WHO put the oil filter there?!?!
 

Hey Gang,

I have a 2002 F150 4x4 SuperCab XLT. This past weekend we decided to head out in the desert and enjoy a day of driving. Soe planned to stay the night, however I just stayed for the BBQ. Anyhow, it's getting late and it's time to go. So myself and a back-up driver decide to make out way out to the road. However, out here in the desert, the wind creates these ridges that can sometime be difficult to navigate especially with a long wheel base truck like the F150. Anyhow, I crest this ridge and come down pretty hard, ..no problem, been there before. However, when I come down, I hit a little spot of desert grass (called a tusic). Like i said, not to bad but it was pretty rough, however I start to hear this hissing sound. I'm thinking I popped a tire (we run lower pressure when in the sand). So I stop and get out to inspect and start wondering how I'm suppose to change a tire in sand at night. Anyhow, turns out that the tire is still fine but there is oil running out from under the truck. Now I'm really concerned!! Turns out that when i landed, the left front fog light was pushed so hard to the point that it bent the bracket it is mounted on and the fittings on the back of the fog lamp actually poked a hole into the oil filter!! ....amazing?!?!? Needless to say I'm stranded for the night.

Next morning we have a look and determine that the best bet is to tow me out. So we take the drive shaft off, throw it in the back and off we go. Finally hit the road but we have to do a U-Turn and my buddy who is towing me takes the corner a bit to agresively. I end up running over the tow rope (keep in mind extremely poor braking and steering) and as he pulls forward the tow rope yanks my tire off the beed and now I'm fixing a flat!! Can it get any better I ask? But we finally manage to get down the road to a gas station where we fit a new oil filter and re-install the drive shaft and I'm off and running again. What a crazy 2 days.

So, now that you understand the title to my post, has anyone ever experienced this? To me it seems like a very very silly place to put the oil filter!! Apparently the 2000 model has it's oil filter closer to the engine and not way the hell out by the bumper. Seems strange that Ford would have changed the oil filter location to a location far more vulnerable then on previous models.

I can't imagine that I can change the location of the oil filter, so I would like to install something to protect the oil filter from this happening again. Does anyone know of a product that I can buy or has a suggestion that they could forward to me?

Thanks. I'm looking forward to your replies.

There are kits available that allow you to put the oil filter in a remote location.

I'm curious, however, why you revoved the driveshaft. If it were a two wheel drive vehicle it would be necessary, but with a 4WD, you simply put the transfer case in the neutral position and you are safe to tow.

That's one of the reasons that you see 4WD vehicles towed behind motor homes. They can simply put the transfer case in neutral without having to remove the driveshaft every time they want to tow it somewhere.

Good luck,
Doc

That may be true on older Ford 4x4s but on the newer ones you need to trailer because of the center disconnect in the front diff. It's covered in the owners manual.


I'm absolutely amazed that your oil filter got punctured!!! Is it located up along the engine block above kinda above the front diff, or is it located in the fender well area like some earlier fords were?

I really can't see how the filter got punctured if it was above and behind the front diff on the block as it is hard enough to change in it self!

I stand corrected on the towing statement.

I just got my "new" Ford 4X4 and it replaced one that I bought new in November 1977. My old truck had a plain old part time transfer case and lockout hubs.

I really like my "new" truck and feel that it is a great technological improvement over my old truck in many areas, but the 4 wheel drive system is not one of them IMHO. This is an area where the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle should take precedent.

In my old truck you could just leave the hubs locked and go in and out of four wheel drive at any speed. There were no vacuum shift mechanisms to mess with, no CV joints or boots to worry about and it has been COMPLETELY TROUBLE FREE for 27 years.

Sometimes they go backwards in technology.

All the other new technology in my "new" truck is great, so the world is a compromise.

Thanks for the correction,
Doc

If I am not mistaken they make all kinds of oil filter guards. I wanted one once when I go off roading but I can't find them. It is a like a steel guard. I hear about these things once and search the internet and still can't find them. If you are going to have problems, I would move it if you can't find a guard. That sucks man.

You see, my dad's 2000 F150 has it's oil filter somewhere "close" to the eengine, however in my 2002 model, my oil filter is right behind the front left fender. I suppose if I did not have the fog lamps I would not have had any problems, but it was the actually plug on the back of the fog lamp that punctured the oil filter. Trust me, everyone was amazed. However, it apparently happened on another guys GMC Jimmy. Regardless, even if the oldered oil filters were a pain to change, I think that Ford should have left the oil filter where it was especially on the 4x4's. Bad place to have an oil filter if you're off roading!!

As for the removal of the drive shaft, it was a mechanic buddy of mine who suggested I remove it. You are correct, in older manual 4x4's you could put the thransfer case in Nuetral, however on the newer models with the lectric shift-on-the-fly 4x4, you cannot put it in nuetral. I read up on the towing instructions and although the manual did not say anything about removing the drive shaft, it did say that all 4 wheels should be off the ground, i.e. on a flat bed. It even went as far as saying that the old tow trucks that just lift the front wheels off the ground are not approved. At the end of the day, it was only 4 bolts and about 10 minutes of work to remove the drive shaft and I believe we made the right decision.

bvoncannon, or anyone else for that matter, if you track down where I could locate and buy an oil filter guard, I would love to have a link to there website!! Keep in mind that they will have to be able to ship overseas.

Thanks again. Any more suggestions or thoughts are more then welcome.

Cheers.

My 2001 F150 4x4 with the OFFROAD package has the filter screwed directly onto the filter adapter on the side of the engine block. My whole axle assembly would have to be removed before anything could hit it!!

I don't know why it would be different between models, but my 2002 Expy Sport 4x4 with the 5.4 & fog lights has the oil filter screwed onto the adapter plate on the side of the engine block.

Shmuck, are you the original owner of your truck? I was just thinking if not, perhaps the original owner relocated the oil filter for better accessability. Definitely strange.

My dad's '99 F150 has the filter down by the fog light. Stupid place yes, but it sure is nice to just stick a hand under the truck rather than getting your back dirty.

97 4x4 off road package and mine too is by the bumper. Actually took me awhile to find it the first time because of the location.

Chris

My '02 Lariat is the same way, you'd literally have to destroy the front axel to have a remote chance of hitting the filter.

Strange how his '02 has the other filter mount.

My 98 had the oil filter up in the front of the truck like that. You couldnt really ask for a better spot when changing it but man it is a horrible spot for debris to hit or somethin happen like it did to shmuck. I had a stainless cover made for it. It was basically just a 5 sided box that was mounted around the box. Dont know if it would have helped your situation shmuck but it kept rocks and other flyin object thrown from the tire from hittin and puncturing it.

Thanks again for all the replies.

FAB150, you bring up a good point about debris from the front tire, however there is pretty good "protection" from the rubber/plastic mats inside the wheel wells.

What I am surprised about is the difference in the oil filter location based on the replies so far. There does not seem to be a distinct point when Ford decided to relocate the oil filter. Some have it on the engine block and other behind the fender. This does seem a bit odd to me and raises the question that perhaps I can change the location of my oil filter???

So, if anyone has the answer to that question i would olove to hear it, otherwise I'm still interested in purchasing a protector for the oil filter.

Thanks again.

Sorry ExpySport, forgot to answer your question. Yes I am the original owner.

You can relocate your oil filter. I relocated one on a 76 CJ5 I had with a kit I got from JC Whitney. Here is a link to their page with the kit. Hope this helps.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/C...atalogId=10101