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Help - I can't get my oil filter off!


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I bought my 2003 Wakesetter LSV 23 in June. It was owned by a guy in Miami Beach, FL and had limited hrs in salt water and also came with a closed cooling system. I live in Central Wisconsin and put 35 fantastic hours on it. This was the weekend to winterize, so after running the engine for 15 minutes, I drained the oil, and then my problems started. I cannot get the oil filter off! First, I'm going left loosey so I know I'm going the correct direction. There is minimal rust around the engine, due to that salty air (stored in a marina with a lift), but it's certainly not bad and I've seen worse. Part of my plan was to take a wire brush and really clean things up, spray on some black paint, and finally WD-40 everything. But I digress. Here's what I've tried:

1.) Bare hands - could not budge

2.) I have a cup that fits over the end of the filter that you attach a socket wrench to. It was a bit large, but I pressed a rag over the filter first and it was nice and snug. No go - it just slipped.

3.) Hate doing this, but it's worked on the cars, so I put half a milk jug underneath, and then drove a large Phillips screwdriver through the filter (lower half) and tried again to crank it off. The screwdriver just ripped through the filter.

4.) Used a ratchet strap and tightened it around the filter to the point of compressing it a bit. Grabbed the large ratchet and tried to crank her loose. No go.

5.) Got out the tin snips and ripped most of the tin and innards out. Not much left. Then I made a custom tool - two screw correctly spaced, attached a a flat bar of about 6 inches. The screws go up into the filter holes. This thing is snug and I cannot move it. One screw sheared on my tool from the force. I've sprayed WD-40 around the edges of the filter.

Anyone have any ideas? Compounding the issue is how tough it is to get any leverage down there! Spent most of the afternoon on this and have nothing to show for it but ripped up hands.

Thanks all!

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If all you have left of the filter is the base, you have one option left. Take a large dull chisel place at a 30 degree angle to the base of the old filter and hit till it moves. I know you dont have much room.

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If there is enough filter left you should try a large pair of channel locks. I used channel locks this year when my oil filter wrench was slipping on the filter. There about $20 at Home Depot.

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Thanks for the suggestions! I will be making a Depot run tomorrow for a chisel and large channel lock. The next oil filter is going to be a K&N - they have a nice nut welded on to the outside of the filter. Most times I can remove the oil filters on my vehicles with bare hands since you don't need them that tight, but if not, the K&N's are easy to take off with a socket.

If anyone else has any suggestions - I'm all ears.

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You could pick up an oil filter wrench. There is one out there that you can move the handle up or down to get leverage if its a tight spot. You can find them at almost any automotive store. Sears has this one KD Tools Extra Large Swivoil™ Filter Wrench ( don't know how to post the link so you will have to go to the website and search for it)

Edited by waterskiing101
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I agree, the chisel-on-the-rim is a reasonable choice. Last time I had this happen, I did that using an air chisel and the thing spun off immediately. The air chisel worked better for me because there wasn't a lot of room to swing a mallet on my V-drive.

Once you get to the point where all the sheet metal of the filter can is gone, another option is..."The Special Tool". Sounds like that didn't work for you either. That's amazing...never seen that one fail. Sounds like the chisel method is your only option left before you take it to the dealer.

filter.jpgfiltertool.jpg

Indmar is fairly well-known for this problem on initial oil changes. Common wisdom seems to suggest the most likely cause is overly-aggressive tightening at the factory combined with no lubrication of the gasket prior to installation. When you do get it off, reinstall only hand-tight, and lube the gasket well with either clean engine oil, or grease.

//

Edited by Big Mac
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+1 on the channelocks. I would never recommend the screwdriver method........I have never seen that one work. Only makes a big mess. I teach automotives and believe me, plenty of students have tried it.

The band type filter wrenches work well. Get one with a handle that swivels so you can use it at any angle.

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I can't begin to count how many times as I've read about this kind of thing happening.

It seems like I'm always changing the oil on something. Quads, boat, car, truck, lawn mower, etc.

I don't even bother with an oil filter wrench any more. I go straight for the channel locks. Their cheap, easy & work everytime.

Sounds like an air chisel is about your last ditch effort.

Good luck!

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This is a real common problem on ALL new engines, Mercruiser, Indmar, PCM, etc... in the spring when we do a lot of break in services we get 1 or 2 of these a week... We have some really nice oil wrenches that help prevent the problem but we built a similar tool as bigmac to remove the real stubborn filters.

good luck!!

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Hey everyone. I got it off! Channel lock didn't work - wouldn't budge. It took 30 minutes of pounding with a chisel and it finally moved. The boat had 70 hours on it when I bought it, and though I was told it had just been serviced this spring (oil was clear so at least that must have been changed), I'm beginning to think this was the original filter. The rubber seal was bone dry. Unbelievable. I've never seen a filter on so tight on anything before. So, I'll be putting a K&N filter on this time, believe it's a HP-1011 to replace the PZ-3 Pennzoil, and will lube the rubber seal before putting on and only hand tighten. With any luck, next time I should be able to twist it off with my bare hands, but if not, I've got the 1-inch lug on the filter. Whew! Now I can finish winterizing before it gets too cold up here!

Hey, that pic of the tool above is pretty much exactly what I made from scratch! Bright minds think alike!

Thanks everybody for your suggestions!

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We did the same thing on our tige last year with a Mercruiser. After all of our attempts failed we removed the mounting plate that the filter attatches to from the engine and burned the gasket off with a blowtorch. Then bashed it with a chisel and hammer until it finally came off. What should have taken 10 minutes took an hour.

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Even though I put my filter on hand tight, it is always tough getting off when it is time to change it. Don't know what would cause this just because it is a marine application. I've had many GM V-8 engines.

Edited by electricjohn
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I know you already removed it but thought I'd share this anyway.

We use the channel lock Filter wrench on our heavy equipment fuel hydraulic and engine oil filters at work.

post-149-1225074602_thumb.jpg

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So, I'll be putting a K&N filter on this time, believe it's a HP-1011 to replace the PZ-3 Pennzoil, and will lube the rubber seal before putting on and only hand tighten.

]Glad to hear you were able to get the filter off. Those PZ-3 Pennzoil filters are junk. See here, but there were other studies that agree. I have new PZ-3 (well actually 5 years old now) that I can't bring myself to put on the boat after reading the detailed filter report reports on here and the original mbo. Guess I should give it to Good Will. On second thought, I should probably just toss it. Napa Gold for me.

Edited by Addictedto6
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Even though I put my filter on hand tight, it is always tough getting off when it is time to change it. Don't know what would cause this just because it is a marine application. I've had many GM V-8 engines.

Oil pressure.

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Don't know what would cause this just because it is a marine application. I've had many GM V-8 engines.

Heat build up in the motor box as opposed to 'open environment' of a car motor???

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