Oil Filter Socket Sets, which one?

[GSMotorrad]

I see 3 piece sets up to 7 pieces, usually shallow sockets with a 3/8" drive. On my car, I should be able to get a 1/2" drive 27mm socket on there no problem, but I was wondering how important it is to get these specific "oil filter sockets" and if many cars need the extra low profile for clearance.

The common sizes I see for these things are: 24, 27, 29, 30, 32, 36 and 38mm.

24mm for Cadillac 36;
27mm for Mercedes A class and 1.8L, VW, V6 Cadillac, Buick, Saturn L3000, Gen 2 MINI Cooper, SAAB 9-5;
29mm for Dodge Cummins fuel filter housing;
30mm for Korean Cars;
32mm for GM Ecotec, 2.0L, 2.2L, and 2.4L four cylinder oil filter housing, some Saturn and SAAB;
35/36mm for Ford 6.0L Diesel, Gen 1 MINI Cooper and some BMW and Mack truck oil filter housing;
38mm for Vauxhall/Vectra 2.0L diesel engines.

I have a 1/2 drive set that covers all these sizes except for 38mm, should I be worried about clearance issues, or would these slightly larger sockets work just as well? Any of these you'd recommend?

Wilmar W54085 Oil Cartridge Socket Set

Great Neck OEM 27197 3/8-Inch Drive Oil Filter Removal Socket Set, 7-Piece

Sunex 3671 3/8-Inch Drive Oil and Fuel Filter Socket Set, 6-Piece

 

[Super Sport]

I know on the Ecotec in the Cobalt, a standard socket is too tall. A variety of other tools would have worked, if I had them in larger sizes. I ended up having to use an adjustable wrench...

 

[n8n]

yep, that's the one that I immediately thought of myself... whatever the size is needed for the Ecotec 4-cyl, you definitely need a shallow socket for that one. Absolutely asinine design on the part of GM on that one, what the hell were they thinking?

 

[woody 73]

Pick up a set with the most socket sizes for any car you can imagine that you will ever work on;( give this clip 8 sec. for it to start playing).

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=2C48BD05BA53FA5487C12C48BD05BA53FA5487C1

Hope this helps you out.

 

[GSMotorrad]

Pick up a set with the most socket sizes for any car you can imagine that you will ever work on;( give this clip 8 sec. for it to start playing).

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=2C48BD05BA53FA5487C12C48BD05BA53FA5487C1

Hope this helps you out.

Thanks for the replies. That video shows how they needed the shallow oil-filter-socket on that example really clearly.

They also said to never use anything like an adjustable wrench, Super Sport

 

[joel63]

Pick up a set with the most socket sizes for any car you can imagine that you will ever work on;( give this clip 8 sec. for it to start playing).

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=2C48BD05BA53FA5487C12C48BD05BA53FA5487C1

Hope this helps you out.

Thanks a lot. This really helped a lot.

 

[PnHmech]

It can be done with other tools, but the set simply makes life easier, plus it helps prevent striping and or breaking the housing


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[cowboy73]

I'd get either the Wilmar or the GreatNeck set. They have the most sockets. I wish I had bought a complete set. I paid almost 20 bucks just for one.

 

[devoncoolman]

I have the lisle kit 5piece and the ast kit like 3piece hex sockets and 5 oil filter cap sockets. Both work great. The lisle kit is very cheap. The ecotech filter design is not assinine. Its pretty eaisily accessable in my opinion. There are alot worse out there trust me. If u think the ecotech is bad you aint seen nothin yet. Try the volvos where you have to remove the air intake just to access the filter. Then it dumps oil all over once you pull the cap off. How about mazdas where the have an access hole in the splash shield but its about 6-8in over too far so you have to pull the whole splash shield down anyway. Dumb. Minis are burried in the back and the S models **** even more. Mazda rx-8 filters are buried way in the back top side of the engine with the filter mounted upside down so it makes a mess if you dont poke a hole in it first. Theres tons more. Geo/chevy trackers are imposible when engine is hot stupid design.

 

[devoncoolman]

Lisle kit http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0029XK48O/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1397007766&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

$33.22

 

[GSMotorrad]

Minis are burried in the back and the S models **** even more.

It wasn't too bad on my gen 2 S after I unbolted the overflow reservoir and pulled it to the side, then I was able to use a 1/2" dr. 27mm shallow socket on a wobble extension, but probably didn't even need the wobble.

I had it on there hand tight until my new socket set came in the mail today, and I just needed to snug it down a smidgeon, it wasn't leaking or anything.

I'm glad I waited though, to get the specific oil-filter socket set. I'm sure I'll need it in the future, but at least on my car a regular socket works. It's just that it's been hard trying to figure out if any of these sets are at least made in Taiwan. I know I won't be torquing them hard or anything, I just don't have any China tools in my box (and only just now added some Taiwan stuff), and I'd like to try to keep it that way (no offense).

Lisle kit http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0029XK48O/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1397007766&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

$33.22

I was reading the reviews for that Lisle set, and Duck57 said, "three were black and shiny with USA stamped on them. The other 2 were rusted with China stamped on them." At least make them all match. That's what turned me off that particular set, although I've had great luck with all my Lisle stuff, and always really liked their stuff, so I guess I don't know what to believe anymore.