oil change mistake

[Arky217]

Been changing my own oil for over 50 years.

Here's a tip if you run into a filter that is on so tight that it seems like you're going to crush it before it loosens.

Instead of applying pressure to the wrench to the point of crushing the filter, just put hard pressure on the filter wrench and HOLD the pressure.

More often than not, the filter will finally begin to loosen.

 

[clemsonfor]

very well could be.. that small one just looks too small to me...

of course gm tells me my 5.3 buring 2.5 qts oil between changes is within spec too..


soundguy

Yea i always laugh at GM and Ford i think GM more so that says untill its more than i think a Qt every 500 miles its not eccessive. I would agree really my ranger with 285K on it will only blow blue slightly if you rev way up sitting still or getting on it! No blue just tooling around, and therefore if crucing around less than 50mph you burn less than an interstate trip at 75mph.

 

[EE_Bota]

Been changing my own oil for over 50 years.

Here's a tip if you run into a filter that is on so tight that it seems like you're going to crush it before it loosens.

Instead of applying pressure to the wrench to the point of crushing the filter, just put hard pressure on the filter wrench and HOLD the pressure.

More often than not, the filter will finally begin to loosen.

That is a very interesting tip. I hope I can remember to try that when the time comes.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Been changing my own oil for over 50 years.

Here's a tip if you run into a filter that is on so tight that it seems like you're going to crush it before it loosens.

Instead of applying pressure to the wrench to the point of crushing the filter, just put hard pressure on the filter wrench and HOLD the pressure.

More often than not, the filter will finally begin to loosen.

Also a big mistake I see so many make is they put the filter wrench at the end of the filter, not by the base. The base is where all the strength is.

I am not saying I do this every time but if I have one that is tough to get off I stop and re-think things. First thing I try is moving the wrench to the base area and 9 times out of 10 that does the trick.

In doing about 75 to 100 oil changes per year for the last 15 or so years and maybe 20 per year for 15 years prior to that I have yet had a filter that would not come off with a filter wrench and some patience.

Never had to stab a screwdriver, use a cold chisels, ect that I hear so many tell stories about.:confused2:

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

Yea i always laugh at GM and Ford i think GM more so that says untill its more than i think a Qt every 500 miles its not eccessive. I would agree really my ranger with 285K on it will only blow blue slightly if you rev way up sitting still or getting on it! No blue just tooling around, and therefore if crucing around less than 50mph you burn less than an interstate trip at 75mph.

yep... my 5.3 don't smoke at all.. but in 3500m it will suck 2.5 qts

and it's had good service. i never scrimped on oil or filters. etc. was like that from the beginning.

going to a 10w30 vs a 5w30 does curb it to 2qts though

soundguy

 

[Bird]

We used to have motorhome that was powered by a 1991 Ford 460 cu. in. engine. If we stayed in one place for a month or two; i.e., didn't run the engine for a month or more, when we hit the road again, it would be a quart low on oil in 400 miles. And then it could go the other 2,600 miles to the 3,000 miles oil change with no more added to it.

 

[Soundguy]

awe that's just the built in ring lubricator..

 

[Bird]

awe that's just the built in ring lubricator..

Yep, I figured those rings, pistons, and cylinder walls got dry sitting there too long at a time.:laughing:

 

[deerefan]

Also a big mistake I see so many make is they put the filter wrench at the end of the filter, not by the base. The base is where all the strength is.

I am not saying I do this every time but if I have one that is tough to get off I stop and re-think things. First thing I try is moving the wrench to the base area and 9 times out of 10 that does the trick.

In doing about 75 to 100 oil changes per year for the last 15 or so years and maybe 20 per year for 15 years prior to that I have yet had a filter that would not come off with a filter wrench and some patience.

Never had to stab a screwdriver, use a cold chisels, ect that I hear so many tell stories about.:confused2:

Chris

It is extremely difficult to get a filter wrench to the base of the filter on my F150. I use motorcraft filters because I like the ribbed design on the end, makes for better grip. I put a wrench to it when putting the new filter on mainly because it is hard to tighten by hand. I snug it about 1/2-3/4 turn.

 

[downslope]

It is extremely difficult to get a filter wrench to the base of the filter on my F150. I use motorcraft filters because I like the ribbed design on the end, makes for better grip. I put a wrench to it when putting the new filter on mainly because it is hard to tighten by hand. I snug it about 1/2-3/4 turn.

The base may be the strongest area, but the top is next strongest; the middle will probably crush the easiest.

Are you using a fluted cap wrench on the top or a strap wrench?

My experience has been that certain vehcles just get very tight, maybe the oil or filter base gets real hot and does something to the gasket material that makes it stick or expand.

My GF had an MG that ran extremely hot under the hood and the filter would always be real tight even if you tightened it the minimum turns on installation. The only way I would get it off was with a 24" pipe wrench and you would pull so hard the engine would be rocking on the motor mounts.

 

[Bird]

I think at one time or another, I've used just about every kind of oil filter wrench there is, but the best by far (in my opinion, for my use, of course:laughing is the three legged wrench. Any of the three legged wrenches work better than any other wrench, but I preferred the style sold by J. C. Whitney and many others to the one sold by Amazon. If it collapses the filter, it just get a better bite; never had one fail to do the job easily.

 

[clemsonfor]

It is extremely difficult to get a filter wrench to the base of the filter on my F150. I use motorcraft filters because I like the ribbed design on the end, makes for better grip. I put a wrench to it when putting the new filter on mainly because it is hard to tighten by hand. I snug it about 1/2-3/4 turn.

i always turn on my vehicle 3/4 -1 turn by hand.

 

[timswi]

I think at one time or another, I've used just about every kind of oil filter wrench there is, but the best by far (in my opinion, for my use, of course:laughing is the three legged wrench. Any of the three legged wrenches work better than any other wrench, but I preferred the style sold by J. C. Whitney and many others to the one sold by Amazon. If it collapses the filter, it just get a better bite; never had one fail to do the job easily.

Yep, I have a Snap-On version and it'll take off any filter that I can attach it to. No effort either.

Changed the filter on a Cub Volunteer last week, must have been put on with an impact wrench at the factory and there was barely enough room for a standard strap wrench to take it off...Not fun.

Soundguy, I've owned a few 5.3 GM's along with the wife's former Tahoe. I don't recall the filter removal being all that bad. It was a little messy, but not difficult.

It used maybe 1 quart over 4K miles.

The new 6.2 is very easy. The wife's Hummer isn't bad once I pull off the 3'x3' skid plate

 

[clemsonfor]

The new 6.2 is very easy. The wife's Hummer isn't bad once I pull off the 3'x3' skid plate

If she dosent go off road, why not just leave it in the garage for later. In sure it dosent go offroad much and is already high clearance. You can just reinstall it if you need to later.

 

[deerefan]

The base may be the strongest area, but the top is next strongest; the middle will probably crush the easiest.

Are you using a fluted cap wrench on the top or a strap wrench?

My experience has been that certain vehcles just get very tight, maybe the oil or filter base gets real hot and does something to the gasket material that makes it stick or expand.

My GF had an MG that ran extremely hot under the hood and the filter would always be real tight even if you tightened it the minimum turns on installation. The only way I would get it off was with a 24" pipe wrench and you would pull so hard the engine would be rocking on the motor mounts.

I use a fluted cap wrench. It is the easiest to use in the tight conditions. The filter does not tighten up or give me problems coming loose, it is in a spot that makes it difficult to apply enough tourqe by hand to tighten.

 

[Soundguy]

I think at one time or another, I've used just about every kind of oil filter wrench there is, but the best by far (in my opinion, for my use, of course:laughing is the three legged wrench. Any of the three legged wrenches work better than any other wrench, but I preferred the style sold by J. C. Whitney and many others to the one sold by Amazon. If it collapses the filter, it just get a better bite; never had one fail to do the job easily.

i use a strap wrench myself. it's never failed to remove a filter for me. essentially seatbelt strapping and a hollow suare tube a 1/2" drive socket fits into.

slip the belting down to the base of the filter.. roll the square tube around a bit to take up the slack, then put the socket wrench to it. built in mechanical advantage.. I've wrinkled a few filters in the last 20ys.. but never crushed one.. and never had one fail to let go..

great for place you have no room to work with tong style filter pliers.

soundguy

 

[timswi]

If she dosent go off road, why not just leave it in the garage for later. In sure it dosent go offroad much and is already high clearance. You can just reinstall it if you need to later.

True, but the truck looks kind of naked without it...Can be easily seen from the front.

Gotta keep the wife happy you know.

 

[ModMech]

Every time I have had difficulty removing a spin-on type filter it was from:
1) Stupid gorilla using a WRENCH to install
2) Not lubricating the seal (o-ring)
3) Combination of #1 + #2 and it never did get removed!

Every OEM that I know of says to basically install hand tight + 1/2 to 1 turn with a lubricated seal. I install EVERY FILTER with a lubricated seal and BY HAND and have never ever had even the slightest seepage from one of them. BTW, I have installed thousands and thousands of spin-on filters in my life. Generally, if I installed it, I can also remove it without a wrench.

Definitions:

Stupid Gorilla = person that thinks if 50 lb-ft of Tq per spec is good, 100 lb-ft is "twice as good".

Hand tight = as tight as one can COMFORTABALLY tighten something with their hand only (no rag, gripper etc), about *snug*.

 

[Soundguy]

those same people also hire mountain gorilla's to install drain and check plugs on antique tractors. usually because they are too cheap?, lazy? stupid? to install a new gasket ( 25 cents ) or even make one out of gasket paper and install it and then either glue the plug in with hardening permatex, or tighten it way past thread deformation and rolling seals the connection.. near permanently...