BigFoot Oil Change

[Mitchell]

Hi folks. I have just acquired a 2000 Big Foot with a B & G Twin V 18 hp engine, and I am attempting my first oil and filter change. It is a bit of a challenge for me and I was wondering if there are any hints out there to make the job easier. I have removed the driven clutch assembly for greater access as suggested in the service manual, but have not attempted to remove the brake-cooling duct (afraid I won't be able to get its positioning clamp back on - talk about tight spaces). I can barely get my hands on the filter and it won't turn. The service manual suggests using an 8 point 7/16" socket for the oil drain plug (I can't seem to use any of my regular sockets, the plug is very tight on and I don't want to tear up the edges). I would appreciate any suggestions and experiences for this most basic of servicing task. Cheers

[bucky]

take your dip stick out and put a small dia. hose that wont collapse into where your dip stick was and put it to the bottom of your oil pan,about 16 inches down.Get a gas can with the small vent hole in it and put the other end of the hose in this hole.Take a shopvac and put the hose in the big hole of your gas can,to make the hoses fit tight you could put ducttape around them for best suction.Turn on the shop vac and it will suck the oil out.Your oil should be warm so it will flow out better. Hope i explained this well enough for you. this method works great...Good Luck....

[Mitchell]

Great idea!!! Will give it a try. Thanks. Will it also suck out the filter Any suggestion for that item. Has anyone dilled a hole in the side and stuck in a screw diver and twisted to get the thing started.

[Mitchell]

Chaging the F!!!!!! Oil filter on a Big Foot

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has changed the oil filter on a Big Foot (B & S Vanguard Twin 18 hp) without pulling out the engine. B & S have two versions of filters, long and short. The Big Foot I just got (2000), has the long version. It was a real effort to loosen it off its stud, but now it won't clear the oil drain plug extension resting just below the filter. It is just hung up there. Any suggestions or experience in oil filter servicing would be much appreciated. Thanks

[LarryW]

I really dont have a clue but could the oil drain extension be removed?

[pcmark]

On my 2011 B&S Frontier 580, I went from the short to the tall oil filter without a problem -- pull the firewall and floor, and it's right there.

[glen1971]

The 8 point 7/16" socket is the one you need.. It is a bit of a pain to have one socket just for it, but it is different than the 6 or 12 point in your traditional sets. I needed one for work and wound up biting the bullet and buying it..
I know that there is a filter wrench out there that runs on a ratchet that slides over the end of the filter.. Not sure if this will work or not (with space constraints).. Gotta love it when guys tighten the filter with a wrench....

[glen1971]

If both filters will work for the engine, I'd switch to the shorter one to make the next change easier...

[Mitchell]

I finally got the filter off. I had to partially cut in half with a drill and bit (not pretty). Can't reach the plug extension for removal or adjustment. I am opting for the shorter version of filter as replacement. I may have to change it twice as often, but at least the cursing should be cut in half. Thanks for sharing your experience and suggestions.

[glen1971]

Glad to hear you got it out!! Sometimes the fix to someone else's handy work may involve some drastic measures, but at least you have a solution for it (shorter filter) and probably a lower blood pressure in the future!
Good luck!!