Ram Cummins Oil Filter

[chemist308]

This one is more of a rant than a question or information. I gave my Ram it's first oil change today at around 7000 miles. Getting the truck in the air was almost as easy as draining the oil. I used my Lynx levelers to build a ramp and simply drove up it. The oil plug was a nice design because it just takes the square head of a 3/8" ratchet to remove it.

Everything was going great until I didn't see the oil filter. After some looking I discovered that to access it you have to reach into a small hole in the wheel well to get at the bottom of to get it off. It then drops onto a frame cross member. If you had the foresight to snake a 1 gallon ziplock around, and the if baggie doesn't tear on the way out--lot of ifs there--you actually might not make one hell of a mess. Oh, if you want to install a new one, then good luck with that. That will be a one handed operation in an awkward / reaching position and 0 visibility as to what you're threading on to.

This day actually had me missing my 3/4 ton chevy. I actually do have a couple questions for Ram owners who do their own wrenching. First off, is there a trick to this oil filter thing, or is it really just a [deleted]?

Also, maintenance in general going to be a [deleted] on this truck? I'm asking that last one, because I don't generally hate doing my own wrenching, and have a fair amount of experience wrenching on gm stuff, but I've never owned a Chrysler / Mopar product.

[vonzoog]

Easiest and cleanest was is to remove air box cover and air tube down to the turbo. Then you are able to loosen filter and carefully remove it without spilling a drop. First time is a pain until you learn the sequence and proper tools. Service tech at the dealer told me he always removes the filter from the top.

Going through the opening in the wheel well is a real pain and when you do figure it out the odds are high that you will spill oil everywhere. Geno’s Garage sells a plastic screw on cap to put on the filter before you tilt the filter in order to get the filter out the wheel well opening.

My old 2004 RAM allowed you to remove filter straight down and out the bottom the way everyone is accustomed to. When I got the 2016 my first reaction was, “What the h$//“. Yes it’s a pain and it took me about three oil changes before I got down to a system that works for me.

[Steven@147]

Easiest and cleanest was is to remove air box cover and air tube down to the turbo. Then you are able to loosen filter and carefully remove it without spilling a drop. First time is a pain until you learn the sequence and proper tools. Service tech at the dealer told me he always removes the filter from the top.

Going through the opening in the wheel well is a real pain and when you do figure it out the odds are high that you will spill oil everywhere. Geno’s Garage sells a plastic screw on cap to put on the filter before you tilt the filter in order to get the filter out the wheel well opening.

My old 2004 RAM allowed you to remove filter straight down and out the bottom the way everyone is accustomed to. When I got the 2016 my first reaction was, “What the h$//“. Yes it’s a pain and it took me about three oil changes before I got down to a system that works for me.

Exactly. Remove the top of the air box and hose down to the turbo. Its easy to remove. I use a right angle oil filter wrench to slip up and over the filter to loosen, then unscrew by hand, up and out through the top of the engine. I had a 2002 Ram 2500 and now our 2018 Ram 3500, they both use the same oil filter and I change it the same way.
On our new Ram I go 15,000 miles between oil changes, I also watch the useful life of the diesel fuel filters, they end up needing changed about the same time as the oil. I order the Mopar filter kit through amazon and it comes with the oil filter and two diesel fuel filters, I just change them all at the same time. One diesel fuel filter is back by the rear axle and just unscrews. The front one is on the left side of the engine and is a canister type filter. Both are easy to change.

I recently changed the AISIN trans fluid in our Ram at 30,000 miles. first change is fluid only. Ram dealers are stupid crazy expensive to change the fluid. I ordered the Mobile 3309 trans fluid on line 8 quarts. IIRC it ran approx $45 for 8 qts. The trans pan has a drain plug to easily change the fluid. You will find this sticker from the factory on the side of the AISIN transmission. The second change for the AISIN transmission is fluid and filter at 60,000 miles.
I find the Ram CTD is pretty easy to do maintenance on. There is only one grease fitting for the drive line and its on the front drive shaft at the joint. Its a needle valve grease fitting so you will need a needle valve to put on the end of your grease gun to lube it.

[gbkims]

Wheel well for me with the Genos cap. And took me a few changes before I got it down and stopped getting any oil on me.

[traveldawg]

You can see from my signature that I don't have a RAM. And I don't do my own oil changes anymore. I may have to start again tho because the dealership still manages to spill oil on the frame even though there is nothing near the filter or pan drain plug. It beats me how they can screw up something so simple.

One trick I used in the past was to punch a hole in the bottom of the filter with an awl, let the filter drain and then remove it. Nice, clean change-out.

[BreakfastinAmerica]

For 86 bucks the dealer can change my oil and the rotate the tires. Nothing worse than getting diesel oil all over the place.

[Calbar]

I did my first oil change on my 2019 and no spill. I used the filter cap and went through the wheel well. Worst part was the gorilla from the factory that put on the oil filter so tight that it was nearly impossible to get off. Ended up using a strap wrench and some major elbow grease to finally get it off. Next one in September should be easy since I only hand tight the filter and know that the strap wrench works great. Watch I just jinxed myself now.

Rob

[jleonard]

Man, you guys are making me miss my old 91 D250 dodge/Cummins truck. There was absolutely nothing in the way of the oil filter. Easy to reach over the fender and plenty of room for any kind of filter wrench. I guess those days are long gone. LOL

[rjr2AL]

The Oil Utter may solve your spillage problem. I saw the Oil Utter on MotorTrend TV. Also, I used the Rotella T oil in the 3-Gallon Cardboard Box. I just set it on top of the valve cover, open the spout and the 3 gallons goes right in without spilling. No funnel required! Happy wrenching....

[stroguy]

I did my first oil change on my 2019 and no spill. I used the filter cap and went through the wheel well. Worst part was the gorilla from the factory that put on the oil filter so tight that it was nearly impossible to get off. Ended up using a strap wrench and some major elbow grease to finally get it off. Next one in September should be easy since I only hand tight the filter and know that the strap wrench works great. Watch I just jinxed myself now.

Rob

The oil filter cap makes it easy to remove and install. The first removal was tough, yes a gorilla put it on at the factory. Reinstall takes a bit of work to get it threaded but not an overly tough job compared to others.