My sister bought a 98 Civic DX a couple months ago, and it came time for me to change the oil. So when I go to unscrew the damned filter, it's absolutely stuck. The dealership, who did the last oil change, must have tightened it incredibly - I couldn't use my hands, couldn't wrench it off with the oil filter wrench, and there wasn't enough room to use my clamps. Anyone have any suggestions? I thought of puncturing it with a screwdriver, and using that for leverage.... but the car is up on ramps, and I don't think there is enough room to swing a hammer to get the force needed to send the screwdriver through the filter housing. In fact, I can't use my back/shoulders at all, only forearms; maybe if I had a lift, or a pit, I could get enough force to get it off.

Should I just send my sister to a shop with the new filter and have them replace it, or is there a trick I'm missing?

 

When my filter gets stuck like that I use the screwdriver to puncture it. You dont need to jab it, just put the tip of the screwdriver on the filter and push hard. It takes a bit of umph but eventually itll go thru. Best place to stab it is near the end so it goes thru just the filter part.

*tip... use a sharp object or knife to dent or puncture the hole then stab the screwdriver straight through.

 

before you puncture it, maybe you can buy/borrow/rent an oil filter wrench? I've had good luck with them. The thing is, is that once you've punctured the oil filter, you're not driving the car anywhere.

And the car/oil is warm while you're doing this? The car/oil is supposed to be warm so that the oil flows better. Also, the oil filter might be a little easier to twist off, due to thermal expansion of the pieces...

-PHiZ

 

True dat. Heat is your friend when trying to get stuff off. Let the car get warm for a bit and try it, or if you have a heat gun, that might even work better (less chance of scalding yourself with hot engine oil )

 

*sigh* ... car was warm. I had my sister let it idle for a short time before I got to work. The oil was quite heated.

I'm going to follow Phiz's advice and get the filter wrench. From now on, I am the #1 public enemy of oil filters everywhere.

 

For the future: K&N oil filters have a nice spot on the back for a standard 1" socket or wrench. Easily worth the couple dollars more their filters cost.

 

I've never looked at one, hey good info.

That would be a must have for say... like the golden eagle spin on adapter, since it is only held on by compression pressure, and you want a nice tight seal.

-PHiZ