Oil Filter Wrench?

[CinneaghTR]

Does anyone use a particular type of spin-on oil filter wrench that they like?

I bought one of those cap-types that I pre-fit to the filter and it worked for a while before just spinning on the head. I probably need the next smaller size, but I thought I would ask.

I am thinking about this one.

Thanks!

 

[bill_young]

I think over the years I've tried almost all of them except the one shown in your photo. The main problem is on some cars there's a lack of clearance for the type shown and the cap type or a band type with a swivel head is about the only thing that will fit, such as the one pictured from K/D tools. I have noticed that any tool that doesn't spread the force equally around the filter tends to colapse the housing and then it's a real pain to remove. That's why I tend to use a band type tool. Even a chain or strap wrench tends to apply force to an area just under the head of the tool and can push in the side of the cannister.

 

[tony barnhill]

with Bill....plus, yours looks like it might punch a hole in the filter if compressed too much...that'd make a mess in the engine compartment/garage floor.

 

[TR3driver]

I guess I'm on the other side; I mostly just use some big slip-joint pliers and let them crush the can a little. Doesn't seem to hurt anything, it's not like I would want to try to use it again. I've got several of those band-type things, but never seem to pick up the one that fits.

And on a Triumph, you're going to spill some oil anyway. If the can does get punctured (which in my experience is unlikely), it just spills more oil into the catch pan.

 

[PC]

...I bought one of those cap-types that I pre-fit to the filter and it worked for a while before just spinning on the head....

Was it a plastic one? Was it slipping on the filter or at the wrench interface?

I had a plastic one (similar to the below pic) that grabbed the filter OK but the 3/8” square drive hole rounded out instantly the first time I tried it. The hex drive held up for a while.

I finally got all metal ones for each of the filters I change often and have been very pleased.

I’ve only ever owned one car that enough had room to swing a strap wrench (which I own but have never used), let alone a pair of filter pliers. I really like the filter “sockets.”

side note: K&N oil filter have hex flats (and safety wire holes) built in.


pc.

 

[CinneaghTR]

Thanks, guys. There sure are a lot of choices, but I don't want to become an oil filter wrench collector. If anything turns out really useful, I'll let you know.

 

[CinneaghTR]

side note: K&N oil filter have hex flats (and safety wire holes) built in.


pc.

Yeah, the K&N is attractive from that standpoint.

I have a metal cap type. The Fram-O Wham-O filter that I have has the black rough top, which it was slipping on rather than gripping.

 

[RonMacPherson]

Steady,old reliable. I have a strap wrench with socket head on each end of the winder... Forget who made it, but it was one of the aftermarkets like Lisle, OTC... Works on all canister filters..

 

[DrEntropy]

Yup. Strap style. I have two sizes of the "fixed" variety and one "universal" like Ron describes. Usually I grab the latter.

Funny, did a pal's Pontiac Sunbird L.O.F. yesterday, my tools are fifty miles south of me just now... used a PIPE WRENCH on the filter. Was able to get a purchase on it and cheat it off. Whatever works! :wink:

 

[GregW]

You guys don't just unscrew them with your hand?

 

[tony barnhill]

You guys don't just unscrew them with your hand?

You just screw them on by hand?

 

[GregW]

You don't want to crush the O-ring. Looking for a couple minutes, the torque to put a filter on my motorcycle is 7 ft/lbs.

 

[tony barnhill]

hmmmm......never done that!

 

[TR3driver]

I do put them on by hand; but rarely can I remove them the same way. The gasket seems to swell or something.

 

[GregW]

Do you oil the gasket/O-ring before installing it?

 

[TR3driver]

Do you oil the gasket/O-ring before installing it?

I do, per the instructions on the box.

It also says to tighten by 3/4 to 1 turn, after the gasket makes contact.

 

[JamesWilson]

I do put them on by hand; but rarely can I remove them the same way. The gasket seems to swell or something.

Maybe the heat affects the seal...

 

[Mark Jones]

The oil fiters on any of the cars I have had or presently have always call for hand tightening the filter.

As for getting it off, I have found the strap type to work the best. Once in a blue moon I can get the filter off with my hands.

 

[Banjo]

Being a pro technician I get to try and remove the filters that all the gorillas that work at the jiffy lubes torque down to oblivian. I have 2 of those "pliar" type wrenches. a big and a small. they work very well on most cars. Yes they crush to filter a bit, but I've never had one poke a hole. The other one I have is an expandable cup type. there are two "ears" that tighten togeather as you turn the filter off. that one works well on a lot of forign cars. Toyota, Subaru, and others where you can get a straight shot but it's up in there a ways. but it won't work on badly overtorqued filters.
then all said and done I replace the filters so they will be much easier to remove next time. Snug, not torqued to 100 LbFt
Drain plugs are even worse sometimes. I should never see a stripped drain plug, or one with a rounded off head. But it's far too common.

 

[swift6]

Just out of High School I was one of those Jiffy Lube gorillas. Although I never gave the filters that I put on more than a hand snugging, I encountered more than my fair share of filters that seemed to be welded to the engine. Those filters were destroyed in order to remove them. The best i could guess on why those were so hard to remove were that there had been no oil smeared on the filter gasket when it was installed, then it was over tightened on that dry rubber gasket.

I can give you quite a list of horrible cars to change the oil filters on.