Seeking Advice Regarding Oil Filter Relocation

 If you do some online searching there is no shortage of adapters that screw onto the engine block in place of the oil filter to which you can attach oil lines and run them to a remote oil filter mount any place you want. Please realize that the more hoses and fittings you put in your oil system the more opportunities for failure of your oil system.

IMHO -  this is not an advisable modification, especially in light of the fact that most of our cars are hardly driven and an oil change is likely only needed once a year or even less if based on mileage alone 

Larry 

Actually the oil filter design is fairly well thought out when you consider the options.

If the filter is oriented vertically, then when you loosen the filter oil spills down over the entire circumference of the filter, very messy, and if its hot it'll burn your hand. It also makes the filter slippery to grip. However, you can pre-fill the new filter all the way and screw it back onto the block without a drip.

If the oil filter is oriented horizontally, then when you loosen the filter more than half the contents of the filter want to spill out immediately, no problem if you leave it cracked and let it slowly empty into the catch pan. But if you're in a hurry it can be very messy. Either way the oil wants to drip down the side of the block, along seams, down the pan, and onto any frame rails that might be in the way. On top of that its either very messy or a complete waste of time pre-filling the new filter.

With the angle of the Cleveland filter, when you loosen the filter only a small stream flows out at the junction of the filter & block, as the stream quickly slows it begins to drip down the filter and then downward into the catch-pan from the bottom of the filter. Nothing drips down the side of the block or pan. The new filter can be pre-filled about 3/4 of the way and screwed back onto the block without a drip. This is overall the least messy orientation ... and allows for filter pre-filling.

Some clever guys use a pointed tool like a large center punch, using a hammer they punch a hole in the bottom of the filter and let the filter drain its contents into the catch pan prior to loosening the filter. That method works pretty good for all orientations. However high pressure oil filters which are made of thicker tin are difficult to punch a hole in.

It also wants to drip all over the shift rod. Solution? Place some aluminum foil to cover the exposed areas and form it into a V shaped funnel that flows into your favorite container. No mess.

Marc, as George mentioned; I think the reason so many cars have vertical oil filters is so you can fill the filter full of oil before you reinstall it. When you start the engine after an oil change, you get instant oil pressure. I have a remotely mounted oil filter in my Pantera and find oil changes much easier than when the filter was in the original position. 

Summit sells a dozen different remote filter mount ("relocation") kits but you can probably create a cleaner installation by choosing the individual components yourself. It just takes some planning.    

Thanks Gentleman for the explanation and the good advise. When I went through the www I saw some kits but my concerns covers your advise exactly. 

We drive our cars sometimed tough and if you have more of these adapters installed the risc of leaking is much higher. I am not the guy using a hammer for replacing an oilfilter but due to the 180 degree manifold space is limited.

The challenge continues 

David, do you may have a photo of your system?

Again thanks for all the feedback 

Regards Marc 

If you use a relocation kit test the fit of the oil filter to the adapter. I had one that leaked consistently around the o-ring. Found the mating surfaces weren't square. 

Marc,

Here's a picture of what I have. A previous owner installed a relocation kit and oil cooler in mine. I'm planning on removing it all and going back to stock, as I want to have AC and clean up the engine bay.  The way mine was done, the heated oil lines get very hot and started melting/burning the engine bay coating. The underside of the rear trunk was also modified to allow for the oil lines there. 

Thanks, this gives me a good idea 

I mounted my remote filter housing onto the gas tank shield just opposite the engine. You should use braided stainless steel lines with AN fittings going to and from the filter housing and back to the engine. There can be a slight drop in oil pressure if you use too much line going to and from the filter housing, however if it is only a couple of feet it should be fine. It does make changing oil less of a mess when you remove the oil filter.

Replacing the oil filter on the pantera is not complex.  cut a piece of cardboard the same diameter as the filter, slightly crease it in the middle and shove it up under the filter base and remove the thing.  the oil runs down the cardboard into your catch tank.  I can not image spending all that money and the down side of lines full of oil running all over the back of the car to in lieu of a piece of cardboard and two rubber gloves.

 Another method. Crack the threads on the oil filter then put a 1gal ziplock bag over the filter and unscrew.  No need to relocate the filter unless you like the look of all the extra plumbing!

Here is my solution for the oil gushing from the 10 Quart Aviaid pan onto the frame rail, but I really like the zip-lock bag solution for the oil filter as well.  I am definitely going to try that one...

This formed piece of copper sheet hangs on the left side frame rail, and directs the gushing oil into the catch basin below it.

Rocky

To answer the OP, my single Wix filter is positioned horizontally, up inside the triangular subframe that supports the fuel tank, about 16" away from the engine on -8 Aeroquip stainless hoses. I fabbed a simple aluminum heat shield for the hoses- which are teflon inside and WILL melt from prolonged exhaust heat. Putting a small drip tray underneath catches old oil when you first crack the filter loose a turn. After 5 min, no drips!

As an add-on, for years I had a dual filter mount attached to the right rocker panel extension, hanging down at a 45 degree angle. The car still needed to be jacked up to get a drain pan under the two filters and the crossover hose in front of the engine needed its own support. My current left side single horizontal mount uses shorter hoses, no crossover and maybe the filter itself is less vulnerable to road trash, tucked up inside the frame extension.

Thanks gents for all the help and ideas. Will see what I'll do and revert