Now I know what a grease monkey is.

[AffableCurmudgeon]

I bought a Lexus hybrid last year. It had 19000 miles. Maintenance reminder came on last week so today I did the needed maintenance including oil change.

The person who changed the oil before me was not human, he had to be a primate. For the life of me I could not get the £€|£¥§|~ plastic filter housing cover off. Yes, I was using the Lexus/Toyota slotted oil filter wrench. I used a cheater bar, did not budge. I had to take the entire front plastic bottom cover off, 20 some pins and bolts, so that I could have enough room to use an impact wrench. It came off. Never in my life I had used an impact wrench on a filter before.


The filter box says do not over torque, every decent human being knows not to torque the plastic filter housing beyond 20ish ft-lb. Apparently the primate before me had no clue or torque wrench.

Ok, I feel better.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I heard a story about someone that had to use a rod driven in the filter to get it off and he showed his helper how he did it and then let the helper put the new filter by himself. They let the car down and started it and oil went all over the place. The helper drove the same rod into the new filter to tighten it up..

 

[Strouty]

In this day and age, I would believe that.

 

[CoogarXR]

I bought one of those vise-grip-looking oil filter wrenches from HF.

https://www.harborfreight.com/locking-oil-filter-wrench-66568.html

Best $10 I ever spent. So many used cars I have bought have had the filter impacted on (or so it would seem). I have driven screwdrivers through em, strap wrench'd em, all those old tricks.

Those locking oil filter pliers are great. Just squeeze, lock, and turn it right off. I haven't met a filter that they wouldn't remove yet.

 

[vavet]

I know this is a rant, mainly intended to make you feel better....but this is the internet and someone has to be the accuracy police, so here I am.

Not all primates are human. All humans are primates.

With only 19K miles, is it possible that's the original filter? They tend to be installed pretty tightly on new engines.

 

[blazemaster83]

A few years ago I had the same problem. I bought a 1993 f-super duty(f450) and the old oil filter was so stuck on, a 24" strap wrench wouldn't budge it. It would just crush the filter and loosen up the strap. I ended up making a cinch style filter wrench and putting a long pipe over the handle for more leverage, finally broke it loose.

I usually put them on hand tight, then give it a tiny snug with a wrench.

 

[airsanford]

Dielectric silicone grease (not engine oil) on the gasket will prevent this. Dow Corning #4, or the little packets sold on the counter at most auto parts stores.

 

[Jeepster04]

From the factory I couldnt get the oil filter off of my Jeep. Not sure if the factory put them on dry or what, but I had to use use a screw driver through the filter to get it off. Everything else just crushed the filter and I couldnt get anything around the base of the filter since the area is very tight.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

I know this is a rant, mainly intended to make you feel better....but this is the internet and someone has to be the accuracy police, so here I am.

Not all primates are human. All humans are primates.

With only 19K miles, is it possible that's the original filter? They tend to be installed pretty tightly on new engines.

Since you would like to be the “accuracy police”, I should point out that your last paragraph is grammatically incorrect.

The first sentence of your last paragraph should read: “With only 19k miles, is it possible that it was the original filter?”. You used “that’s”, which is short for “that is”. In this instance however, the filter had been replaced and was no more. That rendered the use of present tense (“is”) grammatically incorrect.

No offense or hard feelings but you started it dude.

 

[vavet]

Since you would like to be the “accuracy police”, I should point out that your last paragraph is grammatically incorrect.

The first sentence of your last paragraph should read: “With only 19k miles, is it possible that it was the original filter?”. You used “that’s”, which is short for “that is”. In this instance however, the filter had been replaced and was no more. That rendered the use of present tense (“is”) grammatically incorrect.

No offense or hard feelings but you started it dude.

Touche!
I'm not worthy!
I love it!

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

My wifes car had a filter housing like that on it. She'd have the dealer do her oil changes. The car came back leaking oil a few times and each time the cover was chewed up from channel locks or other "wrenches". I'd replace it and after the next change the cover would have scars from the tech.
Eventually I inherited the car and replaced the whole deal with a spin on filter.