Restoring the Durango's front end. (Or, pandemic activities so far.)

As I am writing this, the world is in the midst of a pandemic.  This means that I go to work one day a week, if I am lucky. This also means that she works from home, and to me, since my bathroom remodel is on hold, no better time to get some work done on the Dodge.

Many of the parts and tools I have had on hand for awhile now, just taking up space in the shed.  This past week or so I decided to put some of them to use.

What I accomplished:
*"New" grille installation.
*Recondition the rubber and plastic parts behind the grille.
*Repaint the AC condenser and the front bumper support black.
*Repaint the front bumper cover.
*Restore the fog lights for better clarity.



The first item on the list was the grille.  I managed to find a non cracked, complete grille in the salvage yard (good luck with that quest) but it was the wrong color.  400 grit sandpaper, primer, and a few coats of matched paint later, and it was installed.  I used the original grille to replace any damaged hardware (a common problem) and installed a donor grille support as well.

This is about the time I noticed the AC condenser.

Chipped and peeling paint, along with the bumper support (exposed when I removed the cover) greeted me.  I decided to remove the rust and loose paint, and then spray it all flat black.  Below is what the parts looked like after a couple of coats of primer.  I also removed the headlights to protect them from overspray.  One of the first rules of cleaning it up, is if it can be removed, remove it.  If  you cannot remove the parts that should not be painted, you should mask them off as carefully as possible.  You can see below that the fog light wiring, fenders and petcock for the radiator are masked off. I also placed the turn signal bulbs in bags to prevent overspray from getting on them.

Here is the finished support and AC condenser respray.  I reattached the headlights at this point.  I had also removed the plastic cover that protects the condenser lines and polished those lines, forgetting that they will, in fact, be covered.

There are 16 different fasteners that hold the cover in place.  Removing the turn signal housings was required to get at two of them that are hidden under the housings.  The reason for removing and refinishing the cover is because there were scuffs, gouges and other marks in the cover.  I also wanted to restore the fog lights' clarity.

 I had some epoxy on hand to repair the gouges, and the additional holes that were in the cover for whatever reason.  I left the holes for the license plate bracket in place as I will be reinstalling it.  Filling the holes, then rough sanding the epoxy left me with this.

The next step was to sand it all down with 220 grit paper, to rough up the surface and to remove the 80 grit sanding marks.  Below is a close up of the gouge after the initial sanding to help the epoxy bond to the cover.  I had to apply more epoxy to fill this gouge in as shown below.

Next up are two coats of a sealer primer, followed by 400 grit wet sanding.  Then I applied a filler primer to level out and sand flat any imperfections.  At this point I had this, ready for paint.

I mentioned earlier that I was going to clean up the fog lights.  After removing them from the cover, I started with these.  Foggy, yellowing lenses just will not cut it.

The first order of business was to clean up the light assembly.  I used a glass cleaner to get the crud off of the lenses and then a metal polish to remove the haze.  Below are the results. Polished on the left, not so much on the right.  Once both lenses were polished, I sealed them with a polymer found in a headlight restoration kit.  The same was done to the headlight assemblies.

The finished product (fog lights).

I am also a big stickler for the hardware looking good as well, even if it will never be seen.  So, the metal hardware for the cover was cleaned up and painted flat black.  I did the same to the screws that secure the fog lights to the cover.

So after painting, wet sanding, painting, more wet sanding, touch up painting and clearcoat, this is the finished product.  I used a bright platinum metallic paint made by DupliColor, As far as I know, they are the only company that makes this paint available in a spray can.  

 As far as the plastic and rubber pieces go, I soaked the rubber parts in mother's back to black overnight, and buffed them with a microfiber cloth to a clean finish.  The large plastic part was also buffed with back to black and reinstalled.  I also did the same thing to the front license plate bracket, as I had decided to reinstall it.

Here is the gasket that keeps the grille from chattering while driving down the road. The purpose behind rehydrating these pieces was so that they look better and also so that they do not dry out and start to crack.

Finally, the results.  It doesn't make the truck faster, but it does make it safer (improved light clarity) and it makes it look better.

finished result

fog light close up.

How to replace a clockspring. (Air bag repair.)

The air bag light came on one day while I was driving.  This, by itself, is not a huge cause for alarm when it comes to passing the annual safety inspection, because oddly enough, the air bag is not required to work to pass the inspection.  The horn, however, is required to work. This was my first clue that whatever the issue was, it was in or near the steering wheel.

Ordinarily, I would need to use a scan tool to determine what part of the air bag system (also referred to as the safety restraint system) had failed, but there were some telltale signs of what exactly had failed.  In my case, the steering wheel mounted controls (cruise control, radio controls, and the horn) were not working but the fuses were all intact.  I also noticed one time that when I turned the wheel all the way to the right when I parked the truck, that when I started the truck later on,  the wheel mounted controls were ok until I turned the wheel over one revolution to the left.

In most cases, you will need to have someone scan the vehicle computer(s) to determine what part has failed.  This is because in addition to the clockspring, there are also crash sensors, occupant sensors, the air bag itself, an air bag module, and possibly others as cars become more and more complicated (and expensive) to work on.

You will need to have an assortment of screwdrivers to remove the clockspring, as well as a steering wheel removal tool to get the wheel out of the way.  Some places will rent you the steering wheel removal tool (a specialty tool) and you will have to do some research as far as what screwdrivers (or other drivers) you need to remove the other parts.

Step one is going to be to disconnect the battery after you place the front wheels in the straight ahead position.  Do not use a memory minder as you want no electrical power going anywhere.  Negative cable first, then positive cable.  You will also have to wait for the system to power down.  My suggestion is to wait one half hour at least.  Make sure that the steering wheel is in the straight ahead position.

Once the battery has been disconnected entirely and the power has left the system, you will need to remove the airbag assembly.  This is usually accomplished by removing two bolts accessible from the back of the steering wheel itself, as shown below.

Once the airbag bolts have been removed, the airbag itself can be partially removed from the steering wheel.  There will be some wires going to the airbag, as shown below.  Carefully remove the wires by their connectors and discard any wiring that is also replaced with the new clockspring assembly.

(ABOVE) This wire has a replacement supplied with the new clockspring, so it will be discarded.

Place the airbag face down (shown below) so as not to damage it.  You will now see some additional wiring, depending on your vehicle's make, model, and options.

If there are additional wires and plugs, they will connect the steering wheel controls and horn to the clockspring, as shown above.  These are usually held in by tabs on the connections themselves. In my case, using a screwdriver to press in on the tabs in question will free the plugs.  Pull them out and continue to the next step. which is to remove the steering wheel.  This is where the removal tool comes into play.

There will be a bolt or nut holding the wheel into place. Loosen, but do not remove it fully, as the steering wheel removal tool will need to press against it and you do not want the wheel to come off without being restrained, as it can break loose with some force.

(ABOVE) With the bolt loosened, install the removal tool.  The holes on either side of the bolt are threaded to accept the long bolts that are part of the removal tool.

(ABOVE) The bolts should be turned in to the same depth and the bracket should engage the bolt heads evenly. Now you can install the jack screw that will actually pull the wheel off.

Now, using a socket and ratchet, start tightening the jack screw slowly.  It will take a few turns, but the wheel will pop off of the steering column.

I had removed the cover for the steering column earlier, but once that is done (if required) you will be staring at the clockspring.  There are wires connected into the back of this, at the bottom.  Using a small screwdriver, press in those tabs and remove them.  Then remove the screws that hold the clockspring assembly in place.

Here are the old assembly (left) and the new one (right).  The new one has a pin that holds it in center. Do not remove the pin before attaching the new assembly to the steering column and connecting the wires on to the back.

Reconnect the wires into the front of the clockspring. Then reattach the steering wheel and torque the bolt to the factory specification.  This will be surprisingly little torque.  Over tightening the bolt or any other screw may result in damage to the column, steering wheel, or other components. You should remove the retaining pin from the clockspring assembly at this time.

Now, connect the wiring to the airbag assembly, making sure that all wires are in fact, fully attached.  You should hear a positive snap when the connection is complete.  Reconnect the battery and start the vehicle from the passenger side.  Also, when you attach the battery cables, if the horn is going off, disconnect the battery again and check all connections.  This happened to me.  It turns out that the main wire to the airbag (that also powers the horn) was not fully seated.  This is also why the last thing I did was to reinstall the column cover.

This is the result I was looking for, no air bag light.  You may have to reset the light manually or have someone with a proper scan tool reset it for you.  (Hint: the $40 dollar scan tool will not do this, a scan tool has to be set up to read and clear SRS codes and those are expensive.)  As it stands, my vehicle will reset itself.

And here we are, the reassembled steering wheel in its entirety.  Start the vehicle to make sure that nothing is loose and that you can turn the wheel through its full range without setting the airbag light off.

Some reminders worth mentioning again for you in closing:

The battery must be disconnected when servicing the SRS system.

You will need a steering wheel puller to remove the wheel.  Do not try to hammer it off or count on it just falling off on its own.

Over torqueing the bolts may damage the various components found on the steering column.  Consult a factory manual for the proper torque settings and follow them to the letter.

Make sure the bolts are going in straight.  Damage to the threads will be the result if they are not.

If in any doubt, consult a professional.  It is better to pay to have it done right than try to save a few bucks if you are unsure.

Airbags can injure you if they are improperly installed. This also applies to the latest generation of airbags.

If the air bag/SRS light remains on after the repair, the system may need to be reset with a scan tool.

Trailer Hitch Restoration.

I hate rust.  I really, really hate rust.

As the title suggests, this is an article about me restoring a trailer hitch.  In this case it's the hitch from the Durango.  I have been planning to do this since the spring, but I have had some medical issues that needed to be dealt with.

Step one is actually getting the hitch off of the truck.  Of the seven bolts that hold it on, and have been holding it on for eighteen years, five of them made it off the truck on their own.  Two of them had to be cut off using a Ryobi rotary tool.  When I finally got it off of the truck and into the backyard, I was greeted with this:

And this:

Yeah, it's rusted.  Powdercoat is peeling off left and right. Hardware ended up being not salvageable, lots of rust and scale all over the hitch.

The next step is to remove the factory decals from the hitch assembly.  I used a razor blade and lots of patience to remove the "Uhaul" manufacturer decal and the more important rating decal.

 The decals were placed on one of my plastic parts bins for safekeeping.  The next step is to knock off as much rust and scale as I can.  First up is a wire wheel.

After about an hour or so, I got the hitch almost devoid of the scale, but not much of the surface rust.  A grinder was used with a flap disc to knock off even more rust and scale.

Now it looks like a big rusty truck part.  I spent some time with the rotary tool knocking off lots of the remaining scale with a sanding drum.  Then, seeing as how there was still lots of surface rust, I used a rust converter to get a more workable surface.

After the rust treatment, I was left with a black oxide finish.  I waited one day for the converter to dry and do its thing.  Once that was done, I used body filler to fill any rough, pitted areas.  There were several, to say the least.

Two coats of filler primer later, and I still have some rough areas, so on went more body filler.

With more filler comes more sanding.  I finally got everything as smooth as I could get it to be, and then decided in a feeling of complete overkill to spray another coat of filler primer and a black primer as a guidecoat.

With the sanding and sanding and paint and sanding (yeah this took awhile) finally done it was time for the basecoat. Two coats later and some wet sanding, and I finally clearcoat the hitch.

The next action was to reinstall the factory manufacturer's decal and the all important weight rating decal.  These decals are important because their presence states what the hitch is rated for, and if it is not present, nobody is going to rent you a trailer if you need it and the right policeman might issue a ticket for it not being there. Think of it as the hitch's certification papers and that they have to be present.

Door seal replacement with salvage yard parts.

The seals on my doors were looking like they were chewed on by troll monkeys.

Keeping this simple: I was not happy with the seals on the front doors of the Durango.  The problem is that mother mopar no longer makes them, and nobody in the aftermarket world makes them exactly as they are now, minus the damage.  I decided to comb the yards, just to see if I could find a decent set of seals to install.

I finally found a pair at pic-a-part, a local to me yard that has surprised me by what they have in the past.  The cost? Five bucks each. Sold and out the door.

The following tutorial can be used in theory for pretty much any door seal, just take your time and make notes of where things are, how they are installed, how they come apart, etc...

The basics that you will need include two rags, the "new" seals, rubbing alcohol (or other suitable cleaner), a trim tool, silicone spray and (not pictured) a screwdriver.

Start by removing the sill plate at the bottom of the door using the appropriate tools.  In my Durango, I just pulled up on it with the trim tool.  Then gently pry off the surrounding trim.  Usually, trim pieces are just held in place by clips and so forth.  There may be a screw or two holding in the kick plate, so undo those and then remove the kick plate.  You should now be able to remove the old seal after making a note of where and how it is installed.

Because my camera is acting up these days, I don't have a picture of the mess that was left behind after removing the old seal.  I used rubbing alcohol to remove about eighteen years of dirt and grime to ensure a good fit.

Install the seal as the old one was removed. usually there is a metal strip within the seal that helps to hold it in place, but depending on the vehicle there can be clips or other means of retaining the seal to the door, or body.

So here is the new seal installed in the door. At this point, reinstall the trim pieces the same way you took them off.  I used silicone spray to soften the rubber, something that should be done every so often to keep them sealing and in good order.

 

Alternator replacement and charging system diagnosis.

The cold weather has hit the northeast united states, and with that, battery failures abound in your average automobile.  Of course I cannot just get by with having to replace my battery, I instead have to replace the alternator in "trouble".

In my case, I noticed about a week ago that the blower motor sounded like it was losing power because it would spin slower than normal. As time went on, the ammeter gauge (this gauge shows you the voltage that is coming out of the alternator) would drop to minimum for a minute and then go back to normal, but at this time, the lights would dim, the blower motor would slow down, all signs that the alternator was not putting out enough voltage to run everything.  It's time to diagnose and replace it.

Let me start by explaining how an alternator works:

Alternators started showing up in automobiles in the 1960's as a replacement for what was called a generator. An alternator works by spinning via the accessory belt (usually a serpentine belt that drives everything off of the crankshaft) and using a rotor spinning around a stator to produce AC voltage. The rotor has brushes on it that make contact with the stator and this whole process works off of the theory of using electromagnetism to produce voltage-thank you Nikola Tesla.

Alternator output is measured in amperes ("amps" or "amp"). The more demands are made on the electrical system, the higher the amperage required will be, and this will be discussed later in the article.

"But my car uses DC voltage!"-half the people that will read this if they know that fact.

Your alternator has a part called a rectifier that converts AC voltage into DC voltage.  This voltage is then governed by a voltage regulator which allows an assumed maximum of 14.8 volts to go to the battery and the rest of the main electrical system. This does not mean that everything in your car gets the full 14.8 volts, it's just the amount of voltage available for charging the battery and running the vehicle.  Some components use a mere 5 volts to operate, but that is a discussion for another day.

"So how do I check my charging system?" -half of the people that are still here instead of going to watch YouTube videos featuring cats.

The best way to check the charging system is by using a multimeter to see the voltage present in the system,  I start by checking the battery with the engine off and I am looking for 12.3 to 12.6 volts. Place the leads of the multimeter directly on to the terminals and see what the voltage is, making sure that you have set the multimeter to DC. Regardless of the actual number, the next thing to do is to start the vehicle, let it run for a minute (especially in a vehicle with a diesel engine) and check the voltage available at idle.  This number should be between 13.6 and 14.8 volts at the battery terminals.
Too high and you have a condition known as "overcharging" and you are risking damage to the vehicle's electronics.  Too low and you are not charging the battery which can lead to being stranded as well as various components not working properly.

Another way to quickly check the alternator for operation is to, while the engine is running and without touching the wires coming out of the alternator, is to take a screwdriver and touch it to the back of the alternator's case.  If it sticks (due to magnetism) then the alternator is functioning, though this may be at a very basic level. (Meaning that it may still not be producing enough voltage.)  For this reason, I prefer the multimeter as a diagnostic tool in this case.

Let's talk about the battery for a minute:

If the battery is failing, one of the ways to tell at home is to check the voltage with the engine off.  Again, using a multimeter, check to see if the voltage is between 12.3 and 12.6 volts.  If it is not, then we need to determine why that is.

Presuming that using the charging test with the engine on showed a good charge, let's look at the battery itself.  Are the terminals clean? Crusty green buildup is a surefire way to not have enough voltage going into the battery because of resistance.  Is the battery itself clean? For fun, place the positive lead on to the positive terminal of the battery and place the negative lead onto the battery case itself.  Is there voltage present? If there is, that is the electricity "crawling" across the battery, which can kill the battery as well.  In these cases, disconnect the battery and clean up the terminals and/or the case.  Is the battery cracked? Replace it and be careful when handling a damaged or dirty battery, as the corrosion and the fluid inside is acid, and it can burn your skin.



Lastly, 12 volt batteries are actually 12.6 volts at rest.  They have six cells within the battery (three positive, three negative) that hold 2.1 volts each.  So, let's say that you take your engine off measurement and come up with 10.5 volts.  You most likely have a damaged cell, and it is battery replacement time. (I have an earlier write up on how to do this properly.)  Another test that can be done, usually for free at any auto parts store, is to have the battery load tested.  The test involves using a specialized tool that will measure the total amperage of the battery versus what it is supposed to have according to the label on the battery.  While batteries in general for automobiles are supposed to have 12.6 volts, their amperage (which actually starts the vehicle) does vary depending on application.  A four cylinder engine, for example, may only need 350 cranking amps to start, while a V8 equipped truck may need twice that amount, and diesel engines on big trucks may need north of 900 plus amps to turn the engine over.

Enough talk, let's swap out the alternator!

The cause of failure in my alternator was the regulator failing.  As the regulator is built into the alternator, replacing the entire alternator is going to be the course of action that I will take.  Other things that need to be checked are the battery cables and cables going into the alternator.  You are looking for damage, including damaged insulation, loose cables/wires, outright failure of the cables (i.e. they are broken), corrosion, etc.

The first thing you need to do is to disconnect the battery cables from their terminals, starting with the negative terminal to prevent sparks.  Some say that this is all you have to do to ensure not getting shocked by the battery, but I prefer to completely disconnect the battery to completely eliminate that possibility. The cables are not always red (positive) and black (negative) so if in doubt, mark where the cables were attached.

Second, release the serpentine belt (most common in today's vehicles) by moving the tensioner.  Most cars and trucks have a belt diagram that shows you which pulley this is under the hood.  If not, look for a pulley on a bracket with a square in it.  Usually a breaker bar or ratchet end will fit into the square.  Move the bracket to take the tension off of the belt and remove it from the alternator pulley while the tension is released.  Do not let the belt catch your fingers between the belt and the pulley as this will hurt. Set the belt aside and try not to disturb the rest of the belt positioning, especially if there is no belt diagram.

Third, disconnect the cables from the alternator.  There are usually two sets, the cable that allows power from the battery to go into the alternator and the set that distributes said power coming out of the alternator.  These will be electrically "dead" if the battery was fully disconnected, so set them aside.

Fourth, unbolt the alternator from the engine.  There are usually two or three bolts that hold it on, and they generally are installed in specific locations based on bolt length and sometimes bolt head size.  Make a note of where they go and, once they are removed, remove the alternator.

Before the new alternator is installed, go ahead and clean up the battery terminals if needed.  This can be done with a battery terminal brush or wire brush, cleaning up with water.  Do not use baking soda and water because if the baking soda gets into the battery, it can ruin it.

Install your shiny new alternator, reattach the cables going into it, and reinstall your drive belt, making sure that the belt is fully seated onto the pullies. Reconnect your battery, starting with the positive cable first (to avoid sparks and such), then the negative cable.  Start the engine and check the charging voltage.  There should be the aforementioned 13.6 to 14.8 volts with the engine running at the battery terminals.

If you are still here reading, then let's discuss the amperage that an alternator can produce, and since you have found yourself interested in replacing your alternator, now is a good time to consider if you require more power (in amperage) out of it.  Cases to consider would be if you have a big aftermarket stereo system in your car or if you have a truck with a lot of aftermarket lighting.  Maybe you are building an ambulance with all sorts of lights and sirens, not to mention the additional power needed to run the back end of it, with all the emergency medical equipment in there.  If any of this is the case, then maybe your stock amperage alternator will not handle the load required to power everything.

For example:

Let's say you have one of those little pocket rocket Japanese cars with at best a 90 amp alternator, but you added on the big aftermarket stereo, a pair of fog lights, an amplifier and a pair of giant subwoofers for the sole purpose of sharing your "music" with everyone in a ten block radius.  Let's also say that while you have this 90 amp alternator, the electrical demands under normal circumstances are 80 amps.  You now have ten amps left to power all the aftermarket items that were not taken into consideration by the manufacturer. If the alternator cannot meet the amperage demand, then you will see the lights dimming, your music may become more distorted than usual, and this can go as far as to create drivability complaints.  One way to compensate for this is to go with a higher amperage output alternator.

With say, a 140 amp alternator, you now have 50 additional amps to run all the aftermarket items.  Does the voltage increase? Well, no.  The regulator will still hold things at 13.6 to 14.8 volts total availability.  What this does mean is that the amperage will be available to not cause power losses, especially when the stereo is on, the aftermarket lights are on, etc.

A higher output alternator may also help with starting on a cold morning by increasing the total amps available to the starter initially.  It is important to note that a 90 amp (or any amperage) alternator will not necessarily produce 90 amps all the time, but if the demand is present, it will increase as needed, generally determined by sensed load demand, usually determined by the vehicle's electronic control module (ECU).

So, what causes an alternator to fail?

In most cases from my experience, the most common cause of failure is age.  An alternator has a few moving parts aside from the aforementioned rotor. They generally have bearings at either end, a cooling fan, a main shaft, etc.  There are also windings and diodes within the assembly.  All this being said, it is usually age that does an alternator in.  Of course, if a diode ends up cracking or a bearing fails, this will shorten the life of an alternator significantly.

Is it possible to drive without an alternator?

Well, not for long because of all of the electronics found in today's automobile.  The farther you try to drive without a working charging system, the more likely malfunctions are going to occur.  This is because of the sheer amount of voltage required to actually run the car.  Once systems start falling below their required voltages those systems will stop working properly, if they work at all..

The oil change tutorial!

My daughter recently asked me about changing the oil in a car, so, daughter, this is for you...


What you will need:

*The proper amount and type of oil. This information can be found in your owner's manual or online.
*The correct oil filter. This can also be found online and knowing your engine size helps.
*A drain pan that is used for oil and nothing else.
*A funnel.
*Gloves, either latex or nitrile.
*An oil filter wrench.
*The proper size socket or hand wrench to remove the oil drain plug.
*A jack and jack stands OR wheel ramps to get the car off the ground.
**OPTIONAL: a drip pan, which is a large pan that catches anything that might miss the oil drain pan.

(In my case, I needed six quarts of 5W30 oil and FRAM oil filter PH-16.)

Here are my supplies (minus the floor jack and funnel) ready to go.  You can use wheel ramps if you wish.  In any case make sure that whatever you are using is rated for the weight of the vehicle.

Here you can see the jack stands doing their job.  I left the floor jack in place as a sort of back up.  Whatever you do, never rely on a floor jack or your vehicle's jack as the ole method of keeping your car in the air.

After bringing the engine up to normal operating temperature the first thing I will do when I am changing the oil on any vehicle is to remove the oil cap on the engine.  This is so that the oil will drain in a reasonable amount of time.  If there is a whitish, brownish slime on the bottom of the cap this is just condensation and can be wiped off using a rag or paper towels.

On the underside of the engine, on the oil pan, you will find a bolt that looks kind of like this.  This is the drain plug and it usually has a gasket on it. Make sure you have gloves on, and loosen the drain plug slowly.  Have your catch pan ready, and remember that draining oil has a tendency to arc somewhat at first, so either have a huge pan or be ready to move the pan to keep the oil from getting on the ground. Remember that the oil is going to be HOT and it can burn you.

While you are under the vehicle it is a good time to look for things that are leaking and make note of them, if you are not going to repair them now.

This is a typical canister oil filter.  What that means is that it is a filter contained inside a metal housing with a gasket and a threaded insert at the end not shown to attach it to the engine.  There are also cartridge filters, which are secured under a reusable cap but have no metal housing.  These particular types of filters are not always necessarily on the bottom of the car.  If you are unsure of which type of filter that you have, consult your owner's manual or a service manual.

Once all of the oil is out of the engine, you need to take a rag or paper towel and clean this off.  You will also want to make sure that the gasket from the old filter is not still sticking to the engine.  It is a round rubber ring and occasionally it will be stuck here. 

In the top picture I am applying a light coat of oil to the new gasket, which will not only help prevent it from sticking but it will also make the filter easier to remove the next time you change your oil.  The bottom picture shows that this is, again, a light film of oil.  Go ahead and attach the new filter, following the directions on the filter (usually 3/4ths of a turn once the gasket makes contact) and reinstall the drain plug.

Once the drain plug is installed and the filter installed, add the proper amount of oil to the engine through the oil fill cap opening.  Two things of note here: One is that the engine in my truck has an opening wide enough that I do not need to use a funnel, and the second is note the position of the bottle.  You will get a lot less splash back by pouring the oil this way.  Also, I am aware that there is no oil coming out of the bottle, this is for illustrative purposes only.

Now, you get to clean up anything that might have spilled, any towels or rags, and of course the used motor oil.  The old filter should be allowed to drain into a container (preferably the same container you are placing the used oil in to for recycling, and preferably overnight) and then the filter and any rags can be thrown away into the regular garbage.  It is worth noting that disposing of used motor oil into the sewer or onto the ground is a crime and you can be prosecuted for it. Many auto parts stores will recycle your used oil for you (some places burn it for heat, and much of it is used to make home heating oil, believe it or not) but it is best to call ahead before just dropping it off.

Some points to make note of here:

Stick to well known brands of oil and filters.  Personally I use Fram oil filters and Valvoline oil.  I have used these since I have been driving (30 years and probably a dozen or more vehicles) and have never had a problem with either.

Use conventional motor oil.  Synthetic oils should only be used if the engine in question has always used it.  Synthetic oil can cause leaks in an engine that has never used it before because of the cleaning agents present in synthetics.

Just my opinion but there is no need to use $15.00 per quart oil in your $1000.00 shitbox.

Used motor oil is going to be a dark brown to black color.  This is normal and is indicative of the oil doing its job.  Not only does engine oil keep you engine lubricated but it also helps to prevent sludge and other buildup.  How bad can build up get?  Bad enough to ruin an engine.  I remember doing a $150.00 oil change once you counted the flushing chemicals (glorified kerosene), filters and oil needed to get the sludge out, all because someone thought going 30,000 miles between oil changes was a good idea.

On the above note, follow the manufacturer's recommendations on oil changes, which can be found in the owner's manual.  Some newer cars have oil life monitors in them which will tell you when to change the oil.  You may have heard the old adage "three months or 3000 miles."  Today's oil is better formulated and can go longer, but don't push it.