RangerMan Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 On Saturday my neighbor stopped by asking if I had a filter wrench small enough to get his Scion's oil filter off. Unfortunately the answer was no, but I did have a rubber strap wrench and said first try to get it off using sand paper to get a better grip and if that didn't work the strap wrench should. No dice. That sucker was on there HARD. We bought tried to get it off and couldn't. So I told him I would give him a ride to the store to get a better wrench (one that would tighten up as you loosened the filter). After I finished changing my own oil on the LGT we ride over to the store, get new wrench that seemed like it would work and try again on his car. Nothing, couldn't get any friction on the filter and just kept spinning around. So I say, we'll put a screwdriver through it and that will give us enough leverage to get the thing off. So I put a screwdriver through it and can't remove it. My neighbor is shocked at this point and I am in for the duration since this is the family's only car and I just put a hole in the filter. But that hole had a bright spot. It gave the little filter-wrench a spot to get some purchase, combined with basically trying to hold the wrench in place with my left arm and pulling to loosen it on the ratchet with my right arm I finally got it off. I thought I was going to break my back though! Seriously this thing was on tighter than most lug nuts! If I had had my welder I would have welded some nails or points onto that self tightening filter wrench...that would have done the trick! Sunday changed the oil in my wife's car. So in the last week I've done 5 oil changes all said and done..I think I should just open my own lube place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Try the K&N oil filters, they seem to be very stout and have the advantage of having a 1" lug nut shaped stamping welded to the bottom. Just put a 1" driver on, and it comes off easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wukindada Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 It surprises me how often shops tighten well past a 1/4 turn with a wrench........... The K&N feature is very nice & all premium filters should have that option. Toyota 6EATS .........SUCK!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerMan Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 It surprises me how often shops tighten well past a 1/4 turn with a wrench........... The K&N feature is very nice & all premium filters should have that option. I could not believe how tight they had my neighbors filter on. It was seriously pure determination that got it off...that and not wanting to pay to have his car towed! That sounds real nice about the K&N filters. I'll keep that in mind for myself, but now that I change all my own oil I don't have an issue. Don't even get my started about the drain plugs...The first time I changed the oil myself on the Legacy I needed a rubber mallet and a box end wrench to get that thing off...I would have used a breaker bar but they car was only so far off the ground! The alternative for those places is MUCH worse though (oil filter falling off)...saw that happen on the road once. I flashed the guy, honked, waved telling him to pull over. He thought I was crazy and drove away. About 5 miles later his car was DOA on the side of the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wukindada Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Drain plugs...... A buddy of mine had a 05 Acura TL, he needed a flat repair & took the the to Walmart to get it done. The "service advisor":rolleyes::lol: Convinced him he needed a oil change..... Long story short the tire tech/ oil changer used a impact gun for removal & replacement of the drain plug. A new oil pain had to be purchased @ my buddy's expense, the car had less than 15k on the odo.... Never have a business change your oil;) Toyota 6EATS .........SUCK!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerMan Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 Drain plugs...... A buddy of mine had a 05 Acura TL, he needed a flat repair & took the the to Walmart to get it done. The "service advisor":rolleyes::lol: Convinced him he needed a oil change..... Long story short the tire tech/ oil changer used a impact gun for removal & replacement of the drain plug. A new oil pain had to be purchased @ my buddy's expense, the car had less than 15k on the odo.... Never have a business change your oil;) That is just crazy. My father is a Wal-mart manager and said he won't even take his care to their lube service! I have only been screwed at the shop once and it was the last time I have taken my car to a shop (1 year ago June). Do everything myself now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NutBucket Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Same thing happened with my parent's camry. Luckily the screwdriver-through-the-filter trick didn't let me down. But it was on there damned tight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
han Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Hehe, I am a tech at toyota and the only time i have a hard time getting filters off are the factory original, first time oil change oil filters... Maybe the car being on a lift makes it easier to take off the filters with oil filter wrenches but I never had a problem with take oil filters off of any car... especially Scions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkl303 Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 My brothers prelude was pissing me off for quite some time as they hide the oil filter pretty high up there and last time the goon whoever did his last oil change freaking tighted that #$(*er on tight. Had to jack the car up pretty high to get the proper leverage to remove that sucker. Good luck with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerMan Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 Same thing happened with my parent's camry. Luckily the screwdriver-through-the-filter trick didn't let me down. But it was on there damned tight! There is nothing worse than that trick not working... Leverage was good on the Scion. It was just cranked. If I already had my mig welder I would have modified that wrench to have some little nails/points to really grab on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NutBucket Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 There is nothing worse than that trick not working... Leverage was good on the Scion. It was just cranked. If I already had my mig welder I would have modified that wrench to have some little nails/points to really grab on. At least they have two cars:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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