hey guys thanks for the info. i DO drain all of the oil from the pan first, and then remove the filter. but, in my old toyota corolla the filter was located longitudinally, so i wouldn't have any oil that would seep out during cold oil replacement. in the subaru, as we all know, the filter is oriented vertically. even during cold oil changes, the oil spills out when you loosen the filter, even if you drain the pan first; because the lubricant has already settled into the bottom of filter. i assume that i should release the filter about half way, let it drain, then completely remove the filter; it just seems a bit messy to do it that way.