how difficult is it to remove the oil filter the first go 'round?

 

It's tough unless you have an oil filter wrench.

 

The factory filter is a PITA to get loose. My suggestion would be to get an end cap type filter wrench and increase the pressure on your ratchet very slow and smooth until the filter breaks free. This approach always seems to work better for me than giving it the old "He-Man" yank. I also ended up removing the factory oil spill funnel to get a better angle on it the first time. The second oil change was a breeze! Good luck. Look at it this way, once you get that factory filter off, all the rest will be easy!

 

I had to go buy a special filter wrench just for my first oil change. It's not the standard filter wrench, but on that fits onto a ratchet. It looks like a three fingered claw and tightens up as you turn it on the filter. Works great. I put a 12" extension on it so I can get the filter off from the front.

 

i get free oil changes from the dealer, so i bring it to them now

 

I tried everyway I could think of to try to get the first filter off without naving to buy a filter wrench for it. No luck. It's in an awkward place to begin with and its on there tighter than koody brown. Just buy the wrench for a couple of bucks

 

I had to use a breaker bar and about 1 hour of swearing at it. I would try the socket type of filter wrench. I tried the claw style but no luck. I would take it to the dealer for the 1st oil change if i had to do it again.

 

I guess I was just lucky. Before my first change, I bought a metal end-cap style wrench at Auto Zone made specifically for the FL-820s. It fits the splines/flutes of the filter perfectly and makes removal very easy. As others have noted, the end-cap wrench I'm referring to uses a 3/8" drive extension and ratchet.

 

I wonder how many people just got ****ed and brought it back to the dealer for the 1st change.

Sounds fishy to me!

 

The first change is on my dealer. Should be bringing it in in another 2 weeks.

 

Pep Boys also sells a cap wrench for the fl820 filter. It's Pennzoil brand nr 10 I believe.
Wish I had bought this BEFORE my first change.

 

This might be a bit messy and I'm not sure if there's room on the F150, but back in the day if I couldn't get an oil filter off, I'd take a long screwdriver and stab it right through the filter. Instant handle!

 

HA!!! I used to do that too and I thought I was the only one. Sure can be a messy route, but it beats heading out to the parts store when the vehicle is in the middle of a change.

T

 

Me Too! Necessity is the mother of invention.

 

While I have stabbed the side of a filter or two myself, I am also a fan of using a big 'ol pair o' Channellocks. Unfortunately, there isn't much room in the F-150 for either of these alternative methods so I bought the end-cap wrench.