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Oil filter clearance issue!


Buckaroo

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Forty hours of engine time ago I did my first oil change. I plotted, studied, stratigised, pondered etc the historically simple procedure. I learned on this forum burping, authorized lubricants, filter torques, speed of procedure and on and on. The big day came as I burped my motor and drained the oil out of the large tank. Turning to the filter I was quickly confused as to why there was not enough room between the exhaust header pipe as seen in picture one and the filter to remove said filter! 

Long story short it seems to me the last mechanic to work on this rig who installed a new muffler may of failed to tighten the exhaust and all the exhaust connectors including the headers in the proper position. 

Question? What engine and exhaust parts do I need to reposition to bring the muffler, headers and any other associated parts to the right to enable the removal of the oil filter? The oil filter is only lacking maybe three turns to get off. I had to remove the prop side left header to do my first oil change. That really frustrated me!

 Thanks anyone as tomorrow I'm going to try to relieve my valve cover oil leak and reposition this pipe so I can remove the oil filter as my next oil change is due. 

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Thanks Tom! So the inventory of things to loosen are the header pipe bolts all four and the two large worm bands around the muffler. Can you picture any more parts that my come into play that may make a easy job into a problem? 

Tomorrow morning I'll attempt to repair my leaky valve cover with a new little o ring and the large o ring? I may make a locktight run as insurance. Of course it may turn out to be the right front cover weeping back causing the mess!?

Then I'll work on my exhaust adjustment so I can remove the filter for the next oil change without having to loosen the exhaust header. 

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Fairly easy solution. The muffler looks like it had been shifted to the right which move the pipe closer to the filter. Loosen all 4 exhaust stud nuts on just the front two exhaust pipes. You don't really need to loosen all four pipes. It's a PITB to get to the rears and it moves just fine with only the fronts loose. Get on the right side of the muffler and with your hand, foot or rubber mallet push the muffler back to the left. This will then also move the exhaust pipe. Do it 1" at a time.  Then tighten the exhaust nuts back to 135 in/lbs and do them equally so the exhaust pipe retention plate is straight and not cocked at an angle.

Dont get carried away with trying to get too far to the left.

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Once you get things set to give you more clearance for your filter, put the lower cowl back on and check the alignment of the cowl hole with the cabin heat air inlet.  If they are off more than a little (they'll probably never be perfectly aligned), you can loosen those large clamps and slide the shroud around on the muffler a little up/down and left/right to get better alignment.  If the alignment is good you can sweat yourself out even in the winter (though maybe not in Montana!).

After a few years my inlet was off quite a bit, probably an inch or more offset  below the cowl hole .  I realigned the inlet and my heater got *much* more efficient for the ten days a year I need it in Georgia. :)

 

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2 minutes ago, FlyingMonkey said:

Once you get things set to give you more clearance for your filter, put the lower cowl back on and check the alignment of the cowl hole with the cabin heat air inlet.  If they are off more than a little (they'll probably never be perfectly aligned), you can loosen those large clamps and slide the shroud around on the muffler a little up/down and left/right to get better alignment.  If the alignment is good you can sweat yourself out even in the winter (though maybe not in Montana!).

After a few years my inlet was off quite a bit, probably an inch or more offset  below the cowl hole .  I realigned the inlet and my heater got *much* more efficient for the ten days a year I need it in Georgia. :)

 

Another $100 bills worth of info from this forum! Thanks!

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9 hours ago, Roger Lee said:

No, just the exhaust stud nuts. I do this all the time. It may take a little force, but it will move.

I loosened the front header pipe bolts and could get just the slightest movement at each pipe to head. Then I went to the right side of the engine (right as sitting in the cockpit) and placed a block of wood against the muffler and grabbed a big ass hammer. ? I took that big Johnson hammer to her but she held her own. No budge in the slightest degree. I wiggled, kicked and pounded her hard to no avail. I gave up and tightened her down!?

The good news is after replacing the leaky valve cover with a new O ring then flying for an hour she's dry as a bone! I'm thrilled about this if she holds! 

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My eyes were on those 4 rear studs laying tightly under the two drip pans like a laser beam! Then I asked myself why am I doing all this when at filter change time I just loosen the filter side studs and pry the pipe out of the way! 

Giving up or quitting is admirable compared to screwing something up!???????

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It won't come out that easily. I haven't had one I could not move with only loosening the front nuts. Were they screwed most of the way out? If it wouldn't move then by all means loosen at least one more on each rear exhaust. Do whatever it takes to get it done. The rear ones are a PITA to get to easily. I've always used my foot or a large rubber mallet.

 

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19 minutes ago, Roger Lee said:

It won't come out that easily. I haven't had one I could not move with only loosening the front nuts. Were they screwed most of the way out? If it wouldn't move then by all means loosen at least one more on each rear exhaust. Do whatever it takes to get it done. The rear ones are a PITA to get to easily. I've always used my foot or a large rubber mallet.

 

I had the 4 front nuts almost off the threads and then pulled the pipe shrouds out so I could wiggle the front head pipes. They could only wiggle just slightly. I guess the next step is to loosen the rears! Maybe next time but then you get to loosen the drip pans. 

By the way both my drip pans are cracking. The right one inner mount hole is completely cracked resulting on the one mount the outer mount. The left one is still mounted properly but the pan is cracked. I may ask my welder friend to weld both as I'm sure new ones are $800 dollars!

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13 hours ago, Buckaroo said:

I had the 4 front nuts almost off the threads and then pulled the pipe shrouds out so I could wiggle the front head pipes. They could only wiggle just slightly. I guess the next step is to loosen the rears! Maybe next time but then you get to loosen the drip pans. 

By the way both my drip pans are cracking. The right one inner mount hole is completely cracked resulting on the one mount the outer mount. The left one is still mounted properly but the pan is cracked. I may ask my welder friend to weld both as I'm sure new ones are $800 dollars!

Unless they are really destroyed I'd go with a weld repair too.  It's not structural.

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