I am currently in the process of an oil change

sounds fairly easy right? (ive done numerous)

well im at the lovely part of the oil filter.

now as any one with my year bracket of 2.3L 4cyl engines knows the oil filter is mounted on the side horizontal.

PROBLEM!!!
it wont come off at all.
ive tried 3 different band wrenchs, the socket cup you can put on the end if it has the flat sides, and ive already resorted to putting a long handled screwdriver thru the filter.

*edit*
the bottom of the filter is now mashed
*edit*

no budge, at all.


so a headache later and oil everywhere (and yes i mean everywhere) i am coming to you guys to help me out of this pinch.

and btw, im leaving for Colorado on the 5th of January

 

i couldnt get a oil filter off a lawn motor i was rebuiling so i just used some big pliers and got it off i crushed the crap out of it doin that but it worked

 

well see when i put the screwdriver thru it and twisted i was just bending the casing of the filter.

and the last thing i want to do is rip the casing from the threaded ring (as its - not | )

 

Yeh big pair of chanel locks if you can get them in there

 

when i used the pliers it didnt rip the metal, just bent it in

 

alright, ill give it a shot, if all else fails, what should i do? because i need the truck to get to Colorado on Jan 5th

 

I dont really know, never i have never seen one that tight before, too bad your two hours away or id swing by and take a look.

 

lol, if anyone wld be interested in coming out to take a look id be happy to reimburse like $20 for gas, wldnt be able to properly pay tho. and also:

does Ford hate Rangers because i have the Dual Sparkplugs (8 plugs in a 4cyl) but yet the intake side coil pack is located right under and i mean RIGHT under the power steering pump lol?

 

Get one of these and you can even remove the filter if its bent out of shape. And there only like 5 bucks!



This thread makes me glad i go to Ford to get my oil changed. I am good friends with the service manager and mechanic. I get my oil changed, tires rotated and all the fluids topped off for 20 bucks cash!

Wayne

 

The best thing I've found is either the band wrenches (already mentioned) or clean off the filter and dry it, then use rubber dish washing gloves (the blue ones work better than the pink ones) or find a piece of rubber from an innertube that will wrap around the filter. I've always been able to get these off with hand power. In the past this has given me enough grasp to get the little @#$%^& unstuck. Good luck!

 

This will sound dumb, but it has worked for me several times. If you are wearing a belt, take it off and wrap it around the filter and cinch it tight. Make sure you are going the right way and pull the belt and it should spin it off.

 

Get an oil filter claw. This is a piece that goes on an end of a ratchet. The claw will bite into the filter on 3 spots and apply more pressure on the filter as you keep twisting. I work at a Ford Dealership and the claw always works. Try Using a 1/2 ratchet with a 3/8 adapter to use the claw. You can always slide a metal pipe over the ratchet handle to give yourself more leverage.

 

well after my headache and a few cigs early this mornin i decided to sleep, ill keep yall posted and tell you wehat works, and i have $0 to buy anything. i spent a good $200 on parts (plugs, wires, air filter, trans fluid, oil, filter, and some ball joints) so i cant really purchase any new tools.

the claw seems like it would work but im gonna try some BMF pliers or channel locks :D

be back in a few lol

 

The more you rip the case the less the claw can continue to crush as you twist off the filter. I use the claw on a lot of factory filters. The robotic arm sometimes twists that filter on so tight, it looks like a crushed up pop can by the time the claw has twisted it off. If only they lubed that rubber seal from the factory.

 

as those guys mentioned above, the band wrench is an awesome tool. as a lube tech i had a hard time with a lot of filters, but if you get the band wrench on there and keep it as close to the bottom of the filter where it sits flush to the engine you wont crush it and it will have nowhere to go but off. good luck

 

to everyone who has posted about the #%$ing band wrenches....im gonna tell you str8 up,

I BENT THREE DIFFERENT MODELS

and yes i was as close to the base as possible.

my oil filter is also Horizontal not vertical

 

Have you tried one of those pliers made for oil filters? I've had good luck with them:


Also, you might try getting a long screw driver or some other sharp tool and hammer it into the side, nearly tangent to the filter. And then hammer it loose.

Remember: Lefty loosey, righty tighty.

 

let me throw a quote for you


so news to some, its always good to read the OP's post.

and no i havent tried one of those i was actullay just looking at the Wilmar - Filter Wrench ( Wilmar W54311 - Filter Wrench | O'Reilly Auto Parts )

 

i went to walmart and bought one of the fram oil filter pliers they were 8 dollars ofter tax they work great on everything ive used them on and even on my old horizontal filter, it sucks because the factory doesnt give you much room to work at all i think there was a trick of going through the fender well too

 

http://www.princessauto.com/workshop...-filter-wrench

or

http://www.princessauto.com/workshop...-filter-wrench

Band filter wrenches fail in comparison.

 

Obviously some Canucks on here!
Well, if it makes you feel any better, TN, I just checked under my truck to see what else might work, and I had the opposite problem, filter was loooooose, just before heading out on 500mile trip! So you probably saved one other guy a headache with your post!

 

You're a fuking fool. I hope you never get the filter off.
None of what i said was in your original post. Putting a long screw driver into the filter is done to get added leverage to turn which is different than pounding it in tangent and hitting it with a hammer to loosen up.
So news to some, it pays off to read what is actually written.

lul

 

well look if anyone is in the kettering area and wants to try and take it off, ill give em $40 i need my truck by monday

 

I hope you never accomplish whatever ? Come on Man why did you join these forums ?

 

to be apart of a group of people that love their rangers as much as i love mine

if i didnt like the ranger why would i put so much effort into fixing it, if i didn't love it id just sell it.

so i ask, if someone wants to try and take the filter off they will be paid!