Steez26

ok so i was changing my oil something i do every three months so at this point its no biggie .....but for some reason this time around the damn oil filter wont budge. I am using a filter wrench and the other loop type thing but its not budging i really dont feel like sticking a screwdriver through it but i will if i have to. any suggestions or tips to remove it?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i had the same problem one time even with lubing the rubber gasket. you may want to try those adjustable oil filter wrenches that strap around the whole filter near the engine instead of on the end. do not stick any screwdriver, you could scratch the mating surface.

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

The screwdriver trick works but you need to know where to do it. Did you put oil around the rubber part last time you installed it? Are you trying to do this when your motor is hot or cold? Do what gearbox said and use the channel lock type wrenches. Or if your really cheap you can just use a channel lock but be careful not to puncutre the filter or else it will be a dirty job. It has happened to me before.

seoul4korea

Hey gear I think he was talking about stabbing the oil filter threw the side and unscrewing it that way. The only problem would be if he couldn't get it lose.... because now he's have two holes in his filter walls.

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

That happened to me on my boat ^^ Holy ****ing **** if the screwdriver trick fails your are officially ****ED!! My dad made a tool to go into the filter holes to take it out once the filter was cut in to two halfs..and I sliced my finger on the filter.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

oh haha wow never heard of stabbing it before. sounds messy

Vilex

iTrader: (2)

Adjustable chain wrench works pretty good too. I use one on mine and does the job pretty good. Only problem is it scuffs up the filter a bit, but who cares since it's going in the trash anyways.

greeen01civic4d

iTrader: (7)

3 options

1. strap wrench
2. chain wrench
3. take it to an oil change place/friend who has some muscles

best option, stop taking gearbox's advice, completely full of bs

seoul4korea

Mmm you seem to have something with gear box.....

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

same thing eh?

greeen01civic4d

iTrader: (7)

nah, just bad advice

greeen01civic4d

iTrader: (7)

yep, sure is

seoul4korea

To the original poster. I would take this into consideration. If you can't seem to get it off with the tools at hand I would take it to a shop. That way if THEY **** up then they have to fix it. Just make sure you mark your oil filter so you know they actually changed it and make sure you check as well.

-Chris

Steez26

thanks guys i do have the strap wrench and i did lube up the rubber part before the install last time the only difference is i switched it from a fram oil filter to royal purple. it still seems to be stuck im going to keep on trying tho. Thanks for the help guys

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

No offense to you Seoul, but taking it to a shop is dumb unless they have tools that you dont have access to..Why pay someone to **** it up..just doesnt make much sense to me..sure the liability rests on them, but whos to say that wont be a major pain in the ***.. just my opinion is all..

seoul4korea

^^^ its better then you ****ing it up and having to work on it yourself to try and make ends meet. Besides that is a last resort he's already stated that he hasn't been able to get it off. He doesn't have alot of choice from here. It may cost some money but how much does an oil change really cost? I mean are people that cheap that they don't want to get an oil change to try and see if the shop can remove it with they're tools?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

well, ive been finding out that most shops are not able to do a simple oil change, even the good ones. which is why i always diy it. everytime i used to take it in, the oil was either too low or way too high. my rear main seal started to leak because of it and still leaks sometimes from what they did. the drain bolt was always too tight, i eventually had to replace it due to the threads being chewn off. they dont use the right weight of oil, they dont use the right sealing washer and i have oil leaking from the plug. they put the filter on as tight as possible with a wrench so that only their machine can take it off. etc. i mean if you think about it, these are not hard problems to be messing up. is it that much trouble to check the dipstick 2-3 times to make sure the level is correct? no, they just take everything off, put it back as tight as possible, grab the nearest oil shooter, and fill it up. its not their car so why would they care. just my experience.

seoul4korea

I agree with the above and normally I would never let anyone change the oil in my supra or my civic. How ever in the situation he's in as far as getting the oil filter off I would consider it. EVEN if that means changing his oil himself after words. Besides you could always inspect the car before you leave the shop. Turn the car on and let it idle for a bit and then recheck the oil. I'm not really saying much it more over a LAST ditch effort. The only thing I wanted him to take out of this was a way to have the oil filter removed safely. The screw driver trick could work but what if it doesnt? Then you cant drive it at all! Just saying if you have to do it to get the filter off then do it. Besides you can be in the room while he does the oil change make sure the guy does the job right and you should be fine.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

heh yeah if the screwdriver fails and cuts open part of the filter, i guess its getting towed somewhere. or better yet just have them loosen the filter and screw it on hand tight. then drive home and try again.

pjb3

I used to use a scredriver on stuck filters until I had one that was too tight and it just tore the filter.
It doesn't always help but I keep a piece of rubber around. Actually it's one of those 5" diameter rubber circles that are used to open stuck jar lids. I clean the filter with something like Simple Green so it gets a good grip, then I place the rubber circle around the filter, then I place the wrench around the rubber circle. Sometimes it gives you just the extra grab or bite that you need to loosen the filter.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

I bet if you take it somewhere and they have too much trouble removing the filter, they will just leave it on and tell you the oil change is finished. That's how much they care.

eLChiCho25

ohhh man... Same thing with me! The OEM filter feels like its welded to the car.. my ring filter wrench broke trying to loosen it.. and its location doesnt give you the best clearence to fit a wrench much less move it an inch.. I think I'll use a cap or universal end cap on this one. WOW..

Mad Dog Tannen

Degrease the filter and get a flat sheet of rubber and it use it to get better grip. If it is anything like my Si there is not enough room to stab it with a screwdriver. Just remember when you put the new one back on that it does not need to be really tight. I cannot believe that a filter wrench did not work. You are talking about the cup shaped socket thing that you use with a ratched/breaker bar right?

civicbyrc

a very large pair of channel lock piers work. If not, there is a tool that looks like three fingers that grab the bottom of the filter that you stick onto a 3/8ths ratchet and that is about the only thing that will take of a stuburn filter.

Mad Dog Tannen

Did you try a oil filter cap wrench?

Here is a link to a pic of one...

http://images.solidcactus.com/autobarn/cta-a265.jpg

eLChiCho25

lol I bought one that fit the mobil1 filter thats going in....but was a mm too big for the blue honda filter I was tryin to get out..

02civicsi02

This happen to me one time. I oiled the rubber gasket and didnt put it on to tight either but when I went to change it the oil filter wrench and the loop one didnt work. Tried the screwdriver one to and it worked like a charm. Though I had to find something to put on the end of the screwdriver to give me some leverage. But it worked like a charm.

T355

When my oil filter is being a pain to get off I just grab a piece of sandpaper and wrap it around it and then give it a turn. Gives you alot better grip and works every time.

Steez26

Old thread. problem was solved i used all of the methods listed above and i finally just used the screwdriver. really dirty process but it worked