EDU: Changing Oil in 2.7L Sport

[WingNut]

Below is the pics and write-up I've done for changing oil on the '15 Edge Sport 2.7L. There are some bolded areas that I'd like input to make the job easier.

 

**THIS WRITEUP IS FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES ONLY. IF YOU DO AN OIL CHANGE, YOU ARE DOING IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

 

 

Materials You Need:

 

• 6 Quarts of 5W-30 Oil (Check owner's manual to ensure you use the right amount of oil and use oil that meets Ford's Spec). I used Mobil 1
• Motorcraft FL2062 Oil Filter (Check Owner's Manual to ensure you use the right Oil Filter)
• 27mm Socket

**Before starting, make sure your vehicle has sat ~15 minutes after running so all oil has drained from the motor. Not doing so may cause you to overfill the motor.**

 

 

Removing the Oil Filter:

 

The filter is located within the cartridge that you can access from under the hood. The pic below shows where the cartridge is located (LOOK FOR RED ARROW IN PICTURE):

 

 

 

Using the 27mm socket, ratchet, and extension loosen the cartridge.

 

 

But do not take the cartridge out yet. Let it sit up a little to let old oil drain off cartridge back down so it doesn't drip everywhere.

I left mine sit like that until after I drained the oil from the pan but may replace the cartridge completely prior to draining for less mess. You'll see in a few steps. Thoughts?

 

 

After removing the cartridge, you can see there is some oil left in the seat where the cartridge sits on the motor. Looks like less than 1/4 cup. I ended up soaking it up with some towels.

 

 

This is what the cartridge will look like when you take it out. Pull the carboard cartridge off. The middle plastic rod/arm stays on so just grab the cartridge and pull. It will pop off easy.

 

 

Here is what comes in the new Oil Filter box.

 

 

Put on new cartridge and replace O-Rings. You can see where the pink rings are in this pic so you know which ones to swap out. The small one can be a pain so you may need something small/dull to help jimmy it on.

 

 

Put the oil filter assembly back on and tighten according to spec (24lbs/ft torque).

 

Draining the Oil Pan:

 

I usually take the fill cap off the top of the motor to help with draining. Due to my issue with gushing oil, I may leave this on. Any thoughts?

 

Crawl under the Edge and you will see the yellow drain plug. This can be turned by hand. If too tough by hand, you can put a 3/8" ratchet on it. BE CAREFUL.....the oil comes out FAST.

 

 

 

Here you can see the mess I made after the oil gushed out fast.

 

 

After the oil has drained, re-attach the drain plug.

 

Re-filling The Motor:

 

Put the new oil in according to what the manual says. When complete, put the cap back on and start the Edge. I always let it run for a minute. Then turn off and leave it parked on a level surface. After 10 minutes check oil level using dipstick.

 

Clean up.

Edited October 5, 2015 by WingNut

[cds71]

Thanks for the great post....great info!

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

From your experience, not sure what they accomplished by putting the filter topside. Hopefully, there is actually a mechanical advantage to it, such as quicker lubrication on startup.

 

What is the thread size on the drain plug, do you know? I wonder if it's larger than on prev gen Edges ... That and/or the angle of the cavity would affect rate of "spew". Time for a Fumoto?

 

I would still drain oil first, then remove the cartridge. If there in an ADBV function in this setup, oil would still be retained. Is there anything special on the inside of the casing (the black thingy) that might serve as a plunger?

[WingNut]

The drain plug isn't threaded like a Fumoto valve or "normal" drain plug. Is is plastic:

 

 

 

Not sure about inside of casing that would serve as plunger. When you pull the cartridge out, all that is left is the casing and that long plastic rod in the middle with the small o-ring at the end.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

From Autoweek:

"Other notable features include a plastic intake manifold and oil pan (for weight savings), a structural aluminum front cover (for NVH), a variable displacement oil pump (yielding reduced friction and better fuel economy), and a cartridge-only oil filter, right on top of the engine and accessible from above."

 

Still looking for the logic.

 

In the meantime, here is some info from the F150 forum on the oil/filter change:

http://www.f150forum.com/f118/2-7-l-oil-change-299089/

 

Wait at least 15-20 minutes to allow oil to drain from filter, per Ford:

http://www.f150forum.com/f118/2-7-l-oil-change-299089/#post4140900

The longer drainback interval is important especially in light of the start-stop technology.

 

BTW, check & keep those underbody heat shields tight. Why?

"A missing underbody heat shield can lead to degradation or melting of the fuel or vapor lines, increasing the risk of a fire."

http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/DownloadPdf?id=190136

Edited October 5, 2015 by WWWPerfA_ZN0W

[WingNut]

I saw that post on the F150 site prior to doing my oil change hence why I was somewhat prepared for the gushing. I actually took the 'drain' plug off my oil catch pan to allow for oil to enter the catch pan faster. If I didn't do that, I would have had an overflow issue.

 

Next time I'm going to use a bucket to catch the oil unless I can find a way to limit the flow coming from the oil pan drain.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Are you using jacks/jackstands, or can you access the drain plug without them? Maybe jack up the rear to slow down the gusher, and once most is drained out, lower to the ground to let the rest drain out. Klunky for sure. Too bad you can't fit a transmission funnel like they use in the pits.

[akirby]

I don't know for sure but in my experience when they do something like this it's usually because of a physical limitation of some kind such as not enough room for a traditional filter. This is why the V8 Lincoln LS had no tranny dipstick - there simply wasn't room for it in the engine bay. That plus the 150K fluid change recommended interval started the "sealed for life" rumor as if there was something magical about the transmission or the fluid (there wasn't - it was the same as the 5R55 in the Explorer). My buddy the retired ford tranny engineer still recommended 30K fluid changes on that vehicle.

[WingNut]

Are you using jacks/jackstands, or can you access the drain plug without them? Maybe jack up the rear to slow down the gusher, and once most is drained out, lower to the ground to let the rest drain out. Klunky for sure. Too bad you can't fit a transmission funnel like they use in the pits.

 

My front tires were up on ramps.

 

You could get to the plug without ramps but it is very, very tight.

Edited October 5, 2015 by WingNut

[Jay-Ar Linsangan]

I used to work at a auto shop before and we usually drain the oil first before replacing the filter but due to the placement or orientation of the filter on the 15 Edge, I guess it doesn't matter which goes first. Any automotive expert here to confirm?

 

With regards to the oil filter being accessible from the top, I prefer it to be that way rather than from the bottom, easier to remove and install.

[WingNut]

I used to work at a auto shop before and we usually drain the oil first before replacing the filter but due to the placement or orientation of the filter on the 15 Edge, I guess it doesn't matter which goes first. Any automotive expert here to confirm?

 

With regards to the oil filter being accessible from the top, I prefer it to be that way rather than from the bottom, easier to remove and install.

 

I agree about the filter being up top. I like being able to loosen it, let it drain, and then pull it off without any mess at all.

 

That isn't as easy underneath the car depending on how the filter is situated.

[POWERSTROKE]

The 2.7L is a lot different than the 3.5L. Different filter, FL-500 IIRC on the 3.5L, typical spin-on filter accessable from underneath. Cast aluminum oil pan with machine screw threads & o-ring seal on 3.5L too.

 

Wish FMC would have made the oil fill and dipstick tube 2-3 inches longer, would have made under-hood service much easier.

 

I did my first oil change myself at 4200 miles. Wife had a trip she had to make and I wanted fresh oil in the car, 5W-20 Mobil 1.

 

Appears to be lots of similarities between the 2.7L and the 2.5L in-line 5 in my S40 Volvo, except the Volvo has cast aluminum oil pan and steel machine screw threaded drain plug. Cartridge style oil filter with o-ring seal on the cap.

 

The '15 Edge is much easier to service than our '03 Mountaineer w/4.6L V-8 it replaced.

 

Seems that FMC struggled with that serviceability issue for years. Like 5.0L Mustangs in the late '80's with two drain plugs, '90's vintage 2wd V-8 pickups with oil filters installed thru holes punched on frame cross members. Most serviceable engine I've seen is a "half-breed", my '96 F-250 4wd with International Harvester V-8 7.3L diesel engine. 3-1/2 gallons of oil from oil pan & filter drains into a 5-gallon bucket and I may splash a drop or two of oil on the shop floor from the filter or drain plug. I've done over 110 oil/filter changes in the over 300,000 miles on it. It was my daily driver for ten years, did an oil/filter change every 5-6 weeks. Oil and diesel fuel was MUCH cheaper back then!

[Bill Wolfe]

I changed my oil a couple of months ago and it was very straight forward. I first took it to the dealer and found out that my extended maintenance agreement did not cover this ( the dealer refunded all of the money I paid for the maintenance contract - last time I get one of those). The dealer also wanted 2.5 hours to change the oil! I then went to Jiffy Lube and they told me the filter is impossible to get and they could not even order one. So I went home ordered the filter and plug on Amazon, got it two days later and did it myself (fact is this would of been the first oil change in my life I paid someone to do). The hardest part was replacing the O-ring on the filter assembly (the small one). The oil came out quickly but it was manageable, in addition I used full synthetic.

[akirby]

How could a maintenance contract not cover oil changes??

[CaliBoss]

FYI: RockAuto.com has the oil filter element and replacement o-rings listed at $5.07 ea.

[WingNut]

FYI: RockAuto.com has the oil filter element and replacement o-rings listed at $5.07 ea.

 

Not bad. Comes to $8.04 with shipping (For my zip code).

 

Showing about $11.20 (Prime) at Amazon.

[Bill Wolfe]

Jiffy Lube told me that the F150 is similar and that they leak if you do not put in a new drain plug it was $9 but I think of it as good insurance.

[Bill Wolfe]

How could a maintenance contract not cover oil changes??

Not sure, I thought I was buying a standard Ford contract (service provided at any Ford dealer) but this was through another company and they were very restrictive. The dealer made it right (full refund) with very little arguing. What really turned me off was the amount of time it took to get your oil changed, about 3 hours if you include back and fourth to the dealership, processing and the time till they get to it. This was the first oil change that I did not do myself (as it turned out I did do it myself) I can do the whole job in my garage in less than 30 minutes for lower cost, done correctly and a lot less effort on a pair of ramps. 3 hours out of a Saturday is ridiculous.

[akirby]

Yeah that's the same reason I still do my own also. I hate having to wait and then wonder if the tech did it right.

[akirby]

Maybe it only allows for changes on a fixed schedule (once every 12 months e.g.) and this was too soon. Otherwise it makes no sense.

[WingNut]

Jiffy Lube told me that the F150 is similar and that they leak if you do not put in a new drain plug it was $9 but I think of it as good insurance.

 

1. I wouldn't trust Jiffy Lube to change my oil.

2. There is no requirement to change the drain plug. If there was, Ford would have stated this in the manual or when they do oil changes at their shop, they'd swap them out. Sorry...you got sold on some b*llsh*t.

[tron1974]

 

1. I wouldn't trust Jiffy Lube to change my oil.

2. There is no requirement to change the drain plug. If there was, Ford would have stated this in the manual or when they do oil changes at their shop, they'd swap them out. Sorry...you got sold on some b*llsh*t.

I used to use the quick lube places when I had my first job and an apartment. I quickly learned that being quick sucks. I got home one time and they left the oil fill cap off. Oil was everywhere under the hood. When I went back, they said that I was scamming them and that I took it off. That was 15 years ago. My last car had lifetime oil changes from a dealer so I took advantage of that. As much as I liked doing it myself, it was often messy. With my new Edge, I had a free oil change from the dealer so I used that. My next one I will probably do myself and add synthetic.

 

Thanks for the write up. Certainly helps. Looks like I will need to get a new oil change pan. My old one cracked and I threw it out.

[dave80]

http://jalopnik.com/lazy-idiots-at-lube-shop-cut-hole-in-audi-s4s-aero-pan-1748394648

[dave80]

Think twice about quick lube places /\

[WingNut]

http://jalopnik.com/lazy-idiots-at-lube-shop-cut-hole-in-audi-s4s-aero-pan-1748394648

 

Exactly. This is exactly why I wouldn't trust a quick lube place. My dealer is the only person besides me who can change my oil. And when they do it, I still double check the oil level and take a quick glance underneath for obvious leaking/issues. At least I know if the dealer screws up, they'll fix it FAST.