Filter relocation question.

[Captain Howdy]

I'm considering relocating my filter to the other end of the motor on my 2.5l Sentra for easier filter changes. My question is, will the oil in the 3 to 4' X 1/2" oil hose drain back into the oil pan when the car is shut off?? The car already holds about 6 quarts. With the relocation kit it might go up to 7 quarts.

Does anyone see a potential problem as far as oil overflowing the dip stick?

Probably silly questions.

Thanks very much.

 

[Gary Allan]

My lines drained back when you shut of the engine ..and the filters were mounted high enough to drain forward. Sprung check valves stopped it. It was enough to cause startup rattle every time. I just remarked the dipstick to what the normalized level was after my first oil change with the bigger filters. I never did figure out what a quart low was ...but it was the difference between 6 and 10.5 ..so it would have been a bit hard to guage. Luckily I didn't have any consumption with the setup while it was on.

Try and mount it as close to original filter levle, or lower, as possible. That should take care of most of it. If you can mount it low enough ..your dipstick probably won't change.

 

[Captain Howdy]

Thanks for that response. I was considering moving the battery to the trunk and moving the filter to that spot. I'll have to get under the car to see what other spots may be available.

 

[Gary Allan]

It's going to be a challenge in any contemporary car. You can hang the remote high in any "air cavity" and just lash it fast with zip ties. You just have to stay clear of rotating parts. Otherwise ..there's nothing wrong with this approach at all. It won't address your issues of drainback ..but may in terms of space. The check valves that I used are fairly expensive so they may not be an option for you.

You may just want to try it without them to determine if you're going to have a problem.

Some have done well in bumper cavities ..but you're looking for easy service. The "air cavity" method allows you to leave enough slack in the lines to put a drain pan under the remote mount and re-zip it fast when you're done.

 

[JavaMan]

I think it's time someone (if they haven't already) took a look at redesigning bypass/relocation units with something that will actually easily fit. What would be wrong with a filter that's longer and smaller in diameter?