Oil filter wrenches required for service?

[erparis]

This forum is more active than the Bobcat forum. Commenced the 50 hour service on my BC CT 335. Oil filter came off with no issue. Tried heavy duty oil filter strap wrench, bent handle on the other two hyd. and hydro filters. Also tried the 3 ram with 3/8 drive rachet. Won't remove filter. Tried Channelok filter pliers also. Nothing worked, broke 2/3 rds of the tools.
What specific tools are recommended to remove the overtight filters?
Thanks,
Richard

 

[Soundguy]

I've never had a seatbelt style strap wrench fail. You have to seat them at the base.

The channel lick type will work, but you may have to crush the filter in half nearly.

If both of those somehow fail, take a cold chissle, start it into the filter base, stay out of the housing it is screwed to.

Once off, clean the area, put new filter on with some grease or oil on the gasket, and don't overtighten it.

 

[RalphVa]

If all else fails, and if there's room, you drive a screwdriver through the oil filter and remove it that way. One time in my life, I had to do this.

Ralph

 

[cat fever]

Get a chain wrench. I had the same problem with my Hydro filter. Came off with no problem.

 

[Soundguy]

I've chenged lots of filters on lots of equipment. ag, consumer, hard to get to cars and vehicles witht he filter between the firewall and sideways engine that you have to lay under car and can reach up full arms length to get hands on oil filter size of a grapefruit juice can.. Also heavy equipment with filters the size of 1g paint cans, or filters that use a screw on canister to hold a cartridge filter.

My go-to method is always the seatbelt strap wrench. In the end, it's never failed me.

I've done the screwdriver method and had it tear out the side and baffles in a filter and not remove it, yet it prevented a strap wrench from being used. in that instance, the dull cold chissle was used and worked.. but i don't like that method as one miss and you nick the gasket surface.

I still vote for a seatbelt strap wrench.. you have compound leverage between your ratchet/breaker bar, and the body of the strap wrench that rolls the seatbelt up.. more than enough force to crush any filter housing on the market, gripping it tightly enough to turn it even oily.

the ones that fail that that use the destructive screwdriver and chissle methods are ususally the ones that were installed too tightly, old and glued on gasket, or crossthreaded.

 

[Buggs67]

Locking Chain Clamp
This would work (maybe) if you had room.

Chain Wrench - 20"

This is what I used with a breaker bar and extension. It crushed the filter a little.

 

[mj007]

..............Tried Channelok filter pliers also. Nothing worked, broke 2/3 rds of the tools.

I have NEVER had a filter that wouldn't come loose with Channelocks. But, maybe Channelock FILTER PLIERS are different but what Soundguy said about 'crushing the filter in half nearly' is correct, but then, why save the old filter anyway?

 

[erparis]

Thanks for all the prompt replies. I too have had screwdriver blade cut through the housing without removing the filter.
The hydro filter is difficult
to get to. I finally removed the entire housing. With housing in a vice, heated filter at the gasket, and still required an 18" pipe wrench with deadblow hammer beating the filter loose. Ridiculous that these machines are shipped with filters this tight. I did buy a NAPA seat belt type wrench and finally got the hydraulic filter loose. Used a long handled 1/2 rachet with a cheater bar. Had to make one revolution before the filter loosened up.

With the price I paid to use OEM fluids and filters one would think the filters would come with a zipper.
At least the next service is 200 hours away.



Best Regards, Richard

 

[Soundguy]

Glad to he's it finally came off. With the odd array of filters these days, and carrying strength of the mountain gorillas used to tighten them, I no longer even have a standard filter wrench or cup filter wrench, the channel lock type and strap wrench are my first choices.

Grease that gasket and good luck

 

[Illini22]

I used a chain wrench to remove my hydro filters. But, it took my brotherinlaw putting constant pressure on the end of the handle and I tied a piece of mule tape wire pulling flat line to it wrapped it around my body and leaned against it to brake it free. It was a mother to loosen.