Oil Filter Frustration

TMAC · Jul 18, 2006

Well, after taking up most of my time on Sunday and Monday replacing out a passenger side front drive axle and CV joints on my wife's 1997 escort..... which gave me frustration in itself.... I finally found the little time needed to change the oil on my tractor before going to work this afternoon. At least I thought it would be a quick change.

Well, 100 hours ago I had the fifty hour service done at 67 hours by the dealership. Free first service they offered for buying the tractor. I don't know if they tightened the oil filter to tight but, hopefully that's not the case here.

This morning I fired up the tractor and simply took the trash out to the end of the driveway to give the engine oil time to warm up a little before changing it at 170 hours. Once back to the garage I drained the oil. After putting the plugs back in I went to take the filter off and to my surprise I was having difficulty. I have a good oil filter wrench(not the end cap kind) that's more than capably of taking off a filter. After repositioning several times to get a better grip I was getting frustrated. I started to damage the filter so I decided to stop before I did any more damage.

I'm hoping the problem is that I warmed the engine up before changing the oil and therefore the filter seal is a little swollen due to the warm oil. Hence making the filter tighter. I figured I'd give it a chance to cool down and wait until I came home from work tonight around midnight then try again. Hopefully I'm hoping correctly.

What do you all think. Any tips or tricks other than driving the ole screw driver through it if it still will not come loose tonight?

Such a long post for such a simple task.

Thanks,
Greg

DieselMonk · Jul 18, 2006

I've done better that that on a old MF165. I tried so hard, that I broke off my oil filter tool. After that the filter looked like a twisted can of pop. Had no other choice and took a big screw driver, poked that think right through the filter and got it off that way. The filter was totalled in 2 parts after I was done, but that was it. I think what happened there is that the mechanic overtightened the filter a bit. Sorry no pics on that, but I am sure that would of been an interesting one!

TMAC · Jul 18, 2006

DieselMonk said:
I've done better that that on a old MF165.

By the sounds of it I'd say your right. I just put a little dent in this one for now but, thought it would be smart to let it cool down first before going AWall on it. Tonight though if it don't come off I may get the screw driver out. I just hope if it comes to using the screw driver method I get it off before opening it up like a can of bean. That will tic me off. Thanks for relating to my frustation. It helps.

thatguy · Jul 18, 2006

Not to insult your intelligence.. But are you sure you are turning it the correct direction? On my Dodge Ram (w/ cummins) I have to take the filter off from the top, and it never fails that I have to rethink the way I start to turn it because its the wrong way..

For what ever reason I have no problem realizing "righty tighty, lefty loosy" when im on the ground looking up at the filter.. But when Im looking at the filter from the top (it holds a qt of oil so it mounts from the bottom) i get turned around.

good luck

Brian

MrJimi · Jul 18, 2006

Looking at your filter closer? the wrinkles go to the right? as if you have been tightening it, does anyone else see what I see?
Jim

Inspector507 · Jul 18, 2006

MrJimi said:
Looking at your filter closer? the wrinkles go to the right? as if you have been tightening it, does anyone else see what I see?
Jim

It's hard to tell which direction the wrinkles were made, but try putting the filter wrench down closer to the end where the factory dimples are. The wrench will get a better bite there.

TMAC · Jul 18, 2006

I was turning it to the right/correct way or the left way which ever seems fit to say.

Lefty loosy righty tighty is the method I use as well. The dents are from the filter wrench where the revits attach to the handle mechanism/assembly. It's not the result from the filter starting to twist otherwise I'd probably have a twist/dents around the circumference of the filter. It wouldn't hurt if I had a little smaller filter wrench however this one is suppose to be a one for all. Thanks for all the posts.

MrJimi · Jul 18, 2006

Sears makes a real good strap wrench, I think they come in a set of 2. They adjust to any size very easely and have you tried to put a rag or a piece of rubber to take up the slack? I have to do that on my Chevy S-10 filter and it works good. strap wrench below
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=00945571000&vertical=Sears&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Jim

TMAC · Jul 18, 2006

I do have almost that exact strap wrench except mine is all plastic. My father has it at his house at this time. I was actually looking for that wrench thinking I might be able to use it but, after looking at the situation I don't know how much good it will do me because of the angle of clearance. Here's a wrench similar to what I'm using except it has the rubber on the inside for better grip. Wrench

I have been known to use a leather belt if nothing else. I did try that but, I couldn't get as good of grip as I could with the wrench.

chanceu · Jul 18, 2006

I had the same problem at my 50 hour. I assume the filter was put on at the factory so I have no idea why it would be so tight. I had no problem with the hydraulic or HST filter, but the engine oil filter was a booger.

I couldn't get a regular filter wrench to tighten on it enough so I bought a set of the aforementioned strap wrenches at Lowe's. I almost broke the strap wrench, but I finally got it off and I was turning it the right way.