Is their a way to take the oil filter off from the topside on a 97,vdp xj6 4.0 non- supercharger, Thanks, Satterfield

 

Your 97 should be like my 95 and yes you can remove it from the top - that's the way I do it. It's a tight squeeze though. I unscrew the filter, turn it sideways - parallel to the length of the car - and then tilt the filter up some so oil doesn't drip over everything, then pull it out of the tight confines.

 

Yep.

Thats how I always do it.

Your is USA market, so maybe more junk in the way. Ours are pretty clean.

I remove the inlet elbow, it needs wiping out anyway, and reach down under the throttle body and undo it. Getting the filter wrench onto the filter with the hoses etc in the area is fiddly, but very do-able. The filter comes out via the top, simply pushing the coolant hose to one side carefully does the trick.

Refit is obviously the reverse, just hold your mouth right to line up the threads, haha.

Wash off the spillage after, obviously.

 

Good, thank you both for a good way to do it ,I am to old get under the car now, if I have to remove a couple of things, oh well, but I extract the oil from the top side. so I will try it, Thanks Guys, Satterfield

 

I make a folded/shaped foil deflector tray to place under the filter and aim it at the pan so the oil doesn't spill all over the bits, pipes etc when I first unscrew and pull it, easy to do and all the oil ends up in the pan and not all over everything underneath the filter.

 

Well I'm only 45 so I crawled under the car on Sunday and did my engine & ZF gearbox oils, and oil filter. Car was up on ramps.
I have large hands, and didn't fancy getting filter off from above. I am also worried about breaking stuff in tight confines - old electrical connections, etc.
Of course, I spilt a bit of oil on the driveway.
What really caught me out was how far out the oil from the sump shot, when the plug was first removed. I guess there is a lot more pressure with 8 litres in the sump. I am used to cars with only 4 litres. The oil overshot the large plastic pan, despite it being positioned away from the plug a bit.

I had the thought that with twice the oil capacity of many cars, the oil only works half as hard. Nonetheless my oil was pretty black after only 3000 miles. So it was worth doing.

 

I pull a plastic bag over the filter before undoing it. Filter and any oil spill goes into the bag and none on the garage floor.

Graham

 

I should be able take it off from the top side, I am grateful for the response guys. Cheers from rainy South Carolina USA Satterfield

 

Now that's an idea!

 

got the filter off new one on ,in the air intake,i put a hole in the little screen with my thumb ,now I have a ruff running engine ? will that cause it ? Satterfield

 

found my problem , one vacuum line was off, runs like a jag now, Satterfield

 

That caught me out the first oil change I did - susbsequently my oil pan was placed a foot away from the plug hole until the level dropped.
Undoing the filter from the top was my preferred method, the air intake gear is easily removed although on one occasion I disconnected the oil pressure switch by accident and had to disassamble again ! I now have a 4.0 V8 which takes 6.5 litres as opposed to the 8 litres my old 3.2 X300 did.
Why the reduced sump capacity I don't know, all I know is I now have to crawl underneath to get the filter off.....

AndyP