2021 F150 3.5 EB Oil Change DIY?

[bizu1108]

Anyone here done oil change by yourself for 3.5EB? I can't seem to find any DIY videos on youtube for the 2021 F150.

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[Twilighthan]

Yes. I loosened the oil cap, drained it from the bottom , put on the new filter but only hand tightened it, , and filled her back up.
I’m going to try to use an oil pump to see if I can get oil from the dip stick pipe directly. It’s much cleaner.

 

[bizu1108]

Yes. I loosened the oil cap, drained it from the bottom , put on the new filter but only hand tightened it, , and filled her back up.
I’m going to try to use an oil pump to see if I can get oil from the dip stick pipe directly. It’s much cleaner.

This will be my first time doing the oil change myself so I was looking for a video on DIY oil change but I just can't find one for 2021 3.5eb. I just want to know where the drain plug is at or if I need to take off the skid plate...etc. Did you need to take off the skid plate? Any difficulty in replacing the filter? i heard Ford puts everything in a weird spot making it difficult to reach it or something.

 

[Twilighthan]

This will be my first time doing the oil change myself so I was looking for a video on DIY oil change but I just can't find one for 2021 3.5eb. I just want to know where the drain plug is at or if I need to take off the skid plate...etc. Did you need to take off the skid plate? Any difficulty in replacing the filter? i heard Ford puts everything in a weird spot making it difficult to reach it or something.

i couldn’t find any videos either.

I didn’t take off the metal skid plate but you do have to take off the plastic cover underneath. The drain plug is right there towards the front side. You can’t miss it.
The filter is hard to get to.l and hard to take off. The oil from the filter drains through the skid plate.

 

[FirstOnRaceDay]

Always done my own oil changes because I really do t trust the quick shops or Wally mart … My 13 f150 screw with 6.0 took me bout 30 min or less … This newer 2021 f150 scew w/ 3.5 took me damn near an hr … first couldn’t find the drain plug but I knew it was under one my skid plates x4 package too many worthless skids …. Cus the one over the oil plug on mine stays off next time around … I had my 5.0 down to never spilling anything from the oil filter … but this 3.5 PITA made a mess I spilled oil from the filter all over my garage … so lessons learned … dont be so dumb , take your time , and never work frustrated …. I was all those .. cus now it’ll be much easier always learn a lesson … just like installing coilovers after the first set 12 yrs ago … I’ve helped do so many sets over the yrs its like riding a bike ..a 10 speed ….

 

[Chili]

"oh a drop tray, this is slick, way to go Ford!".

Then

**Oil spills out from somewhere else entirely**

"Bunch of good for nothing idiots".

 

[Jeff1024]

The 3.5 really isn't bad. I don't have the FX4 package so I can't speak to that. On the "regular" truck the worst part is taking off the stupid Carboard heat shield / skid plate.

It's 4 8mm bolts two in the middle of the truck two on either side. Taking it off isn't horrible, putting it back on can be tricky. The other bad part is the stupid skid plate is about 3in from not blocking the oil drain plug. If they had just modified its shape or moved it a bit I really think you could drain the oil with it on. My BMW M2 had a similar plastic piece under the car for Aero and BMW put a little door right by the drain plug. Smart. Ford makes you pull the entire thing off. I have debated cutting it a bit, but just haven't. Sorry Rant Over Back to the oil change.

Once that is off the drain plug is pretty easy to find, its closer to the passenger side of the truck, can't really miss it. It's a bit tricky to get to with the sway bar and there are a few lines right by it that look to be expensive to replace if you mess with them, always assumed they were Transmission Cooler lines but never really looked.

I always grab a 16mm then a 14mm only to remember it's a 15mm.

The filter is actually pretty easy to get to. Crawl under the front of the truck and look up. Its on the front of the engine, and not horrible to reach. It does drain down onto a skid plate which then has an opening to let it flow into a pan you placed under the truck. Pretty nifty actually. Only downside is that oil will drip off the skid plate for the next three days, I usually just put down some cardboard.

Just remove and replace the filter, hand tight - 1/4 turn once it touches the block.

From there fill oil from the top of the truck and done.

30min tops, and that includes a beer break. I usually do every other oil change. I let Ford do the ones when the tires need to be rotated b/c rotating tires without a lift is a horrible way to spend an afternoon.

If you get stuck let me know, but don't listen to the folks that say its terrible, honestly the 3.5 is one of the easier oil changes I have done. BMW was easier b/c the filter was a canister type accessed from the top of the engine, but the 3.5 is far from the worst out there.

 

[pavementends]

The 3.5 really isn't bad. I don't have the FX4 package so I can't speak to that. On the "regular" truck the worst part is taking off the stupid Carboard heat shield / skid plate.

It's 4 8mm bolts two in the middle of the truck two on either side. Taking it off isn't horrible, putting it back on can be tricky. The other bad part is the stupid skid plate is about 3in from not blocking the oil drain plug. If they had just modified its shape or moved it a bit I really think you could drain the oil with it on. My BMW M2 had a similar plastic piece under the car for Aero and BMW put a little door right by the drain plug. Smart. Ford makes you pull the entire thing off. I have debated cutting it a bit, but just haven't. Sorry Rant Over Back to the oil change.

Once that is off the drain plug is pretty easy to find, its closer to the passenger side of the truck, can't really miss it. It's a bit tricky to get to with the sway bar and there are a few lines right by it that look to be expensive to replace if you mess with them, always assumed they were Transmission Cooler lines but never really looked.

I always grab a 16mm then a 14mm only to remember it's a 15mm.

The filter is actually pretty easy to get to. Crawl under the front of the truck and look up. Its on the front of the engine, and not horrible to reach. It does drain down onto a skid plate which then has an opening to let it flow into a pan you placed under the truck. Pretty nifty actually. Only downside is that oil will drip off the skid plate for the next three days, I usually just put down some cardboard.

Just remove and replace the filter, hand tight - 1/4 turn once it touches the block.

From there fill oil from the top of the truck and done.

30min tops, and that includes a beer break. I usually do every other oil change. I let Ford do the ones when the tires need to be rotated b/c rotating tires without a lift is a horrible way to spend an afternoon.

If you get stuck let me know, but don't listen to the folks that say its terrible, honestly the 3.5 is one of the easier oil changes I have done. BMW was easier b/c the filter was a canister type accessed from the top of the engine, but the 3.5 is far from the worst out there.

I wrote with white paint pen on the black plastic radiator cover just behind the grill: "6 QUARTS, 15mm SOCKET" so I remember

 

[Jeff1024]

I wrote with white paint pen on the black plastic radiator cover just behind the grill: "6 QUARTS, 15mm SOCKET" so I remember

See that's smart. I Crawl under with a 16mm find out it's too big. Swear. Go grab 14mm find out it's too small. Swear some more. Then finally realize it's a 15mm.

 

[pavementends]

See that's smart. I Crawl under with a 16mm find out it's too big. Swear. Go grab 14mm find out it's too small. Swear some more. Then finally realize it's a 15mm.

Exactly, and that open beer keeps calling to you every trip back to the tool cart. It's empty before you even get the oil drained.

 

[Jeff1024]

Exactly, and that open beer keeps calling to you every trip back to the tool cart. It's empty before you even get the oil drained.

100% and then I have to go get another Beer because I don't think oil will actually drain from the pan unless you are drinking a beer and watching while it happens.

Is it a coincidence that the time it takes to drain 6 quarts from the pan is the same amount of time it takes me to drink a beer? Of course it isn't. Ford Engineers know what they are doing.

 

[Gord0]

See that's smart. I Crawl under with a 16mm find out it's too big. Swear. Go grab 14mm find out it's too small. Swear some more. Then finally realize it's a 15mm.

I put a fumoto valve on and don't need wrenches anymore. Stick a hose on it, run it to an empty jug from the last change, open the valve and let it drain. There is a jug swap in there, but pretty quick and easy.

 

[Jeff1024]

I put a fumoto valve on and don't need wrenches anymore. Stick a hose on it, run it to an empty jug from the last change, open the valve and let it drain. There is a jug swap in there, but pretty quick and easy.

It's funny, I say I am going to order a Fumoto valve after every oil change. I keep putting that off. I have heard nothing but great feedback so i guess I need to.

 

[Gord0]

It's funny, I say I am going to order a Fumoto valve after every oil change. I keep putting that off. I have heard nothing but great feedback so i guess I need to.

They really make oil changes so much easier. If only we had a cartridge filter like the 2.7 you wouldn't even need an oil pan to catch the drain oil.

 

[Jeff1024]

They really make oil changes so much easier. If only we had a cartridge filter like the 2.7 you wouldn't even need an oil pan to catch the drain oil.

Can you get to the valve /w the skid plate still in place on the 3.5? If so I will head to amazon right now.

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