Oil filter removal..

[Cam]

yes.. I am serious..

Did the water pump, radiator, added trans cooler yesterday and went to do the oil, aaaaand I can't get the filter off. I've broken 2 of the round type tools and one of them put lovely big dings in the filter.

Many moons ago I had a baaaad experience in an EA after putting a screwdriver through it and trying to bash it off, so was trying to avoid doing that...

any other suggestions? Will one of the clamp style ones that attach to a socket be a better option? I am already $40 down in filter removal tools!

I am 2 days away from heading off caravaning for 6 months so I realllllly don't have time at the moment, getting very close to just calling a mobile mechanic near me at rothwell and telling him to fix it!

Help appreciated!
Cam

[mik]

in the past i have struck some difficult ones, a couple of times i have banged 2 very big screw drivers through the oil filter in different spots giving me a bit of purchase and managed to get them off with this brutality, other times i have used a chisel on the bottom edge /lip of the filter with some carefully well placed blows with my mash hammer and did the job, i`d try a decent filter remover first, imo the best of the best filter removers is the webbing ones, you put your half inch drive ratchet in the end of it and wind up the slack, they fit small filters up to a very large size, and you can put so much leverage on them it`s not funny, i have crushed stubborn filter to about half their size and still pulled them off easily, they take up no room and are just about indestructible .....and cheap, i bought mine from a truck parts place about 16 years ago, still going strong.
http://espimages.biz/2386/I/640/4/AK6402.jpg

[FGII-XR6]

the strap type is best on the AU 6 make sure the strap is as close to the base as you can get

[TheSneakiness]

Had the same problem doing the oil in the Paj one weekend and snapped the filter removal tool, ended up taking it off by hand.

FWIW the Paj oil filter is about the same size as the Z9 on an AU.

[KIWI-1]

That's why I only use K&N oil filters with a nut on the end. ;-)
HP-3001 or PS-3001.

[blueoval]

I have heard these tools work ok


and to some degree these if you have the room


But now I buy the filters with the 1" nut on the end like KIWI suggests. Made by K&N, Drift and I think another brand offers similar.

[FGII-XR6]

the one I was talking about is like the second one above but the strap is like a thick webbing

[mik]

trust me, the mechanical ones just don`t cut the mustard next to the tube and webbing ones, i have even used mine to turn the motor over via the harmonic balancer, you just have to be careful not to spin the balance ring.

[Kryton]

A leather belt will undo any oil filter.

[Evgeni]

I have one of these.


Hasn't failed me in the last 20 years.
The other thing you can try is an air hammer with a punch extension. Stab it and push it around. Works a treat for rounded and seized bolts as well.

[my67xr]

i have had quite a few over the years, the steel strap type, belt type, chain type etc
i had trouble doing the filter on a Nissan 300ZX about 10 years ago, the tool pictured below was the only tool that i could use in the very confined space.
it's got a slight angle from the handle to the gripping end, gets in anywhere i've needed to.
has done me well for the price, cost about $12 from the local parts shop.
it is adjustable, does small 4 cyl filters, and will do falcon ones easily too.




i had to use it last week, on my wifes' friends car.
it's a Hyundai Elantra 2005 model, she has owned it from new and has done low km's in the last 7 years, only 45,000kms.
except that i found out i was giving it it's 2nd service ever.....
the cars other service was at 5000kms
the filter was done up that tight, it was either use this tool, or put a screwdriver through it.
i didn't need the screwdriver.

[Cam]

Thanks all for the advice, called a local mobile mechanic and he said to get the clamp type that was mentioned above.. Even needed a breaker bar for leverage... she was tighter then a nu...nevermind..)
It moved 3 FULL rotations before I could move the oil filter by hand.. I thought the thread was rooted for sure, thankfully not!

[rowan194]

Try changing the filter on a little Toyota Echo. It's partially recessed into the engine so you can't use the strap type wrench, it just ends up fouling on the air conditioning lines. This also means you can't do the screwdriver trick for leverage. I was almost at the point of asking a local mechanic nicely if he'd loosen it for me (with something like the 3 legged tools above) when it came good.

The AU engine is a dream to change in comparison.

[AndrewR_AUII]

Modern cars seem to be designed to be serviced from underneath on a hoist - ones with East-West engines particularly so.

[Evgeni]

Originally Posted by rowan194

Try changing the filter on a little Toyota Echo. It's partially recessed into the engine so you can't use the strap type wrench, it just ends up fouling on the air conditioning lines. This also means you can't do the screwdriver trick for leverage. I was almost at the point of asking a local mechanic nicely if he'd loosen it for me (with something like the 3 legged tools above) when it came good.

The AU engine is a dream to change in comparison.

Toyota's are the reason I originally bought my 3 legged clamp oil remover. Family and friends have had Camry's, Corolla's, Starlets and Echo's dating back to the late 80's and the filters are either right up the front with 2cm's each side to move or under the exhaust heat shield for the older engines. That clamp is one of the best tools I have ever bought!

+1 for the ease of working on a Falcon. Changing parts out on these little Asian motors usually means dropping the thing via a trolley jack and working through a wheel arch.