94Max

Has anyone else noticed what a PITA changing a VG oil filter is?

I'm 36, have owned 20+ cars and 30+ motorcycles over the years, driven over 300,000 miles and have done 100% of my own maintenance & mods and have NEVER run across such a poorly-designed setup!

I've never seen an oil filter mounted UPSIDE-DOWN, so that when you loosen it, oil pours out down the side of the engine! Then, to add insult to injury, Nissan engineers evidently tried to "jury-rig" a solution because there's a little "funnel" cast into the filter mount, evidently to allow the oil to drain out easier. But, the "funnel" just drains onto the edge of the top of the tranny! WTF good is that? And then, the tranny has a "lip" around it that TRAPS THE DRAINED OIL, leading to ongoing drips and mess. And with an upside-down filter, how are you supposed to "pre-fill" the filter to eliminate the 10 seconds of running with low oil pressure while the oil pump fills the filter?

Am I the only one who's noticed this? Or am I just the only one that gets torqued up over such a maintenance-unfriendly design??

Okay, breathe deep..... count to 10....Okay, I'm all right now...

But with a projected ownership of another 80,000 or so miles, I get to look forward to this mess 20 more times..... sigh

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

i definitely understand your frustration.
the lip sometimes catches the oil at a certain angle and it almost drips past the tranny and into the pan of your choice.

about prefilling the filter...what i normally do is to pour the oil in quickly until it fills and let it sit for a few min. the filter elements normally soaks the oil in so there's no visable oil in the filter..but you know it's in there by weight.

then get your shop rags and start wiping clean the mating area and flip the filter quickly and start turning it in. if you can do this quick enough no oil will leak out of the filter.

now to keep the tranny clean? some simple green and a hose after everything is done should do the trick or you can just wipe it clean and call it the day.

look at the bright side...at least the filter is ez to get to.

Mizeree_X

iTrader: (9)

VE's don't have this problem

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

VEs have smaller filters.

Brian_TII

Really... I don't think it's that bad at all IMHO. My RX-7 is SLIGHTLY easier to change and it has an "upside down" filter too. I've seen cars that are harder to change... 2001 Sentra GXE (REAL mess)... and the the 94'up Integras... those poor oil all down the side of the motor...

As for how to clean it up... get a can of brake parts cleaner...

Scott Fife

I sympathize w/ your frustration. I've changed the oil on my 89 Max forty-two times... every time a mess. You'd think Nissan could come up w/ a better idea than British Leyland (MGBs have an upside down filter too).

brubenstein

HA! The oil filter setup on the 3rd gen was a MAJOR upgrade from the 2nd gen (same engine). On the 2nd gen it was on the side of the engine, up against the firewall, and when it dripped it was onto the exhaust. Change the filter on a warm engine and you were sure to get a few burns & cuts. Once the filter was free, you then had to wiggle it through a maze of hoses and pipes.

JDwyer2821

The smallest and hardest oil filter I changed was on a kia sophia They put it below the manifolds and above the exhaust system and the left no run to put ur arm burnt the **** out of my arm too

Tom

Had an 85 Honda Accord. The oil filter is on the block, intake side (firewall side). You have to reach in deep (stretch) between the firewall and the engine (minimal clearance) to get to it. If your arms are thicker than normal build then your arms won't fit in this opening. Then you have to go from underneath the car which is even harder, because 1) it's underneath 2) it's a Honda - lower ground clearance.

It's almost as if Honda designed it to discourage people from changing their own oil.

Trust me, VG isn't bad at all.

ChrisCheezer

change the filter when ther is no oil in the car lol

TB-MaxSE-89

I do agree it is a dumb for it to be upside down but atleast you dont have to take off the tire to get at it. I just put a rag underneith the filter and let the rag catch all of the oil. and screw filling up the filter with oil too hard.

Badaxxima

I've honestly never had a problem. I change the filter after I drain the oil and before I refill. Put in about 3-4 quarts, turn the engine on and let idle for a few seconds, shut if off and fill it the rest of the way. Low oil pressure isn't much to worry about if it's only for a few seconds at idle. Unless you're really **** about it.
At WOT however, it's damn nightmare!

C-Dawg

Try to change the filter on a V6 ranger or explorer and you will kick a hole through your damn window.

C.D.

flyry110

ok easy solution,

relocate the oil filter and do a dual filter setup that'd be pimp!

94Max

Well, now I don't feel so alone...

Can't do a better design than British Leyland....LMAO

BTW, I forgot about the '87 Honda Civic I owned. It was similar to Tom's Accord. Firewall-side of block, totally inaccessible from above, un-see-able from below. Had to remove and reinstall by "feel". Oil drooled onto (and along) axle shaft, guaranteeing that drips would spread out wider than any drip pan you used.

But I guess I should count my blessings - at least the filter (and subsequent mess) is easy to get to and clean up.

Owner-maintenance is cleary not anywhere near the top of the designer's priorities.

jwtarbaj

It really isn't too bad on the VG. I used to have a 93 Sentra SE-R and it was buried under wires/hoses right on the front exhaust side of the engine. Couldn't get a wrench on it for your life if your hands were even remotely large. My Dad's 96 200SX SE-R is even worse same setup more crap in the way AND a smaller filter. My other current vehicle '00 Altima SE is bad like the Honduhs metioned earlier. Can't be seen from the top, go from under neath reach around the right axle shaft and take off. Oil runs down your arm and all over the axle! MESSY! No the oil change on the VG is like a blessing. No mess and no digging/access problems.