[pracklam]

I just replaced the oil filter housing gasket a few weeks ago. I did not drain any coolant but wish I had. When I broke the housing loose from the head, coolant flowed out all over the place; onto belts, collected in underpan, real mess. I expected some coolant to escape, so luckily I had my alternator wrapped with alumimun foil. Even though I was prepared to stuff a rag into the cylinder head to stop the coolant flow, I probably lost at least a quart before I fumbled around and actually got the rag stuffed in. Then, I got a small plastic container to try and catch the remaining coolant as it drained out to the level of the opening. I caught about a cup or two of coolant and probably another 2 cups leaked out and down the front of the engine.

It's definately worth it to spend an extra 10 minutes and drain at least 2 quarts from the radiator to avoid all this.

You do not have to drain any oil. When you remove the filter, there will be a small amount of oil left in the bottom of the filter housing. I used a syringe to suck up the oil and then shoot it into the drain hole. Then I wiped the remainder up with a paper towel. You'll get a few drips when you remove the housing, but you can catch most of it with a few rags on top of and around the alternator. You may also want to use a rag or newspaper to protect the belt.

To get to the housing bolt under the manifold, I was able to use a long 1/4" drive extension with a u-joint and a 1/4" drive socket. You do not need to remove the manifold.

Make sure to clean both surfaces well before installing the gasket. I used brake cleaner and a green scotch-brite pad to remove any gasket residue. The mating surface on the cylinder head is very smooth so I didn't want to use anything too abrasive or gouge it with a razor blade.

Overall, it was a fairly easy repair and the small seeping oil leak has been eliminated.