Stuck Oil Filter

tcawley29

Hi guys, have a 2006 toyota corolla hatchback 1.4 diesel with a 1nd-tv engine. Tried to do an oil change today, drained the oil no problem but i cant get the oil filter off. I tried by hand and using a chain band wrench while the engine was warm but they were no help and it is a must that i have the car back up and running by thursday morning. Has anyone here got any tips as to what i should try. Thanks Tommy

conzy

Hammer an old screwdriver through it and use that to unscrew it.

Country style!

tcawley29

conzymaher wrote: »

Hammer an old screwdriver through it and use that to unscrew it.

Country style!

you're the second person to suggest that in the last 10 minutes but i would only try that as a very last resort

biko

Put the chain band as close to the "base" as possible, then a **** load of pulling will do it.
I've put screwdrivers through before and it can get messy when you're underneath it.

You can try to spray the base connection with penetrating oil and leave it overnight.
Remember to wipe of the oil afterwards from engine.

piston

Get yourself one of these - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Draper-Expert-3-Leg-Oil-Fuel-Filter-Removal-Tool-Wrench-37871-/140745852232?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item20c51b4548 should be available from any decent motor factors.

Otherwise, the screwdriver trick will work but make sure it's a old screwdriver you don't care about and make sure it's a strong one. Also have a few rags handy as it's a messy affair.

biko

How long has the old filter been there?

dodderangler

Big water pump pliers do the job handy enuff if u don have an oil filter cap or ok way of puttin screwdriver tru it and turn but can be quite messy

dgt

projectgtr

Believe it or not the last stuck filter i couldnt get off by hand or by using a wrench, i took off with SANDPAPER , just wrap a half sheet around the filter (sand facing toward the filter) and turn by hand, this has gotten me out of a hole a few times in the past and was one of the best bits of advice i got from a mechanic. Let us know how you get on. Id be the same id only use the screw driver as a last resort.

tcawley29

biko wrote: »

How long has the old filter been there?

september 2011

tcawley29

projectgtr wrote: »

Believe it or not the last stuck filter i couldnt get off by hand or by using a wrench, i took off with SANDPAPER , just wrap a half sheet around the filter (sand facing toward the filter) and turn by hand, this has gotten me out of a hole a few times in the past and was one of the best bits of advice i got from a mechanic. Let us know how you get on. Id be the same id only use the screw driver as a last resort.

tried and failed. spent 30 mins trying.
thanks to all for help but dad just went and attacked it with the screwdriver trick and its off now, new filter and fully synthetic oil in place thank god i dont have to do this for another 15000-20000km
thanks again everyone

clintondaly

As far as i am aware there is a socket available for taking off Toyota oil filters.

dodderangler

tcawley29 wrote: »

projectgtr wrote: »

Believe it or not the last stuck filter i couldnt get off by hand or by using a wrench, i took off with SANDPAPER , just wrap a half sheet around the filter (sand facing toward the filter) and turn by hand, this has gotten me out of a hole a few times in the past and was one of the best bits of advice i got from a mechanic. Let us know how you get on. Id be the same id only use the screw driver as a last resort.

tried and failed. spent 30 mins trying.
thanks to all for help but dad just went and attacked it with the screwdriver trick and its off now, new filter and fully synthetic oil in place thank god i dont have to do this for another 15000-20000km
thanks again everyone

Well before its due again think u should invest in a filter cap get Japanese ones to fit jap cars can be fairly cheap aswell in motor factors

pa990

K&N filters have a handy nut on them to make them easy to remove.

eliminates the need for any special tools

philstar

tcawley29 wrote: »

you're the second person to suggest that in the last 10 minutes but i would only try that as a very last resort

but you'll never going to use that filter again, so bang in that screwdriver

Mycroft H

These are the businesses
http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-1773631-9-Inch-Vise-Grip-Filter/sim/B0052XR0FS/2

The vise grip version is even better.


Screw driver works, but it's messy

kilianmanning

Try putting some sandpaper around the filter & twist, should give a lot more grip, unless it is completely welded to the engine it'll come off.

Jimdagym

philstar wrote: »

but you'll never going to use that filter again, so bang in that screwdriver

But the filters can shear, and then you have a whole new bigger problem.

Atlantic Dawn

Try this style one, Halfords have them, gets a real good grip and low chance of it piercing the filter...

trixyben

Same happended me when changing oil filter on and 06 corolla, tried those clamps, wrenches anything I could to avoid using the screwdriver method but couldnt move it at all, but it was the screwdriver method which did the trick in the end...mind you if that was to fail and you have the filter ripped to bits your in for a very messy job indeed

vectra

Pair of Marigold gloves could get a grip on things

philstar

Jimdagym wrote: »

But the filters can shear, and then you have a whole new bigger problem.

ah go way out of that,

i've taken loads off using the screwdriver method with no hassle

unkel

BX 19 wrote: »

These are the businesses
http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-1773631-9-Inch-Vise-Grip-Filter/sim/B0052XR0FS/2

That's what I used, worked great.

Atlantic Dawn

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Try this style one, Halfords have them, gets a real good grip and low chance of it piercing the filter...

I have one of them for the guts of 10 years now, fine job in fairness.

Back to the OP, was the filter seal lubed with fresh oil and not put on too tigthly at time of install? I've never come across an oil filter that was too much hassle to get off, I did encounter one or two sump plugs that wouldn't play ball alright.

Nissan doctor

The 'screw driver' method can work but its very much the backstreet bandit way to do it. Punching a screw driver through the filter can cause pieces of the internal filter material to come off and these could possibly then be sucked into the oil system after the new filter is fitted.

@op What tool are you using to try to get the filter off? The most difficult filters I've ever had to remove where either long(like years rather then months) overdue a change or where fitted with no oil on the seal.

Ded_Zebra

I would never be brave enough to use the screwdriver method. As it is now you can't change the filter. But you can still fill it with oil and use the car short term. If you still can't turn it with a screwdriver then you are fcuked because your filter is full of holes.

lomb

The Audi TT Mk1 is a bastard..
I tried everything and then I got this http://www.tooled-up.com/Artwork/ProdZoom/DRA56137.jpg
Draper cloth strap wrench.
That is the only thing that works with the access problem on that.
I have the one Unkel has , the other 2 listed above and the huge cup spanner also and the strap is the only thing that worked.

Id never use a screwdriver, too back street merchant and could do more harm than good as Nissan Doc says.

tcawley29

RoverJames wrote: »

I have one of them for the guts of 10 years now, fine job in fairness.

Back to the OP, was the filter seal lubed with fresh oil and not put on too tigthly at time of install? I've never come across an oil filter that was too much hassle to get off, I did encounter one or two sump plugs that wouldn't play ball alright.

not a clue, was bought with a full service carried out by the dealer i bought it off. they used 10w-40 oil if that makes a difference. i used 5w-30 fully synthetic

tcawley29

Nissan doctor wrote: »

The 'screw driver' method can work but its very much the backstreet bandit way to do it. Punching a screw driver through the filter can cause pieces of the internal filter material to come off and these could possibly then be sucked into the oil system after the new filter is fitted.

@op What tool are you using to try to get the filter off? The most difficult filters I've ever had to remove where either long(like years rather then months) overdue a change or where fitted with no oil on the seal.

i was reluctant to use the screw driver method yet i did it as a last resort and all went well thank god. however instead of punching the hole through i used a drill instead (less brute force). i was using a chain strap wrench but that was no help. someone posted on this earlier about a cap wrench fitting i could buy to put over the filter which i will certainly be getting for next time.
thanks to everyone for their replies and advice. its been an education.

CJhaughey

tcawley29 wrote: »

i was reluctant to use the screw driver method yet i did it as a last resort and all went well thank god. however instead of punching the hole through i used a drill instead (less brute force).

:eek:I would rather use a screwdriver than take the chance of drill swarf entering the engine.

tcawley29

CJhaughey wrote: »

:eek:I would rather use a screwdriver than take the chance of drill swarf entering the engine.

wasn't me that did it but what you are saying makes sense. the other think is that by belting a screwdriver into the side of the filter you may risk damaging the threads. either way its done now and the engine seems to run perfectly. i will be taking the car for a spin into town later on just to be sure. should i attempt to retorque the drain .plug when i get back or should it be good enough. twisted it as hard as i could but it was hard to work from an awkward angle.

L-M

pa990 wrote: »

K&N filters have a handy nut on them to make them easy to remove.

eliminates the need for any special tools

http://3rdstrikeperformance.com/images/HP-2004.jpg

Loads of brands have that "handy" nut on top.

iMO, they're crap. i've had a few shear off on me and cause a mess.

Twice, once on a bora and once on a Golf (same engine) i had to use a screwdriver on the metal edge of the filter and hammer i lip on it, then hammer it around loose, and twice the bold holding the filter in came out as well. (it's just threads both ends.)

Pain in the arse. Car are "easy service" on paper, but there's alot that can go wrong and easily.

firefly08

Another trick - I have done this but I hesitate to recommend it - maybe someone can verify if it's safe: slipping a razor blade or stanley knife blade between the filter and the block and running it around as much of the circumference of the filter as possible. You have to be careful not to scratch the block, which is why I hesitate to recommend it, but if you keep the blade nice and flat you can help to break the seal without doing any damage. That said, I don't know how much it really helps - when I did it, it still took me a good while to get the filter off.

I have learned to avoid any tools that pinch or squeeze the filter - chain or jaw/vice-grips type tools are the devil as far as I'm concerned because if they fail to work they damage the filter, making the use of other tools difficult or impossible. Large surface area contact is the key. Rubber gloves, sandpaper, strap wrenches etc. are the way to go imo.