Oil filters & how to remove them!

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Fake Concern
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Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by Fake Concern »

After years of having my car serviced at the dealers, in the last few years I have found myself with 4 cars to look after, so have gone back to doing it myself. Lately I always seem to have a problem getting the filter off. With daughter no.1's Clio Mk2 Ph1, I bought a chain wrench, which would not fit between the filter & the subframe! Got it off with an old bike toe strap!
With daughter no.2's Clio Mk2 Ph2, which has a cartridge in a plastic casing, used the toe strap again.
With my wife's Clio Mk1, I bought a strap wrench thinking this had to be the ultimate solution, but it just wouldn't do it. I thought it was because of the limited access, so got it off how I always used to do it, by bashing a Phillips screwdriver right through & turning it! Messy, but effective.
Today I did my own C4 & thought as there is plenty of space around the filter, the strap wrench would work. No such luck, the thing is useless, however tight it is pulled it just slips round, doing nothing (see pic for the type it is). Got it off with the trusty bike toe strap.
So my question is, what do other people use?
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Northern_Mike

Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by Northern_Mike »

Look on ebay for "Oil Filter pliers"

I have a pair. They've shifted every filter I've used them on with ease.

I'll send a link to those like mine when I get near a PC. They were about a fiver.
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by CitroJim »

Northern_Mike wrote:Look on ebay for "Oil Filter pliers"

I have a pair. They've shifted every filter I've used them on with ease.
I have a pair as well. I concur with Mike. Bloody excellent, especially for 'difficult' ones like on the XM 2.0TCT and Activa
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by myglaren »

I've only ever had to employ a strap wrench that fits onto a ½" drive socket extension, but did use my belt before I bought that tool.
Only used once on each car, filters always come off by hand if I have fitted it.
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Post by addo »

Buy the correct "cap" type tool - sized by filter can diameter and number of flutes - for metal canister oil filters (eg, 76/12 fits LS867B), or the appropriate socket for a cartridge type.

EG: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380580741983" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for the overcap tool
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by Chlorate »

I use one of these clever epicyclic gear jobbies:
http://www.lasertools.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=375&item=5099" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I originally bought it because my dad's Vectra has a particularly awkward oil filter that's difficult to get on with a strap wrench and I didn't fancy buying a cup type wrench for his car and never use it again. Bit strange to get them going but it once grips it works great.
Comes with a useful 1/2 to 3/8ths drive adapter too.

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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by dnsey »

My favourite's one of the steel strap type, with a knob for tightening.
They apply even force right round the canister (important for the reuseable housing ones) and make a pretty good job of removing suspension spheres too!
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by red_dwarfers »

Luckily I've not had a huge amount of trouble with filters, nothing a chain wrench won't get at.

Dad tells me the oil filter on our Mk5 Astra is at the back of the engine just below the exhaust manifold...
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Post by addo »

The problem with pliers, straps and chains is they all require good access for "swing" beside the filter - not always feasible, especially in cars fitted with an undertray that has a small access point for filter changing.
Northern_Mike

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Post by Northern_Mike »

addo wrote:The problem with pliers, straps and chains is they all require good access for "swing" beside the filter - not always feasible, especially in cars fitted with an undertray that has a small access point for filter changing.
I've found with the pliers that you can grip filters so well with them that even if you can only move it an inch or so at a time, it's easy to release and grip again. Two bites, then get your hand down and unscrew it as normal. Dead easy.
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by spider »

I use huge water pump pliers to loosen annoying filters too, fits most. I do have a metal strap wrench as well. The only car's I've really had problems with is the 205TD as with its upright filter there's little room to swing a cat (or a strap wrench) between the engine and radiator. I seem to recall the later 206HDi's were very tight for space too between filter and radiator as well.
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by Fake Concern »

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like the pliers type might be the best solution as I have 4 different filters to cater for. I had thought the strap thing I bought would be good, but was useless even with a lot of space around it, I can't see it ever working & will try to take it back, unfortunately I bought it before Christmas!
I like the cap type removers & had one for my V70, but as that was american made it used a srange size square drive hole! Anyway I don't to buy 4 of these!
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by R9UKE »

The pliers are excellent. You can get them in Halfords. Only ever defeated by an Espace V6 for me, which looked like it was wearing the original filter at 99k miles!!
French is best.
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by Fake Concern »

R9UKE wrote:The pliers are excellent. You can get them in Halfords. Only ever defeated by an Espace V6 for me, which looked like it was wearing the original filter at 99k miles!!
I'll have to look there again as the last time I looked, they only had the chain wrench which didn't fit between filter & subframe.
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Re: Oil filters & how to remove them!

Post by VertVega »

I used this kind of oil filter wrench in my Xantia. After trying several different types of tools I think this was the best. It is similar as given in Chlorate's post.
Chlorate wrote:I use one of these clever epicyclic gear jobbies:
http://www.lasertools.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=375&item=5099" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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