I agree 100%. I tried everything to keep from making a mess but always seem to make one anyway. With the oil cooler hoses in the way and the lower fairings in the way its a PITA. I just pull the filter off ( K&N ), spray the area down with WD40 or simple green real good and wash the bike when done. Spray the area really good with soap and rinse with strong stream of water........

 

Bought my "form a funnel" a while back from the local Mac Tool dealer and finally got a chance to use it today. Worked great and I took some action shots that I'll post tomorrow.

 

I bought the HD oil catch device that has the tube on it so oil changes are not such a
mess. I can see where some tin foil to drape the oil cooler will be needed.

HD stealer had 10% off parts today.... so it paid the tax.

 

I saw that at the dealer yesterday but it was not an HD brand.
After seeing the price tag of $20,thought Id stick with Reynolds Wrap!

 

I looked into braided oil lines for the cooler, it seemed like a good idea but when I looked at the actual lines from magnum shielding they were too bulky to use in confined place and seem like they would make changing the filter very difficult. JMHO

 

I notice that most of the complaints about oil getting into the cooler come from owners of '09 and later bikes. The OP has an '08 and mine is an '07 using the same cooler, and I've never had a problem with this. The hoses do give me slightly less room to work with, but have never had a problem. I use the filter wrench that fits over the entire bottom of the filter and screws out using a ratchet with long-extension, similar to this one except without the cut-out section.

I've never had good luck with anything as far as keeping the oil off the mount and other parts of the bike, either with or without the oil cooler. I just put some cardboard under it and that catches most of the leakage, then clean-up with Simple Green.

 

Here's another way to do this... I bought a ****-hot mini drain-pan/sluice for 18 bucks (Drag Specialties). Drain oil from the main reservoir. Replace plug. Put a rag under the filter (to catch drips). Then, put the drain-pan 'sluice' under the filter, before removing the filter. Place your oil catch pan underneath the end of the 'sluice'. The oil catch pan will sit approximately under the forward part of the left footboard, the mini drain-pan's cutout above it. Unscrew the filter until it's only got 2 or 3 'turns' left before it comes off. The oil will drain from it, run down the sluice, out the cutout into the pan. When the oil stops dripping from the sluice, finish removing the filter. Let it sit in the sluice, and remove the sluice and the filter as one. I squirt 409 detergent around the area, engine mount, etc., to wash off any spilled oil (shouldn't be much).

I don't think I'd use brake cleaner on the rubber engine mount. Just flood it with a degreaser (like '409'), and flood the area with water afterward.

I have to fight myself to take my time because I'm always in a hurry, but if I'm patient, position everything correctly and do things in this sequence, I spill very little oil.

 

I use an oil filter relocation kit. Had a few bugs with the fittings, but got a newer version so it is a non issue for me and my oil cooler.

 

This guy and others have nailed it. Drain oil then, I use the HD oil catcher, drip pan, thingy dingy, which fits in there perfect. Then I take a long center punch with sharp tip on the end of it. Punch a hole or two in the filter as close to the bottom of the filter as I can. Then I go do some thing else for about 15 minutes, (sit in lawn chair with favorite cold beverage) come back & spin off the filter. Wala, no mess. Install new filter, fill with oil and ride. It's all good.

 

Use a piece of cardboard and v-shape it under the filter. Make it long enough to reach a drain pan. Then punch a hole at the lowest point of the filter and let it drain out. Throw a rag under it and screw it off. Very little oil will spill and there is no cleanup.