| Author | Message | ||
     Aeroe |
Went to take the oil filter off yesterday and the efing thing was seized on there. So I sprayed some deep creep in there and tried again, nothing. I tried to loosen it by hand, oil filter wrench, channel locks. still nothing. Finally I just stabbed a screwdriver through it and got it to move a little (1/8 of a turn), but really just managed to tear up the filter real bad. So before I did something stupid, I decided to just spray it with some more deep creep and leave it over night. When out there today and it hadn't done a damn thing. So I went to Home Depot and got a big set of channel locks...and managed to tear the bottom half of the filter off. And before you ask, yes I'm turning the filter the correct way. I've checked myself over and over again. So here I am, with no clue what to do. Any suggestion? | ||
| Hughlysses |
If you trust yourself, get a metal chisel and hammer. If you don't have a chisel, a big flat blade screwdriver will work. Place the tip of the chisel against the base of the filter (the little raised edge where the base is crimped onto the can) on the left side of the filter at approximately a 45 degree angle and tap the chisel with your hammer. Increase the force on the hammer as necessary. Use care not the gouge the engine cases. Keep working it and hopefully the filter base will start turning. Odds are the last person that changed the oil didn't pre-lube the oil filter gasket and it's glued itself to the engine case. Important safety tip for next time- always lube that gasket prior to installing the filter. | ||
| Aeroe |
...Ya, I was the last one. I put oil on the ring, but obviously not enough. There's also rust at the base, so I'm wondering how far in it goes. Any more importantly, why it's there. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
just guessing here................. Perhaps you could take a very thin steel wire, like the top string of a guitar, and pull that through the joint where the filter is attached to the engine to break the rubber seal. Of course you would want to wrap the wire around a couple of wood handles or something so it would not cut your hands. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Travis, Just out of curiosity, how tight do you put the filter on? I've noticed that many people over tighten oil filters like they think they're going to just fall off. They should just be a bit snug, not tight. The general rule is 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn after the gasket makes first contact with the filter adapter. That all said, the filter on my Sportster would still get really tight. I always forgot to have an oilfilter wrench around, so I usually had to stab it with a screwdriver. Messy, but I never failed to get it off that way. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Drill or poke a hole on the bottom and drain it first to avoid a mess. Then try a strap wrench as close the crimp as you can get it. My fall back if the strap wrench does not work is a huge pair of water pump pliers I have. I grip it right at the crimp and have at it. After a fraction of a turn, the strap wrench will work. That has not failed me yet as long as the filter is where I can get at it. The H-D engines have an occasional problem with a filter vibrating loose, that may be why they get overtightened. If you slide a hose clamp over the filter and up against the crimp ring and snug that down with the clamping screw at the bottom, the filter can only turn a fraction of a turn before that contacts the crankcase and keeps the filter from loosening any further. I look at the location of the clamping screw when I do engine checks to see if it is in the same place I left it. I did this on my M2 and have it on my FXD now too. West Marine has some very good, heavy duty, SS marine hose clamps that are prefect for this, you need the 75mm/3" size. Jack | ||
| Reepicheep |
This happened to me a long time ago on a friends ancient Impala. It was a major PITA there because I had bad / no tools, and the location to work on the car was awful, and the location of the filter was awful. I ended up getting it off by pounding a punch up against the steel baseplate of what was left of the filter at sharp angle (in the direction of rotation) Heating up that plate would probably help as well, but don't melt up the rubber seal. If it was my bike and it happened to me today, I might be tempted to buy a cheap and big impact socket, and weld four or so strong "pins" to it that I know will fit into the filter base holes, then hit the thing with my pneumatic impact wrench. Not necessarily because that would be the easiest way, just because I am always looking for excuses to weld  | ||
| Disturbed |
Stab it through the heart with a giant screwdriver, seriously. ^_^ | ||
| Saintly |
This happens often with auto filters. its easy to get off once you've torn the bottom off like you stated. Use two phillips stuck into the holes of the base, then twist on the phillips with a BIG flat tip or any large bar. The torque will be directed right to the stuck base. see pic.  | ||
| Saintly |
P.S. Rye bread & grated cheese not required for this labor op, but they dont hurt either! | ||
| Interex2050 |
For the future... K&N makes a really nice oil filter, that has a nut welded to the bottom of the filter. Not to mention it is already pre-drilled for safety wiring. The part number is KN-177 | ||
| Aeroe |
MWAHAHAHAHA VICTORY!!!! Ended up beating it off with a chisel and a hammer. I'm thinking that I had it way too tight last night around. But I only hand tighten the oil filters  | ||
| Aeroe |
I've heard bad things about K&N though. Saintly, That's a good idea, wish I'd though of that 45 minutes ago. Future reference, thanks! (Message edited by aeroe on February 19, 2007) | ||
| Spiderman |
>>>P.S. Rye bread & grated cheese not required for this labor op, but they dont hurt either! "Honey, why does the parmesan cheese taste like 10W30?" | ||
| Interex2050 |
Really? I am curious to find out what is wrong with them... I have been running them for past two oil changes and no problems that I have noticed. Please do tell | ||
| Aeroe |
The Aftermath:  | ||
| Treadmarks |
For the future... K&N makes a really nice oil filter, that has a nut welded to the bottom of the filter. Not to mention it is already pre-drilled for safety wiring. The part number is KN-177 +1 for the K&N 177, that is all I would use. I buy them online, 4 at a time. | ||
| Molly_hatchet |
i think saintly has found the holy grail of working on ur buell...first bring it into the kitchen,,,then break out the snacks....although i havent seen beer yet....now im on the edge of my seat waiting to see what food i need to have present to change my plugs. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Glad you got it off. I've never heard/read anything bad about K&N oil filters. There is a lot of debate about how well their air filters work. | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
I've been buying Supertech filters from Wallyworld for about a $1.50. They do what they're supposed to do I suppose. And before I get chastised for using cheap filters, I have to say I run heavy duty diesel oil and change it every thousand miles. Before that, I was buying Wix filters from an autoparts store. They were about $5.00. Both do the same thing IMO, so I save a few bucks. I also only hand-tighten to about 1/2 a turn beyond gasket contact. Haven't had a leak yet, and I am always able to get them off by hand. | ||
| Hellonwheels |
I used a large pair of channel locks...Mine was stuck too.....I tore the thing in half and made a huge mess! I put tons of oil on the seal and made sure it was just snug.... | ||
| Reepicheep |
I liked the supertech filters, they were very nicely made. Now my local walmart only stocks Fram, which I historically tried to avoid. They look like better made filters now, so I bought one to try for the next change. I'll take it apart after I use it and see how well it looks like it was built. | ||
| Cmm213 |
It looks like you taped a silver salute to it and let it have it! good show | ||
| Aeroe |
Maybe I'm getting the oil filter confused with the air filter. Anyone heard anything bad about K&N oil filters? | ||
| Bross |
Glad you got it off. I haven't had any trouble with stubborn filters since I bought my strap wrench.  | ||
| Rasmonis |
I'm an oil filter mangler. I have crappy oil filter wrenches, need to get a strap wrench. My last battle with an oil filter left it's remains in many pieces. I wish I'd thought of that screwdriver trick. I ended up using vice grips and I slowly (very slowly and carefully)removed it by attaching to the lip on the inside of the filter. In the end both the oil filter remains (by this time I had nothing to grab on to, it was just a lid) and the bolt that connects the filter to the block came off. Took forever, and pissed me off the whole time. |
