who put the oil filter on at the factory?

[emarsh]

Who was this brute; I would like to have his balls in a vise so I could make him tell me WHY it was so tight.

I had to remove the air filter & box PLUS the passenger side battery so I could get chain tongs on the top of the filter and even then it took all the muscle I had, and I aint no lighweight!

Please tell me that it will be easier next time, what is the preferred tool? The strap wrench (soft nylon) that I always use for stubborn filters would not even buge this thing, the nylon just streached??? SP Anyone?

 

[chuck3]

Yes it will be easier next time, most people have this problem the first time. I use the strap wrench from sears, its rubber but very strong.

 

[JohnE]

Hammer and long shank screwdriver works miracles on those stubborn filters. Simply drive the screwdriver through the case and give the handle a push. really helps if you push it in the correct direction the first time.



All kidding aside, the paint on those filters is the toughest stuff to break. I'm an OEM user and we sometimes have to replace oil or water filters with no run time. A set of water pump pliers crushes the can, but does the job, too.



A strap wrench usually works well on the replacement filters.



-john

 

[Okie-Go]

The first time is always the toughest.

 

[RATTLINRAM]

I got lucky,,,,,,,,,,,,,well kinda,,,,,,,,,,

My truck had about 2300 miles on it when I bought it and the dealer where I got it said they had done an oil change on it. I thought that's good,,,,,,,,,,,, till the first time I opened the hood and seen oil all over the top of the filter. It was loose!

I have done all the oil changes since, and I put it on by hand and take it off by hand... ..... No wrench and No leaks Must be holding my mouth right.

 

[illflem]

Apparently the problem is the wrong type of gasket rubber on a run of filters, they know the problem and have corrected but there still maybe some of the old style circulating. A couple years ago you used to see posts about the oil filter from heII all the time, yours is the first in a long time.

 

[Rd.Runnr]

I have it "from a reliable source" that King Kong installed mine. :-laf. Seriously the first time was a bear: chanel-lock pliers shorted alternator & blew fuse. Took a week for batteries to get weak enough to trip check guages light. Thru two CDTs I have never used a wrench to tighten the new filter. Never had a leak either & filters are still tight when changed.

 

[Morphious]

Magilla Gorilla the five dollar an hour monkey mechanic... .



I remember taking off the first one, after breaking my oil filter wrench I had used for years, I got out the hammer and screw driver and got that sucker off. I always put them on with my hand and can get them back off by hand.



Morph.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I like these Channellocks.

#ad




I have both sizes, the smaller is fine.

 

[shendren]

i use the strap wrench and if needed, a cheater bar on the end of the 1/2" ratchet.

 

[Briar Hopper]

I read about that problem here, before my first oil change, so I was prepared. I simply took it to the Valvoline Instant Oil Change in town, and enjoyed the show. Took a lot of self control not to laugh out loud, more than once , during the whole episode. More cussing and screaming than an aircraft carrier full of sailors with the clap, coming off shore leave in Manila.

Oil filter is probably installed by a robot, and I doubt the seal gets oiled first.

 

[tazzen]

were do you get that strap wrench from the one you use the 1/2" rachet on.

 

[Scot]

I have a 3 pronged/arm filter wrench (KD?) that goes on the bottom of the filter. It has a 3/8 drive hole on the bottom. The tighter you pull it, the more it pulls the prongs/arms in. Works great!

 

[David Muench]

Mongo.



Took me a lot of cursing and a nylon strap type wrench on my 2001. 5 too. .

 

[wcaldwell]

:--) Good description of the event, Briar.

 

[ftb87]

Mine was the same also. I think I know who installed the oil filters at the factory. You know that guy on the commercial that twist the juice cartons (that has popeye sized forarms). That's who did it .



Frank

 

[EScott]

Originally posted by Scot

I have a 3 pronged/arm filter wrench (KD?) that goes on the bottom of the filter. It has a 3/8 drive hole on the bottom. The tighter you pull it, the more it pulls the prongs/arms in. Works great!

I have a similar wrench, that has server me faithfully for god only knows how long. When I did my first oil change it crushed the crap out of the end of the filter, and started to twist what was left of the shell. I ended up using a strap wrench, and a big hammer...





Erin

 

[hammersley]

QRTRHRS where did you get that?????

QRTRHRS - I bought a cheap POS look-a-like. Is this the best wrench? What do they cost? Does this work easy - what I mean - would you buy it again? I bought a snap-on strap wrench that works great - but it takes more time to set up than I'd like.

 

[Neal Cassady]

Looks something like this

I use something that looks like this, although the one I use was made in China and is much cheaper. Picked mine up at AutoZone for around $5. 00.



Found a picture of mine, I will try to add it below.



Couldn't do it, had to paste them together.





Dave

 

[Briar Hopper]

I have one of those like in Dave's picture, although the strap is much wider, got it from SnapOn as a bonus with some other tools.

I also have a Rigid pipe wrench, that uses a nylon strap, it's just long enough to reach around filters of the size we use.

Lots of different ways to get the filter off... .