Have you ever dealt with an oil filter so tight that even hammer and screwdriver

[dbias]

Originally Posted by OnTheRocks
Buddy of mine has a pipe wrench with a chain. He said that he bought it to use once. Once. New car. Filter was real tight from factory. He had his mind set on being able to take it off.

LOL i made one of these in a pinch one time by using a section of bicycle chain and putting both ends of the chain through a closed end wrench and twisted the crap out of it.

 

[Chris142]

I can't remember when I last had a stupid tight filter. Lately they have been so loose that I can twist them off with 2 fingers. Makes me wonder how they didn't leak.

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted by oldhp
Remember the old "Once gasket contacts oil filter flange tighten 3/4 of a turn and stop." Most people would freak out if they had to stop there. I've always tighten by hand and never had a problem.


On my Dakota, 2/3 is the best I can do and even that is a struggle. But I stop and haven't had a leak.

Otherwise, I've been lucky and haven't had to deal with one too-tight. Had one come back from the dealership that was loose and started dripping on my Mom's driveway. The scary part is that I took a 1000-mile trip to MN and it didn't start leaking until after I got back.

 

[Bighorn2500]

Yes, the Factory Mopar filter on 2004 Ram was so tight I speared it and twisted it off with a screw driver through it.

 

[Talent_Keyhole]

Yep, it has happened twice, both times by certified auto mechanics. I do my own changes, tighten to slight more than hand tight, and have never had a problem. My Chevy dealer put the plastic oil filter cap on my Ecotec engine and cross-threaded it. I took 20 minutes to get it off. There was no shortage of expletives that day.

 

[Imp4]

Lisle 63600 oil filter wrench.
Works. Every. Time.

 

[AuthorEditor]

I've got one of the three-armed filter wrenches that works on a similar principal to the Lisle 63600. The three-armed kind does seem to work well, though I have had a few times where I had to wrack on it so hard that it really crushed the can. The nice thing with these is you can probably use extensions with universal joints to reach most filters, then with the ability to be able to get good leverage with the rachet handle.

 

[ragtoplvr]

Boss bought a trans am built during a time of labor strife. The oil filter was on so tight that I ripped the can off. They had to send a wrecker for the car. Dealer broke something getting it off. Had to rob parts from new car on the lot. There was a severe adversarial relationship between management and labor in those days, for no good reason other than severely poor [censored] management. Yes, when i graduated college as an engineer I got to experience that first hand. What you read in the press and hear on the news is not true.

Rod

 

[CT8]

A strap oil filter wrench works the best like this style.

 

[slo town]

I do oil changes on my SIL's new Subaru Forrester. The factory filter was so tight I destroyed it when removing it. In 45 years of turning wrenches that has never happened before. The drain plug was even worse.

Makes one wonder if internal engine components are torqued properly.

Scott

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted by clinebarger
Never really thought of using a screwdriver & hammer. If my filter pliers don't get it off....I go straight for the Air Hammer & Chisel bit right at the base plate!!

You are a pro.

 

[PimTac]

I had to destroy the factory filter on a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Channelock pliers did the trick.

Every factory filter I've taken off has been very tight with the exception of the Mazda we now own.

 

[Urshurak776]

Took my brand new 2018 Ford Fusion (Company vehicle) for it's first oil change. After an hour, the guy came out and looked defeated. He simply could not get the factory installed filter off. It is in a tight spot, so hard to get a grip on it. They fiddled around some more and got a fresh body on it, finally got it loose....

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by Bud
Yes, and it was always a new car on a first oil change.


Factory oil filter installer after clocking in for the day ...

 

[DoubleNickels]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Channelock pliers did the trick.

My oil filter pliers are made by Channelock.

 

[Mr Nice]

Never happened to me in 40 years.

All Honda filters were on very tight from the factory.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

If you have that problem one of these are great.

I've only had to use it on the Duramax fuel filter.

 

[WellOiled]

Originally Posted by oldhp
Remember the old "Once gasket contacts oil filter flange tighten 3/4 of a turn and stop." Most people would freak out if they had to stop there. I've always tighten by hand and never had a problem.

Exactly. This is the way I do it.

When I let someone else do an oil change, they sometimes over tighten the filter and it is a problem removing the filter.

 

[OnTheRocks]

Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
If you have that problem one of these are great.

I've only had to use it on the Duramax fuel filter.



I had a generic version of that tool. Instead of biting into the canister, it slipped off.

 

[4WD]

Got that and one similar that works like Vise Grips