Home-made tool for removing car's oil filter?

[D. Dalton]

I was all set to change my car's oil filter today when I discovered that my filter wrench is not big enough. I live in a remote spot, so what I'd normally do is order one by mail. Trouble is, due to Cristmas I probably wouldn't get it until next Tuesday at the earliest.

So I started thinking... If some oil filter removers consist of nothing more than a nylon belt and a cylinder of metal that a socket spanner fits into, maybe there is way of making one without too much aggro.

Has anyone done this successfully? Care to share your method? I'm already well equipped with with nylon luggage straps, long socket spanners and Araldite. That's probably all I need to plagiarize the old strap and socket design, isn't it?

DD

[Peter Crosland]

Is the filter the type that is a sealed throwaway one that just screws into A housing? If so simply hammer an old screwdriver into the side and use that as a lever to unscrew it.

Peter Crosland

[The Medway Handyman]

The method used when I were a lad was to hammer a screwdriver through the old filter & use that to unscrew it.

[D. Dalton]

The Medway Handyman wrote in news:mZJIq.762$ [e-mail]:

Unfortunately, there isn't sufficient room to try that option.

JD

[thirty-six]

[e-mail]:

Must be a classic French non-design. If you have good end access, try hammering on a food can to which you can then apply torque. Removing the wing, bonnet and sub-chassis is not too hard once you get the practice in.

[Unbeliever]

Try and old fan belt/timing bely or similar strap. Simply loop this around the filter and grip the loose ends tightly using a *good* quality pair of Molegrips - if the strap slips, bung a bit of 50 or 60 Wet & Dry between the belt a and filter (rough size obviously down on the filter_.

Another way is an old bicycle chain looped over the filter and slippef through a short hollow tube, pulled tight and a suitably sized screwdriver (or masonary nail) slipped through the chain links at the end of the tube.

The beauty of these methods is that at least one will fit a confined working area.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Wrap an end of a luggage strap round it and grip with pliers or better mole grips. Turning the pliers should tighten the strap and remove the filter.

But if you can get your hands in, wearing rubber gloves after giving it a good clean to remove any oil should do it - they're not usually very tight.

[Newshound]

I have a "ready made" one, essentially it is a bit of round bar about an inch diameter and three inches long, with a female half inch square socket at one end. At the other end there's a slit in which the two ends of a loop of nylon webbing are jammed. There's a hole in the bar perpendicular to the slot, going through the middle of the webbing, with a pin through it. If I were making one I would probably start from an old socket, perhaps a spark plug socket, or just an extension bar, cutting the slit with an angle grinder (of course). Rather than pin I would probably take the ends of the strap back round the bar and stitch them crudely to the loop, if you see what I mean. Araldite isn't the right glue.

[Gazz]

well that buggers up what i was about to put, one of the first things i learnt off me dad was how to get an oil filter off with the use of an old screwdriver and a hammer,

obviousely back then engine bays were a lot less crowded,

when i got my first van to convert into a motorhome i bought one of those 3 legged oil filter tools, the legs close in, grip then spin the filter as you rotate the ratchet you attatch to it, used it once, to get the OEM VW filter off, i used aftermarket filters, mostly fram brand, and they came with either a 19mm hexagon for a socket formed in the filters case or a allen key type socket spot welded on the bottom of the filters,

only time the 3 legged filter remover was tried since was when i lent it to someone to use on his car, and it didnt close down anywhere near enough to work, as the tool was for the 7 or 8 inch dia. filters i was used to on me vans.

[Mr Pounder]

If he has not got the room to bash a screwdriver into the filter ...

[Hugh - Was Invisible]

Always used to be the way but not sure the thread would be engineered to take too much nowadays

[philipuk]

Works great until you are up against a really stubborn filter when it shreds the filter case and leaves the filter top and a load of jagged metal in place.

It's a very messy method too, don't do it unless you want oil stains on your drive.

I've got one of these and it makes removing even the most stubborn filters easy:

[Mr Pounder]

A sharp screwdriver ...

[Mr Pounder]

Works great until you are up against a really stubborn filter when it shreds the filter case and leaves the filter top and a load of jagged metal in place.

It's a very messy method too, don't do it unless you want oil stains on your drive.

I've got one of these and it makes removing even the most stubborn filters easy:

the OP has not got the room to belt a screwdriver into the can he will not have the room to get one of those in.

[The Natural Philosopher]

BTDTGTTS

[thirty-six]

Got that too from Lidl for =A32, works a treat. Clamps securely, big enough to ease removal, but not so big that it gets in the way.

[Stephen H]

easy:

>>> Philip

What about removable plastic oil filter covers?

My VW Golf MK IV 2002 has a removable plastic oil filter cover that is almost round, well 12 sided.

How do I remove this plastic oil filter cover *without* damaging it or

*paying a VW dealer* so that I can replace the oil filter element? I have to be able to reuse this oil filter cover.

The oil filter element does not look much different to an air filter element incidentally.

(This is on a PD (Pumpe Dusse) engine, if I recall correctly engine code is ATD.).

Regards,

Stephen.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A strap wrench.

[Chris Bartram]

Buy the correct tool (Laser tools make them) for about a fiver from Halfords or Ebay. It works on quite a few conventional metal filters too.

[ianp5852]

Seconded........providing there is room between the bottom of the filter and the manifold or intercooler or whatever it is to get the

1/4" wide bit of the band through! There isn't on a Disco td5 which means removing one of those lickle screws that holds the end of the band, threading the band around the filter body and then re-installing said lickle screw, dropping the tw@t and then trying to find it amongst the gravel. Of course, once you've removed the filter you don't need the tool again 'cos the filter hasn't been put on by a professional fully trained LR technician..... Please reply to group - email address is not monitored Ian