oil change that went wrong

[ausie]

Nothing is worse than a simple project becomming a nightmare. A simple oil and filter change gone to hell. After having the oil filter off twice last week when attempting to replace the clutch cable only to find the old cable going back on and I know the filter was not over tightened. This Sunday I decided to change the oil so I warmed it up a bit, then drained the oil. Everything normal except when I attempted to remove the oil filter. All of my tools could not loosen the filter. Then the worse thing happened when I took out the filter clamp (usually the last thing I would use when all else fails) the body of the filter began to crush and the tool would just slip off. I had this problem once long ago with a brand of filter I stopped using and it is too bad I did not stick with that plan since I used it again the last time I changed my oil. I used to be able to find good filters like Mobil 1, or motorcraft but all you find now is the dreaded Fram :mad: . I had spent several hours attempting to get a grip on it but failed every time. Once the body of the filter becomes deformed, there is nothing else but the worst method of removal left "the screw driver pop and twist" which has worked fine for me the last time but not this time. I wound up with a torn empty oil filter carcus stuck to my car. :mad: No need to panic, I will bring in one of my oversized sockets and weld some hardened steel dowel pins onto it that match the holes of the fitler. Hopefully that will work since all that is remaining is the mounting ring and the rubber seal. A lesson well learned, once you take off a filter it should remain off. But since I had this same problem I experienced once before on a different vehicle but with the same brand of filter I should not have bought that brand again. I have never had any issue removing any other brand of filter except for Fram. I even tried to loosen up the oil tube which does have a 1/2 inch allen cuts. To no avail, it did not loosen up the grip of the rubber seal. Hopefully the custom made tool will work.

[beerkat]

What a nightamre for you. K&N filters have that one inch nut on the bottom that makes them nice to remove, but they are way to expensive for just that. I like the NAPA gold filters. I think that you are right about once you have taken a filter off, replace.

[ausie]

I usually use the Mobil 1 filters which is what I bought yesterday at lunchtime to replace the new Fram filter I got Sunday. Had to use the Fram filter as a welding jig to mount the 3/16" dowel pins onto an old socket. The tool may look ugly but it worked. Only took 45 seconds to remove the remains of the filter once the pins were set into the weep holes. I looked at the rubber seal and sure enough it was dry as a rock which would explain why it was so hard to remove. And to think the filter was only three weeks old. Why the oil change so soon? I used a different brand of oil and on cold starts the car started to make a valve tapping or tick. Even though it was synthetic 5w-20, I did not like the new noise and figured it would be cheaper to change to a brand I use than to run the full course with the current oil and find out more issues later on. The reason for the different change in brand was that the store I usually go to pulled all of the royal purple products from the shelf. It turns out they had to move it behind the counter out of sight since too many people were stealing it. Got the purple stuff and completed the oil change and things were back to normal. :thumbsup:

[kilroy]

Whew... Glad you got it off! I use the Mobil 1 filters & RP as well :cool:

[beerkat]

Glad that you solved your problem. I guess that having a welder around the house comes in handy every now and then.:)

[InfamousSVT]

Glad you got it off, very creative thinking on your part :D

[ausie]

Thank you all for your support. The worse thing you can do is panic. Typically this is when I end up becomming more creative. At least the outcome was a good one and no damage to the oil cooler in the removal process. It may have been my fault all along since I probly over tightened the filter. oops. A lesson well learned and I got a freaky looking tool in the process. :cool:

[dewone]

Can never have to many tools. Gald to see things work okay now.

[Texaslawdawg]

wow...

[RD SNAKE]

you know 99% of fram oil filter users are still on the road today!!! The other 1% was able to get there car home! dont us fram, they suck like all of there other products. you get what you pay for, trust me!! with that extra dollar u saved was it worth the hassel of takin hours tryin to get that filter off. Game set and matched!

[ausie]

I am well aware of how poor the Fram oil filters are, and have stoped using their products well over 15 years ago until I could not get the filters I wanted. Just about every autoparts store in my area will only stock Fram and have dropped many of the other brands such as Mobil1, motorcraft, puralator and K&N. My preference has always been for the Mobil1 fliters. Even Autozone has changed their inventory and went private lable called "duralast". They still cary Mobil1 and should have just got the oil at one store and the filter at the other (autozone, Pepboys do not carry Royal Purple). The old orange filter made up of silicone glue and cardboard has changed since I tore one open last about 15 years ago. My memory does not serve me well on the one that could not be removed from the exploder (though it was Fram but I do remember now that it was Bosch which is one of those brands I would not bother with). I would rather pay the price for a good filter than use a cheap one. The problem with the general public is simple mindedness. Why buy an expensive fliter since you will be throwing it away ? That was the typical comment I used to get from my ex-wife. My response should have been "why do you want an expensive car since you will be throwing it away because you decided to use the cheap filter". I would rather pay the high price on use of good oil and good filter than to pay the high price of replacing a vehicle. The only reason I would use a cheap filter and cheap oil is for a motor flush which will only be in the vehicle for no more than 15 minutes.

As for that issue I had to overcome: and old lesson relearned.