I'm back - and my f-in oil filter is stuck

Hey guys,

I finally came out of hibernation from the winter - bloody cold out here.

Got rounds to doing an oil change and the damn filter bolt won't budge. At this point I've go at it too much and it's a little rounded off too - I know - I know. Before anyone asks, yes I was using metric socket set.

Any advice of freeing this sucker would be appreciated. I did an oil change just before xmas and just did it up to specified torque. I'm kicking my self for not going spin-on but hey hum - l will now if I can get this fecker off.

Cheers
Rich./

 

is your metric socket a 6 point or 12 point socket?

FU

 

Tap it with a hammer while holding pressure (loosening) with a wrench.

Try adding a dab of antiseize to the threads of the bolt before installing the next filter.

 

http://www.go2socket.com/

If all else fails..

 

Thanks - I think all else has failed - ordered.

 

6 point - it's tighter than a nun's chuf. I even put it in the the freezer overnight but the thing still won't budge.

 

wait, what? you put the whole engine in the freezer?!

nuns chuf... too funny!

FU

 

haha - nah dude - I put the socket in the freezer - tip from the old grandpa, metal shrinks when cold so it should fit tighter. Actaully worked too but it still didn't budge the nut.

 

gotcha! never heard of that one before. have you tried warming the engine up then cracking it loose?

FU

 

This bolt might be a tad large for the following method, but:
Heat the bolt, Get a socket thats just a lil too small. Hammer it onto the bolt, deforming the bolt head to fit the socket.
Or, use a dremel to cut slots in the washer, that will allow you to slot a screwdriver against it in the direction you want to turn it (45 degree angle kinda thing)
So if it wants to turn anticlockwise, cut a slot to the left of the bolt and hammer down on it.

 

Ribo.....here's the thing to do if the other sockets don't work:

Get your grinder, grind the head down til you get close to the aluminum. then go real slow and careful. You'll see the steel turn blue just before you cut through into the aluminum, so go reeeal slow when you're almost at the bottom of the bolt head.

I like to take it down to just the thin 'ring' left then carefully use a pick/awl/punch to bend the rest out of the way. Once enough is bent out of the way, the spring inside will make the cap pop out. Be ready with an oil pan. Once the cap is off, the bolt can be vise gripped, but there's not not going to be much tension on that.....its been in the oil all it's life.

What to do from here? Simple: get a new bolt. If you screwed up the cap, it's no big deal. There's plenty of them still around......they are NOT rare like some ebay people like to think.

So, basically, grind the head off, replace the bolt. Do an oil and filter change as normal. Replace the cap if needed. I would recommend getting the bolt with the larger head. Makes it easier next time.

Dave Fox

 

See what looks like a washer, is actually part of the nut, knock it round with a long cold chisel.

 

Unfortunately I don't know if the Go2socket will work.. but it is worth a shot.

You can always try a grip tite.

http://www.griptitetools.com/

 

Get an 1/2" drive spiral extractor socket 12mm from Mac or Snappy for $12.00. It worked on my XJ1100 when I rounded it off!

 

Yeah - I've really messed this up now - doh - can't believe how soft that nut is. I got the Go2 Socket and it just destroyed the nut. I tried to cut it down with a dremmel to give the socket something to hold onto - a flat edge but now I just have a 1/2 inch round nipple. What do I do now?

 

Put an oil pan under the bike, grind the rest of the head off--- go carefully as you approach the aluminum.. Use a light chisel carefully as you bend off the last bit of " collar" from the bolt head. At some point the filter will "pop" loose from the spring pressure inside. Once the cover is off, just grab the rest of the bolt with pliers and remove it. Don't worry about scratching it ---- it's junk, throw it away.... There's plenty out there to get easily get a replacement. I'd recommend getting one that has the larger head, but if you're regular on oil changes, it won't be a problem anyway... And don't tighten the snot out of it.
Gee. I feel like typed a lot of this before-_

 

Hmmmm.... Look at that---I did.

 

lol - ok ok fair play - thanks for the advice.

 

ok so I ground this down now to the point where this is just a flat disk - I'm a little unsure what to do now - do I start cutting into the disk - if so where? where does the aluminum part start? Should I be concerned about the combination of sparks and oil?

 

You're close, but need to grind the thickness of the "washer" yet... As you get close just go really carefully. I see the metal turn blue as it gets hot. When it's really thin it turns blue a LOT QUICKER.... You'll see it turn quicker, the faster it turns color the slower you need to go. Just barely kissing it with the grinder.

 

What I would do at this stage is grind a v to the shape of a cold chisel point at 11:00 o'clock on the bolt. Heat up the bolt with a torch and hammer the chisel into the slot in a downwards motion, loosening the bolt. Cap looks free of oil, just watch where you point the torch.

 

what's the diameter of the internal bolt in relation to the ring?

 

Ribo.... Just look close at your cover. You can see the contact point of the cover to the bolt. It is flat across at that joint. Just carefully grind right to that line. It's not as fine-sensitive work as you're trying to make it--- I do it with my angle grinder. If you slightly nick the aluminum, you only put a slight nick in the aluminum. At worst if you ruin the housing, there's plenty of them around, too... Good grief, I got 4 or 5 of the here------

Just grind it the rest of the way down to that surface. When you're just shy of it, you should also see the steel heat up and change color quickly

 

Fwiw, the bolt diameter will be approx the outside diameter of the socket you were originally using.....maybe a bit smaller

 

Alright - thanks guys - I think i got it to a point where i can get it off - but I got to stop working on it now as kids asleep and garage is under their room. I'll let you know how it plays out tmw. Thanks again for the advice - good to learn something new but not something I want to repeat.

 

be careful not to scratch or score the inside bore of the filter housing. that is where the o-ring seal for the bolt seats.

FU

 

As LNG as he doesn't grind down into the hole, it's fine--- as soon as the steel is weakened enough, the spring in the inside will usually pop the cap and the remaining steel"wire" will break right off. I've NEVER ruined a cap yet by doing this---

 

Here's a pic so show size of bolt in comparison to the flange

 

Big vise grips

 

I tried vice-grips, and pretty much anything you can think of but dude this thing was stuck tighter than the pants on baptist ministers wife at an all you can eat pancake breakfast.

 

Have you ground down far enough to remove the cover yet?!?

 

Not yet - just got back from work. I'll let you know

 

Just sent you a "conversation"....

 

you're not a Baptist minister are you?

 

No

 

Thanks to Mr Fiddles it's finally off....



thanks again... now maybe it's spin-on time.

 

easy-peasy.

 

...and I've been saving this beer to celebrate...



very tasty....

 

Today's Special: free shipping to all customers in Virginia on all of our spin-on oil filter conversion kits! Hurry, don't delay, this offer won't last forever..........

 

Does your glass have a motorcycle/bicycle on it or am I insane?

 

The answer to that question is quite obvious!

 

yes it's a glass for a beer called "Fat Tire" and there logo is a bicycle - except it's very old so the logo has 1/2 worn off.

 

Funny that Len - - send me a quote please sir.

 

Hey Ribo, sent you some info thru the website messaging system!

 

You've drank so much beer from that glass that you've darn near worn it out???

That's simply awesome!!!

 

exactly!

 

plus, beer will work for that minister's wife's pants...

 

I've heard good things about that beer, but I've never tried it myself.

For a moment I thought it was a part of the head somehow playing tricks on my eyes.

 

I see that - It's a very good Saison -but Saison's aren't for everyone, just people with exceptionally good taste in beer.

Best to drink them cold - and I mean very cold. I like to take it out the fridge 10 mins before and wrap the bottle in a wet paper and put it in the freezer - 10 or so mins in there. just don't let it freeze. This is also a good technique for quickly chilling any beer - you can chill a bottle in 20mins from room temp to cold.

Other people will say they shouldn't be that cold but they're stuck in the past and probably still drinking room temperature red wine.

 

"Room temperature" originally referred to the temp of un-heated or conditioned rooms in the 1800's.......so room temp was about 45-55F.

Drinking warm (70F) red wine is about the nastiest habit one could develop......