cruiser54

Lefty loosey, righty tighty.

steelybill

I have just two filter removal tools, one big, and one small, which I believe are made by KD tools. Anyway, they wrap around the filter can, and get tighter as they are rotating the filter. No handle...the have a 3/8 : drive square drive hole for a ratchet or breaker bar.
I don't use oil on the rubber filter seal, I use the silver colored anti-seize, which is available at some auto parts stores. It doesn't seem be affected by heat baking like oil....
This all started from fighting filters on airplanes, and then doing it on my cars..

Firestorm500

That's backwards.

You have been tightening it.

As someone else said, as you stand at the side of the passenger fender, push the filter towards the engine. Don't break off the sending unit, which is right there.

1arunem

You loosen it the same direction you would any standard thread nut, etc.

Clockwise to tighten, counter clockwise to loosen.

ehall

I really don't support using a screwdriver. Yes it can work, but the .01% of the time it doesn't, you have escalated to towing to a shop because the oil filter is destroyed and now there's really no way to get it off

The adjustable filter wrenches are pretty good but kind of tricky to use in tight spaces. If you only have the one car then you should use a filter wrench that is fitted to your filter. It won't slip around as easily. Something like this, which is pretty cheap and usually available at NAPA/Autozone/wherever



If it doesn't want to come loose, warm up the engine a bit. Keep working on it.

When you go to install the new filter, take the rubber ring off and smear both sides with oil.

tlang

SO I see some confusion in the thread about what direction. All the guys that said push toward the engine are correct as long as you are getting it from the top.... If they are underneath than you should push toward the fender/tire. Sounds like it may be pretty tight by now....

If the wrench you are using is the two jaw or three jaw that attaches to a ratchet, id put it down and grab a metal band wrench. If you grab the filter out at the end it will generally just crumble. Slide that band wrench down to the base, and standing over the passenger side fender, from the top, push toward the engine.

SteveMongr

Picture of torque wrench for installing new oil filters (after filling filter and lubing gasket)..
Subbed

Orlo

This should illustrate the filter orientation. Turning it in the direction of the top of the motor is where you want to go.

Grip

I disagree with everything you just said.

That filter tool sucks. If a screwdriver doesnt work, try harder. A metal band filter wrench is the best filter wrench.

There is never, i repeat NEVER a reason to tow a vehicle to a shop to remove a oil filter. They will not do anything different compared to anything anyone with basic hand tools will do to get it off. Its just a waste of time and money.

aj2494

I disagree with everything you just said. Ehall hit it all right on the head IMO. The last oil change I did on my XJ, I was using a metal band wrench. Screwdriver trick didn't work, it just ripped a massive hole in the filter and trying to rotate just made i bigger. My band wrench has a swivel grip on it, and even then I struggled quite a bit to get the clearance. I finally got it off, but that was after way too long when I finally got the thing to budge little by little. Using those cap-type wrenches usually works pretty well.

After my dad watched my struggle and finally get the thing off, he pops his head out and tells me he started using K&N filters on his Z06. They have a nut built into the bottom, so a big ol' breaker bar is really easy to get on. Or a gun if it's that bad.

Firestorm500

"Or a gun if it's that bad."

Don't shoot yourself to put yourself out of your misery.

Don't shoot the Jeep either. It's not the Jeep's fault.

ehall

And then you can't even start it to heat-cycle

Firestorm500

Looks like that black grippy stuff on the end of the filter didn't help.

Fram really features that it their ads. You need to sue them for false advertising.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

ehall

Random Internet pics... I don't use Fram, I don't use screwdrivers to change oil filters

SteveMongr

Phillips is easier than a flat blade.. lol