Stuck oil filter!

[epbrown]

Did my winter oil change today and ran into trouble. I had my last oil change performed while my car was in for service, and they stuck that sucker on tight (or the person that "hand tightened" it was the Incredible Hulk). It won't budge.

I've read advice that if you can't get it off by hand you can poke a screwdriver through it and turn it. I now have two screwdrivers that look like rigatoni and an old oil filter with two holes in it. Ever start a 911 with a hole in your filter? Follow-up question: ever see those birds after the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez?

I tried one of those filter wrenches at Sears, and it wasn't up to the job either. How the heck do I get this thing off?

Emanuel

[Hugh R]

Try a chain wrench or a strap wrench from Sears. You've probably twisted the can of the filter so you'll need to get as close to the mounting plate as possible.

[joehahn]

...how big were those screwdrivers? hopefully not the size that you fix your glasses with? (that was an attempt at humor...iv'e been in your shoes). get a bigger screwdriver, jam that mo-fo in there and try again. if that doesn't work go in closet and get a thick leather belt and sinch the crap out of it and pull while grabbing the end of the filter and turning the tip of it with your free hand. make sure you put belt as close to the screw end as possible. also, not sure if you tried an actual "filter wrench" or the bob vila "strap wrench" thing from sears but i have one of those and it works well too. good luck

joe 68 L

[CarreraS2]

Screwdriver? Uggh, that's gonna be a lot of oil to clean up. Kind of unnecessary hackery too, when the filter is so easily accessed.

Just get the strap wrench or a filter wrench. It'll come off nice and clean.

[no substitute]

The giant slipjoint style oil filter pliers should work. Crush and twist that tin can out of there.

[masraum]

If the body of the filter is too screwed for the big pliers, strap wrench, etc to work you can always use a punch and hammer to twist the the thing back by hammering at an angle counter clockwise at the base of the filter.

My father had his filter changed at one of those oil change places when I was in high school, they put the filter on so tight that the filter wrench wouldn't budge it, the screw drivers tore through the filter body until all that was left of the filter on the car was the mounting plate. I had to use a hammer and chisel to spin the thing off.

Oh, yeah, and we never went back there again.

[RSBob]

My fave is a tool purachased at the local auto parts which is like a large socket, which has the same shape as the end of the filter, and you use your ratchet to losen. Has never failed and you don't have to mangle or puncture the filter.

[no substitute]

The giant socket type are okay for not too tight filters, but I've had them slip on the snug ones. The pliers type do crunch the filter, but they've never failed to loosen the tight ones.

[epbrown]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Sad to say, the first screwdriver was from my Porsche kit . I'll give the chain wrench/strap wrench a try. Then it's time to clean my engine bay

Emanuel

[Wavey]

You can also slip a strip of sandpaper between a standard oil filter wrench and the oil filter to imporove the grip.

[toolman]

I always use my Blue Point large channelock pliers on those.

[azasadny]

Emanuel,

When it comes time to clean the oil up, I've had good results with Simple Green (full strength) and BIX Concrete Cleaner for the garage floor. Hope this helps!

[pwd72s]

No matter how you get the old one off, be sure to place a film of oil on the gasket of your replacement filter...so this doesn't happen again.