Removing and getting out the oil filter? What am I missing?

[Lyle Allamon]

Ok, I feel stupid even posting this but here goes...I changed the oil in my 74 Challenger, its an automatic with the 360 engine. All went well until I tried to remove the oil filter. (Please stop chuckling to yourself) seriously...how in the heck do you get it out of its area? I was able to get it off and oil out of it, but my exhaust pipes and suspension parts, etc...would not allow me to actually get the filter removed so I could put my nice new filter in its place. It would get held up on the exhaust pipe (to big to get out and be able to put another in) So I had to reuse the old filter with new oil. It killed me. I googled this issue to see if anything would come up...and I could not find anything. So, I am reaching out to my fellow E-body brothers and sisters to ask..Am I crazy? Has this happened to anyone else? I swear I can do things to my car, but this made me feel like the village idiot. So...If my dumb thing/Q can help anyone else out...your welcome. lol. Please be kind. Thanks for any info. Lyle

 

[tonysrt]

Do you have a filter that runs almost straight down or with the right angle adapter the filter goes to the rear of the car? I just put the right angle adapter on a Duster and have to use a small oil filter to get it to fit. I believe my filter is about 4-5".

 

[Lyle Allamon]

Do you have a filter that runs almost straight down or with the right angle adapter the filter goes to the rear of the car? I just put the right angle adapter on a Duster and have to use a small oil filter to get it to fit. I believe my filter is about 4-5".

Do you have a filter that runs almost straight down or with the right angle adapter the filter goes to the rear of the car? I just put the right angle adapter on a Duster and have to use a small oil filter to get it to fit. I believe my filter is about 4-5".

Thanks for the idea...no mine is almost strait down. I did no know about an angle adapter...hmmm. The previous owner did not have an angle adapter, so it had to be put in there somehow. Interesting.

 

[aussiemark]

Angle adaptor shouldn't make any difference with getting the filter you have out. Has the car just been put together? maybe someone has over looked this, does it have headers or standard exhaust manifolds?

 

[Ralph]

I had the same problem with my 73 340 cuda. With headers I could not get the filter out from below, I had to remove it, sit it on the torsion bar and remove from above.

I now have a completely stock exhaust system and manifolds and have no problems.

Do you have headers and / or the right pipes.

 

[moparleo]

A picture is worth a thousand words. It would help to see it.

 

[challenger6pak]

I had the same problem with my 73 340 cuda. With headers I could not get the filter out from below, I had to remove it, sit it on the torsion bar and remove from above.

I've done the same.

 

[Lyle Allamon]

Angle adaptor shouldn't make any difference with getting the filter you have out. Has the car just been put together? maybe someone has over looked this, does it have headers or standard exhaust manifolds?

It has standard exhaust manifolds.

 

[Lyle Allamon]

I had the same problem with my 73 340 cuda. With headers I could not get the filter out from below, I had to remove it, sit it on the torsion bar and remove from above.

I now have a completely stock exhaust system and manifolds and have no problems.

Do you have headers and / or the right pipes.

I have stock exhaust manifolds.

 

[Lyle Allamon]

A picture is worth a thousand words. It would help to see it.

Great idea...here is what I have a pic looking up at it and one looking down. See how it hits the exhaust pipe?

 

[moparlee]

The exhaust pipe is not bent correctly. If your exhaust pipe guy installed that, go back and make him change it. I have a 340 with the same filter set up and stock manifolds and my filter clears the pipe.

 

[Lyle Allamon]

Just a thought, but when taking photos I noticed this area in the rt wheel well. It may be possible to take it out from here...unless that's totally stupid. Lol. Thoughts?

 

[Lyle Allamon]

The exhaust pipe is not bent correctly. If your exhaust pipe guy installed that, go back and make him change it. I have a 340 with the same filter set up and stock manifolds and my filter clears the pipe.

Thanks! I was thinking the same thing. I received the car this way...but I can take it to an exhaust place and see if they can make an adjustment.

 

[aussiemark]

Some exhaust shops don't think about what they are doing I had a new exhaust put on my truck and they said it would be a bit loud until the muffler packing loosened up a bit, 3 months latter I had to take it back it was still waking up everyone in the house every morning and the tail pipe was touching the spare wheel. They fitted the muffler they should have installed in the first place and reshaped the tail pipe so what they have done to your car does not surprise me.

 

[volunteer]

The exhaust pipe is not bent correctly. If your exhaust pipe guy installed that, go back and make him change it. I have a 340 with the same filter set up and stock manifolds and my filter clears the pipe.

My 73 Challenger had the early H.P. ('68 to '70) manifolds installed couple decades ago. Then, of course, the down-pipes were fabricated. A 'right-angle' filter adapter installed at this time as filter could not come straight off the block. After only about 5 years, OEM manifolds re-installed and new connecting pipes. Next oil change I decided to go back to the standard 'plate' setup - directly off the block. As some of you know, it is not a quick procedure. I therefore removed the right-angle setup and (painstakingly) installed the plate and perimeter gasket directly on to block surface. Guess what? Could not screw on either the short (PH43) or long (PH8) filter - as down pipe would not allow. Of course ended up re-installing the right-angle adapter - and it still remains - 15 years later. (grrr and sigh)

Would I be right in assuming you had later exhaust work done and basically cannot remove the filter completely? - only enough to let oil drain out?
One idea is to bend or collapse it enough to unscrew all the way. If it is the PH8 size then perhaps the shorter PH43 will work. Otherwise even smaller such as the PH16? - for now, at least until trip to muffler shop.
Did not read beyond the posting I am responding to so likely this idea already noted. good luck.

 

[Playtimefun]

Hi folks...

Couldn't resist posting on this as I have a 73 Cuda with a 340 and 727 trans. With edelbrock RPM heads and TTi headers, there is absolutely no way to get the oil filter out the bottom. I just spent the last hour thinking how I could position my 90 degree adapter and could I get the filter out. NOPE!!!

Just sitting here having a rum in the garage going... keep doing what you did before. Undo the filter from below. Sit it on the torsion bar and then get it from the top. Now this is with a Fram PH43 filter. Not the larger one.

To be honest... TTi headers and exhaust have not proved to be a great fit on this car for some reason.

Anyways rum is done and it's either pour another one or get this 90 degree adapter back in with some swearing. Thinking both!!!

 

[Challenger RTA]

Remote oil filter.

 

[Playtimefun]

Yeah... kept thinking and thinking and thinking about one. For now I put the adapter back in and even now just tightening everything up and talk about a bugger to get into. Oh well... adapter is on... filter is on. I put just a touch of Ultra Black on the 90 degree adapter and waiting for it to cure then will torque it all up.

 

[Juan Veldez]

Yeah... kept thinking and thinking and thinking about one. For now I put the adapter back in and even now just tightening everything up and talk about a bugger to get into. Oh well... adapter is on... filter is on. I put just a touch of Ultra Black on the 90 degree adapter and waiting for it to cure then will torque it all up.

Yep, that simple task is not that easy. I run the big oil filter and it is tough. When I change it, I put a 1 gallon zip lock bag around it so it doesn't drip oil everywhere when I twist it around to remove it.

 

[terrywalker]

Stock exhaust set up on my 71 Challenger 340. I've always brought it out through the top after setting it on torsion bar. I install the new one from the top. Fun if you prefill the filter with oil.
Terry W.