Removing stuborn oil filters?

[MR22ZZ]

Removing an oil filter from a 4A-GE is a pain in the butt at the best of times, even worse when it's in the back of an MR2... but what do you do when the oil filter just won't budge?

so far I've tried...

Toyota SST oil filter wrench - just slipped around the edge and didn't budge the filter
supercheap style band adjustable tool - does not grip enough on the tightest setting and just slips as well
pipe wrench... can get over the filter but cannot tighten it once it's on due to lack of space and also no room to swing it, an it also just slips off then I do.
$5 bunning 'undo anything' tool - yeah right, but I gave it a go anyway.
G-Clamp... much like the pipe wrech, only this time I can tighten it around the filter, but again no space to move it to losen the filter.
F-Clamp... not enough space to get the clamp in place.
final resort... I heard mention of this before so I thought I'd give it a go - screwdriver through the side and turn it, this only manages to make a mess of the metal.

So this is where I'm at...

The car is still sitting on ramps in the garage with the drain plug out and an oil filter that now has a massive hole in it and is deformed from the different clamps.

Who would have though a simple 15 minute oil change could take someone 4 hours and still not have a resolution...

Any other ideas folks?

[TooF]

grab one of your oil filter or grab anything tools. throw a rubber kitchen glove over it and twist. the glove grips beautifully on the filter and presto.

otherwise... large screwdriver and a hammer.. belt it though and turn.

[GUN METAL]

I have never had to do this in the ADUB, but i know what you are up against.

Some friends have done some interesting things to oil filters with a cold chisels and rock bolsters.

But heres my suggestion so you can get some leverage.

Get a decent long screw driver and a hammer and pop a hole right through it, leave the screw driver in there then you will have something to lever from.

Yuo will probly be lucky to swing much of a hammer

Its a last resort, but it looks like you have tried everything that i would have used up till this point.

Does your have A/C, it can be a right pain in there especially when its HOT !!!

[MR22ZZ]

#1 done though will try again with a thinner rubber glove rather than the cloth + rubber ones I use when working on the car.

#2 done... I don't really want to destroy the metal casing may more than I already have.

anything else?

[love ke70]

mm, that antislip shit, or a rubber glove, and use it with one of the wrenches.

i have a adjustable oil filter thingo, that you actually screw on, works a treat, but im not sure if its good on the little filters like you have.

[GUN METAL]

Toof , i cant believe you came up with the same thing


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH

[TooF]

have you punched right though the casing ? normally you can get a decent enough turn on it from there.

[DaveW]

ive also heard sccess stories from the last resort screwdriver lever method, but just for the sake of it showing up in ppls searches, the best method of getting a typical oil filter off is your typical kitchen glove for washing dishes etc, grips like nothing else. if its still stuck do what toof says and use it in conjunction with the tool

[TooF]

Toof , i cant believe you came up with the same thing


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH

hahah ive spent enough time under an mr2 swearing as you punch a hold in the filter and proceed to get oil dripping all though your hair.

that said dont ovetighten the filter in the first place and you dont run into the problem of it not coming off

or k&n filters with a nut welded on the top.

[MR22ZZ]

Yuo will probly be lucky to swing much of a hammer

This is the main thing I'm up againt with this method, there's not much room at all.

I'm actually tempted to remove the dizzy so I have room from above because swinging the hammer under the car is more annoying that it is useless, and it's pretty useless.

[MR22ZZ]

that said dont ovetighten the filter in the first place and you dont run into the problem of it not coming off

being the first time I've had to take off a filter I put on this car myself... I believe I've already learned that lesson

[DaveW]

if you undo the 4 AC mounting bolts and rest your compressor on the ground / suspend it with some wire youll have plenty of room to swing a hammer and you wont have to rechec your timing etc etc. i did an oil change today and i have no AC compressor and with it on ramps my quite fresh memory of it tells me you'll have room

[TooF]

hahah dont bother taking thew dizzy off you dont get much more access... take two concrete pill and HTFU and go belt some holes in the oil filter.

and as always wear glasses when you're doing it.

[DaveW]

hahah dont bother taking thew dizzy off you dont get much more access... take two concrete pill and HTFU and go belt some holes in the oil filter.

and as always wear glasses when you're doing it.

hmmmm glasses always essential. trust the words of a man who took a delron home-made clutch aligning tool to the eye as it tore out out of the chuck on the lathe... no glasses on in hindsight, not worth the rush i was in

[MR22ZZ]

if you undo the 4 AC mounting bolts and rest your compressor on the ground / suspend it with some wire youll have plenty of room to swing a hammer and you wont have to rechec your timing etc etc. i did an oil change today and i have no AC compressor and with it on ramps my quite fresh memory of it tells me you'll have room

yep, the AC compressor is the sporn of the Devil!!!

the most in the way POS ever... who's idea was it to put the bloody thing there?