Oil Filter Relocation Kit Guide: Put Your Filter Where You Can Actually Reach It

Some engine bays make an oil change feel like surgery. The filter hides behind a header tube, above a crossmember, or buried so deep you burn your forearm getting to it — and on plenty of swapped or turbocharged builds, the factory filter location is flat-out in the way. An oil filter relocation kit solves the problem for good: it moves the filter from the block to a spot you choose, opens up room for turbo plumbing or headers, and adds ports for the gauges and coolers a serious build needs. Here's how relocation works, what's in a proper kit, and how to pick the right setup for your car.

Why Relocate Your Oil Filter?

Relocation isn't just about convenience, though five-minute filter changes are a real perk. Moving the filter earns its place on a performance build for several reasons:

• Accessibility. Spin the filter on and off from the top of the bay or behind the bumper instead of fighting it from underneath. No more crushed filters from awkward wrench angles.
• Clearance. Turbo kits, long-tube headers, engine swaps, and steering components often collide with the stock filter location. Relocating the filter frees up that real estate.
• Room for a bigger filter. A remote mount lets you run a larger filter than the factory location allows, adding oil capacity and filtration area.
• Sensor and accessory ports. Quality remote mounts include spare ports for oil pressure and temperature sensors, turbo oil feeds, or an accumulator — no tee fittings hanging off the block.
• Heat management. Relocation plumbing pairs naturally with an oil cooler and thermostat, so you can build a complete oil management system in one pass.

If cooling is the bigger priority for your build, start with our engine oil cooler kit guide — relocation and cooling share most of the same hardware, and it pays to plan them together.

How an Oil Filter Relocation Kit Works

Every oil filter relocation kit has three jobs: intercept the oil at the block, carry it to the new filter location, and give the filter a solid home. That breaks down into three core components.

The take-off adapter threads onto the factory filter pad in place of the filter. Oil that would have entered the filter is routed out through AN ports instead. A low-profile design like the Improved Racing low-profile remote oil filter take-off adapter keeps the stack height minimal, which matters when clearance is the whole reason you're relocating.

The lines carry oil to the remote mount and back. This is not the place for hardware-store hose: use proper AN hose and fittings rated for hot, pressurized oil, kept away from exhaust heat and secured so they can't chafe. Browse our AN fittings collection for hose ends, adapters, and the hardware to plumb it cleanly.

The remote oil filter mount is where your filter now lives. The Improved Racing remote engine & transmission oil filter mount is a great example of the breed: four female -10AN O-ring boss ports with multiple flow orientations for a tidy install, two spare ports for sensors, turbo feeds, or an accumulator, and thread bungs available for M20x1.50, M22x1.50, 13/16"-16, or 3/4"-16 filters. It's made in the USA and works for engine or transmission fluid.

Choosing the Right Remote Oil Filter Mount

Mounts look similar at a glance, but the details decide whether your install is clean or a headache:

• Port count. A 2-port mount is simple and compact for basic relocation. A 4-port mount adds provisions for sensors and feeds — worth it on boosted or instrumented builds.
• Thermostat integration. A remote filter mount with a built-in thermostat combines relocation, filtration, and oil cooler control in one billet piece — oil bypasses the cooler until it reaches operating temperature, so a street-driven car warms up properly. Options from 165°F to 215°F let you match the thermostat to how you drive.
• Filter thread. Match the mount's bung to a filter family you can buy anywhere. Common threads are 3/4"-16, 13/16"-16, M20x1.50, and M22x1.50.
• Mounting location. Pick a spot below or near the level of the block if possible, away from exhaust heat and road debris, with room to spin the filter off by hand.

Vehicle-Specific vs. Universal Kits

Universal components give you total flexibility, but if a complete kit exists for your chassis, it removes all the guesswork. The 1996–2004 Ford Mustang GT oil filter relocation kit is a bolt-on system that moves the filter to an accessible spot behind the front bumper support, with pressure-tested lines wrapped in aluminized Kevlar sleeving and an optional thermostatic mount for street cars. Coyote-swapping something? The remote oil filter adapter for the Gen 1 Ford 5.0 Coyote is the swap-friendly take-off that makes tight engine bays workable. Check our Ford collection for more Blue Oval hardware.

Pro Tip: Prime the System Before You Start It

A relocation kit adds line length and a remote housing that start out full of air. Before the first startup, pre-fill the remote filter as much as its orientation allows, then crank the engine with the ignition or injectors disabled until you see oil pressure register. Once it fires, check every fitting for seepage at idle, then again after a heat cycle. Two minutes of priming protects the bearings you built the engine around — and while you're thinking about oil system health, an oil catch can is the natural next step for keeping that oil clean.

Build Your Oil System at JSI Racing

Whether you need a full oil filter relocation kit, a single take-off adapter, or a thermostatic mount to tie your cooler into the loop, we stock the Improved Racing hardware to do it right. Browse the complete oil filter relocation collection, pair it with an oil thermostat or oil cooler, and see everything from the brand in our Improved Racing collection. Order today and make your next oil change the easiest one your car has ever had.