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Recently changed the oil on an old Ford 460. The fram filter used was installed dry and tightened with a wrench. I busted 2 steel band wrenches and ate up anouther type. Screwdriver method proved useless. Just ate the casing up. Could not use hammer and chisel method, No room. If you ever come across this, a Rubber strap wrench will be your best friend. I got mine at autozone. They’re typically used to loosen tight lids on jars, Works great for this. It will take some finessing but it can be done. You could try the pliers method but I don’t like cramping my hands when the tools can do the work for me 😛 .If this has already been posted, Then I apologize.
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I have two relatively inexpensive items that have gotten every filter that ever dared to challenge me off:
$50 may be inexpensive for some people, but that is alot to others. And for just a set of pliers? Thats snap-on for ya. And the “socket” is good for when the filter is still in its original shape. The rubber strap is a last resort tool. No hand cramping and is only 15 bucks for a large one and small one. I keep the large one in the “shop” and my wife uses the small one in the house. But good ideas none the less. We used the socket tool alot when I worked in the lube shops for really hard to reach filters like on some Toyotas right next to the exhaust manifold and behind the radiator. People can dog on the lube shops all day but that is a good entry level place to work for a tech. At least for me it was. Get used to fast pace work and customer service.
I don’t know where you are currently working or experience level, but 50.00 is pretty cheap in the technician world in comparison to the cost of other basic and common tools.
Funny story on that, my buddy showed me his 300 piece Craftsman tool box set and how much it ran him back and then his mouth hit the floor when he heard that my 12 piece metric socket set cost almost the same. When you look at it that way, that is why 50.00 is inexpensive to me.
I look at it this way, I spend $50 for an over sized set of pliers. Still have to use a death grip for them to grab hold of the filter (Sometimes) OR I could only spend $15 and adjust it to the filter size, no death grip and works no matter what. I don’t know about you, But $35 extra is alot of money to spend just to get the same thing done. Not to mention, Its snap-on. Same thing as craftsman, Same warranty, Almost same look, But 3X expensive because your buying a name. Christmas of 2011 I was able to pickup a 255 pc. Craftsman set for only $150 new. How? I waited until it was on sale. If not on sale, I hit up pawn shops and other assorted stores for lower prices. Why? I get the same tools cheaper so I can pass the savings onto my customer. But the socket idea is good and does work. I will admit that.
Thats just my take on it.
F.Y.I.: I DO NOT buy tools from harbor freight. Period. I’m not that cheap. My grandfather has a saying, “Buying quality tools only hurts once.”
Craftsman is off-shoring a large portion of it’s tools and their quality has gone down significantly. I started with Craftsman tools, then I upgraded. Some things may be the name, but there is a noticeable difference in quality when it comes to truck brands. When trying to beat the hours, I can’t be bothered with tools that have slightly less strict tolerances.
It could probably have been posted in the General Discussion Forum as there is some discussion going on here, but the How To Forum is also a good place. I’ve used those rubber strap “wrenches” for replacing the fuel pump module plastic retaining ring on the plastic tank of my 1996 Neon. Didn’t have a wrench big enough but the large one in the 2 piece set from HF worked great for me. Set of 2 was less than $5.
Well worth the investment.Best trick i have for stubborn filters is a old serpentine belt and a pair of vice grips.
Wrap belt around filter and clamp down with vice grip.The torque you get is wild,works in tight spots too.Best trick i have for stubborn filters is a old serpentine belt and a pair of vice grips.
Wrap belt around filter and clamp down with vice grip.The torque you get is wild,works in tight spots too.Thats funny cos I bought an oil filter removal tool for my mother so she could open tight jars easier :).
Thats funny cos I bought an oil filter removal tool for my mother so she could open tight jars easier :).
The worst one I ever saw was on an almost new AMC Jeep with a 360 engine. The guy brought it in to the independent shop I first worked at for it’s first oil change. With all the enthusiasm of youth, I crushed the outside of the filter trying to remove it with various tools. My boss came over and removed it with an air chisel. The thing had been tightened at the factory so tight, the filter left marks in the sealing surface on the engine.
If you ever get one like that, remove the sheet metal housing and hit it with the air hammer in one of the return holes. Messy but effective.The worst one I ever saw was on an almost new AMC Jeep with a 360 engine. The guy brought it in to the independent shop I first worked at for it’s first oil change. With all the enthusiasm of youth, I crushed the outside of the filter trying to remove it with various tools. My boss came over and removed it with an air chisel. The thing had been tightened at the factory so tight, the filter left marks in the sealing surface on the engine.
If you ever get one like that, remove the sheet metal housing and hit it with the air hammer in one of the return holes. Messy but effective.
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