil on the 6.0 was easier and cleaner.So my question to those that have do their own oil changes, what do you do to lessen the mess? Different drain plug/valve? Is the oil filter getting covered after loosening it just part of doing the process? I don't mind getting dirty, but don't recall getting or making this much of a mess in quite sometime.So Fish what say you??????

1st oil change = bath | Good Sam Community

44 Replies

ACZL
Explorer
Jun 29, 2015
Thank You for the replies and suggestions!!!! Think the Fumuto valve is the way to go. In answer to the one reply, oil came shooting out towards the rear approx several inches to close to a foot from oil drain pan. The pan itself holds north side of 16 qts (I forgot exactly, but held the 15 qts used in my 6.0 w/o a prob). I see NAPA had a larger drain pan which I may look into. Oil fill cap was tight on top and engine had been shut off for a hour or 2.

The one pic of the drain pan w/ the filter, what did use exactly and where did you get it?

To the poster who asked about the location of drain plug, the bottom of pan is flat as a pancake. Plug is located on RR corner of pan, so when it's removed, oil shoots out to the rear VS straight down (which IMO should be straight down). My John Deere diesel garden tractor has a similar set up, but oil shoot isn't nowhere's as bad.

Great idea/suggestion on "nailing" the bottom of "old" filter. Never thought of that. Likewise as well, adding oil to new filter before installing seeing it won't spill out while attaching it.

I have to agree w/ the owners of Rams as to wonder what the heck engineers are thinking when designing these things!

Have to wait a few more hours before contacting Fumoto, but will.

Thanks again!!!

AC
jus2shy
Explorer
Jun 28, 2015
john&bet wrote:
I take it that you can not change it from the bottom like the old 5.9?

Not on a 2013+ Cummins equipped RAM (well the 2500's are 2014+). There's a huge crossmember that spans directly under the oil filter that blocks all access, but RAM certainly did a lot of work to beef up the chassis.
mr__ed
Explorer
Jun 28, 2015
Concerning the oil filter, I use a K&N. it has a 1" nut welded to the bottom, which makes for easy removal with a socket wrench w/ extension. At least, it works for me.
mr__ed
Explorer
Jun 28, 2015
Trackrig wrote:
If the drain plug is in the side of the oil pan, replace it with a Fumoto valve with an appropriate length of plastic hose going down into your oil pan. After the oil is drained, remove, clean and store the hose until next time.

Some people use the valve even when their drain plug is in the bottom of the pan. I'm always afraid of hitting something with it and breaking it off. I don't worry if the valve is on the side of the pan.

The other thing you could do is use a very large oil drain pan so there's a larger pan surface to catch the oil as it shoots out horizontally. These used to be yellow plastic pan that probably held almost five gallons of oil. I haven't seen them around lately.

Fumoto Clicky

Bill

X2 on the Fumoto valve. I installed one in my Ram and spill virtually no oil when draining.I use empty 1-gallon water containers to catch the oil.. I fill about 3 of them, then dump the old oil into the new oil containers when they're emptied. I have satisfaction changing my old oil & filter since I can let it drain out more completely than when an oil change outfit does it.
john_bet
Explorer II
Jun 28, 2015
I take it that you can not change it from the bottom like the old 5.9?
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jun 28, 2015
OK, I just changed my oil on my 15 RAM Cummins. Really NOT that bad. I sat back and watched everyone struggle and learned from everyone. Last night I looked over the conditions and came up with a mental plan. I am going to post a new topic for this. It WILL save a lot of frustration.
blofgren
Explorer
Jun 28, 2015
The Mad Norsky wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
OP,
Be glad you don't have a cummins and have to go thru this BS to change/install a new filter. Or it could be even worse and remove the ail filter assembly just to have decent access to the oil filter. I can see a big mess with this method just waiting to happen. :R

This one for you cummins12V! :B

Link

Thanks for the link but that is not how I will be changing mine.

So you gonna have the dealer do it then????? Or take off the turbo hoses????

Cause those are the only other two choices you have.

I just changed mine for the first time today.

What, oh what, were those @#@#@#@#@#@@ MORONS from Chrysler/Ram thinking when they hid the oil filter?????

I've changed my own oil on all my trucks for the last 30 plus years. My new Ram is without doubt the biggest pain I have EVER seen to change oil filters on.

And no way to avoid making a small mess when getting the old filter off. Maybe, just maybe, with practice, and trying the Press & Seal stuff on the old filter, I could do it.

Mind you, the Press and Seal worked wonderful with the new filter mostly full of new oil. Didn't spill a drop.

But then trying to install the new filter was another pain. Going in over the tire was my method, and you're blind. You cannot see where to screw in the filter, and just going by feel, slowly turning and hoping that the threads will eventually catch.

No, I gotta say, especially after today, that I do miss the ease and convenience of changing oil on my Ford F-350.

I am just about 100% convinced I will NEVER change it myself on the Ram again. It really was that bad an experience and a royal pain in the backside.

I thought the exact same thing the first time I changed the oil in my truck by going through the hole in the fender liner. I spent more time cleaning oil off of the frame and cross members of the truck than I did changing the oil and had black oil dripping off of it for weeks.

The last time I changed the oil I removed the intake hose between the filter box and the turbo. Getting it off was a bit of a challenge because the spring clamp on the small hose coming off of it was in an awkward position. I ended up using vice grips to get it off after struggling for a while and making the air in the garage blue! Once I got it off the filter was actually quite easy to remove and I was also able to prefill the new filter with no problem.

I agree though that it is a PITA for a simple oil change. It is one of the very few things that I don't like about the truck. I am keeping my eye open for a filter relocation kit which I'm sure will be out soon.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jun 28, 2015
FishOnOne wrote:
The Mad Norsky wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
OP,
Be glad you don't have a cummins and have to go thru this BS to change/install a new filter. Or it could be even worse and remove the ail filter assembly just to have decent access to the oil filter. I can see a big mess with this method just waiting to happen. :R

This one for you cummins12V! :B

Link

Thanks for the link but that is not how I will be changing mine.

So you gonna have the dealer do it then????? Or take off the turbo hoses????

Cause those are the only other two choices you have.

I just changed mine for the first time today.

What, oh what, were those @#@#@#@#@#@@ MORONS from Chrysler/Ram thinking when they hid the oil filter?????

I've changed my own oil on all my trucks for the last 30 plus years. My new Ram is without doubt the biggest pain I have EVER seen to change oil filters on.

And no way to avoid making a small mess when getting the old filter off. Maybe, just maybe, with practice, and trying the Press & Seal stuff on the old filter, I could do it.

Mind you, the Press and Seal worked wonderful with the new filter mostly full of new oil. Didn't spill a drop.

But then trying to install the new filter was another pain. Going in over the tire was my method, and you're blind. You cannot see where to screw in the filter, and just going by feel, slowly turning and hoping that the threads will eventually catch.

No, I gotta say, especially after today, that I do miss the ease and convenience of changing oil on my Ford F-350.

I am just about 100% convinced I will NEVER change it myself on the Ram again. It really was that bad an experience and a royal pain in the backside.

So cummins12v what say you??????

HEY! it's with a BIG "C"

I will go over the top. I am sure it won't "EASY" but if you have ever changed glow plugs in a VW Diesel PU this in comparison will be a piece of cake!

I will report back later today with pictures of my oil change.
FishOnOne
Nomad
Jun 28, 2015
The Mad Norsky wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
OP,
Be glad you don't have a cummins and have to go thru this BS to change/install a new filter. Or it could be even worse and remove the ail filter assembly just to have decent access to the oil filter. I can see a big mess with this method just waiting to happen. :R

This one for you cummins12V! :B

Link

Thanks for the link but that is not how I will be changing mine.

So you gonna have the dealer do it then????? Or take off the turbo hoses????

Cause those are the only other two choices you have.

I just changed mine for the first time today.

What, oh what, were those @#@#@#@#@#@@ MORONS from Chrysler/Ram thinking when they hid the oil filter?????

I've changed my own oil on all my trucks for the last 30 plus years. My new Ram is without doubt the biggest pain I have EVER seen to change oil filters on.

And no way to avoid making a small mess when getting the old filter off. Maybe, just maybe, with practice, and trying the Press & Seal stuff on the old filter, I could do it.

Mind you, the Press and Seal worked wonderful with the new filter mostly full of new oil. Didn't spill a drop.

But then trying to install the new filter was another pain. Going in over the tire was my method, and you're blind. You cannot see where to screw in the filter, and just going by feel, slowly turning and hoping that the threads will eventually catch.

No, I gotta say, especially after today, that I do miss the ease and convenience of changing oil on my Ford F-350.

I am just about 100% convinced I will NEVER change it myself on the Ram again. It really was that bad an experience and a royal pain in the backside.

So cummins12v what say you??????
The_Mad_Norsky
Explorer
Jun 28, 2015
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
OP,
Be glad you don't have a cummins and have to go thru this BS to change/install a new filter. Or it could be even worse and remove the ail filter assembly just to have decent access to the oil filter. I can see a big mess with this method just waiting to happen. :R

This one for you cummins12V! :B

Link

Thanks for the link but that is not how I will be changing mine.

So you gonna have the dealer do it then????? Or take off the turbo hoses????

Cause those are the only other two choices you have.

I just changed mine for the first time today.

What, oh what, were those @#@#@#@#@#@@ MORONS from Chrysler/Ram thinking when they hid the oil filter?????

I've changed my own oil on all my trucks for the last 30 plus years. My new Ram is without doubt the biggest pain I have EVER seen to change oil filters on.

And no way to avoid making a small mess when getting the old filter off. Maybe, just maybe, with practice, and trying the Press & Seal stuff on the old filter, I could do it.

Mind you, the Press and Seal worked wonderful with the new filter mostly full of new oil. Didn't spill a drop.

But then trying to install the new filter was another pain. Going in over the tire was my method, and you're blind. You cannot see where to screw in the filter, and just going by feel, slowly turning and hoping that the threads will eventually catch.

No, I gotta say, especially after today, that I do miss the ease and convenience of changing oil on my Ford F-350.

I am just about 100% convinced I will NEVER change it myself on the Ram again. It really was that bad an experience and a royal pain in the backside.

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1st oil change = bath

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