Need ideas, OIL FILTER WILL NOT COME OFF.

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: George7941


This is a totally unrealistic and unreasonable position. Shops can only take responsibility for things under their control i.e. for their mistakes. The only sensible position for a shop to take in this situation is - We will get it off and take all reasonable precautions to avoid collateral damage, but if any damage does occur, you will be paying for it.

I will occasionally run into customers like these -- anything that happens is the fault of the person working on the problem and he will have to pay for it. I can usually spot these people in advance and let them know that I cannot guarantee against damage. Sometimes we cannot agree and then the person no longer remains my customer.


Have you ever had to replace other parts that broke on an oil change? Did you fire that mechanic on the spot? I imagine most mechanics have always figured out a way to get almost any oil filter off without breaking something else...

One of my friends saw a grease monkey strip the threads on an oil pan plug. Instead of starting the threads by hand he just popped the plug into the socket on the air gun and tried to spin it on that way...
I forget how it ended up in who paid to fix it, but it was clearly the "mechanic" at fault.

Stuff like exhaust manifold bolts, etc, they break off or tricky work around rusty brake lines, I agree the customer should pay and every good shop I've been to has always warned that it may happen before they start. Never had them break anything "extra" yet but I can see how it happens.
Ian

 

[GMFan]

When I got my car from the previous owner, he took it to some local garage for oil changes. I had a heck of a time getting the filter off. I had it punctured and all trying to get it off. A chain wrench did the trick. I then smashed the old filter with a sledge hammer in spite.

Git R' Done!

P.S - Use it like pictured here to get max torque on it.

 

[Tosh]

Then there's that tiny possibility that because of its odd orientation, you have mistaken 'lefty-loosey' for 'righty-tighty.'

 

[gnet158]

Change my oil on Superbowl Sunday. This time I was able to remove my oil filter with just my hand.

After you get this sucker off it should be just as easy. Make sure not to crack the oil filter, that's the point of no return. You have to get it off then.

Any update?

 

[crw]

To do a job, you need the right tools. Cup filter wrench? I've never tried it, but it doesn't sound right. Just like the claw, the torque is applied off the end of the filter... it the fitment isn't good, that's going to give you problems.

The proper tool for this is the metal strap type wrench. I have two, one for large filters and one for small. This ALWAYS works, and is the only way to go, in my opinion.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

What I would try first is to clean off the filter and run a piece of anti-skid tape (skateboard tape)around any area where it might stick and try to remove with a filter wrench.

I tried the screwdriver-through-the-filter trick but wound up only ruining the filter. In the end I had to tear it all apart with a pair of visegrips until the only thing left was the base plate. I then tapped it off with a screwdriver in the drainholes that were on the baseplate.

To add injury to insult, the last whack with the hammer sent the baseplate spinning off and conked me right on the noggin. But it worked...

 

[mstrjon32]

Originally Posted By: crw
To do a job, you need the right tools. Cup filter wrench? I've never tried it, but it doesn't sound right. Just like the claw, the torque is applied off the end of the filter... it the fitment isn't good, that's going to give you problems.


On many newer cars, the strap wrench simply won't fit. On m '06 Monte Carlo with the 3.9L engine, the filter is recessed and there is simply no way to fit a strap type wrench on the filter. You either need to use a cup wrench or just muscle it off, which isn't a problem if you've got it on the lift but can be hard if you're doing it with just a jack or on the ground. When the strap wrench fits, it's the way to go, I use one on my 4.0 Jeep each time.

 

[ViragoBry]

I once spent about an hour trying to get the factory filter off my sister's John Deere riding mower. They put it in such a horrible position, about 1cm above the engine platform, and not much room left and right either. No room to use a strap wrench, and a very small filter, so hand gripping was nearly impossible.

Then I got a bright idea....I took off my belt, wrapped it once around the filter, grabbed both sides of the belt with a pair of lineman pliers, and began twisting the belt around the pliers counterclockwise. It's amazing how much leverage you can get with this method. The pliers dented the filter, but who cares? A filter that I'd been working on for an hour came off in a snap.

 

[dickwells]

If you use a strap wrench, get one that takes a 3/8" extension. Use a long enough extension that you can put the strap down at the base of the filter. Use paper towel or rag between as mentioned earlier. Have a long enough cold chisel and a hammer so that if you ruin the filter you can tear off the sheet metal and put the chisel right on the base plate to spin it. If it still works before all this, warm it up ahead of time. Good Luck

 

[onion]

While I'll agree with previous posters that the screwdriver trick can work in a pinch, I would only use it as an absolute last resort. I've seen this method basically shred an oil filter as the screwdriver ripped the can apart rather than turning the filter. And if that happens... now you've got an inoperable vehicle with an oily, razor-sharp mess to work with. Not my idea of fun.

The only thing I'll add to the dozens of methods suggested here is this: There's no reason that you must use only one removal tool at a time. I've removed some really stubborn filters by using a strap wrench while having somebody else use another strap wrench further down the filter... twice the torque with very little risk of tearing up the filter. You can do this with a couple of good filter wrenches, or a filter wrench and a cup-socket... whatever will fit.

Also, the plastic filter cup sockets won't take much torque. Putting a tight hose clamp around the edge will help, but the metal ones work much better.

 

[lewdwig]

I'd get a chain-type strap wrench, I have one with a plastic strap and it is a fickle beast. I've never had the screwdriver method fail me but you have to go through the center of the filter, use a good hammer.

 

[crw]

OK, interesting that you mention "no room for strap wrench"... One of my strap wrenches has been modified by me, so that it comes out at an angle... hard to describe, but it's twisted around and can come out at an angle so that your application of torque doesn't need to be exactly perpendicular to the filter.

I didn't design this modification, it just happened once when trying to remove a tough filter! Now, it's a "feature".

Good luck with whatever you do. I still think getting a good tool is the way to go, even if it means you can only turn it one-eighth of an inch at a time.