I wish the search function worked. I know the answer is out there somewhere.

Can the Oil Filter be removed with just a pair of hands or do I need the wrench?

I'm going to attempt to change my oil rather than going to the dealer. My last oil change was at 8400 and I parked the car for the Winter months back in Dec with 10200 miles. I think the oil needs to be changed seeing its almost 5 months old and sat for 3 1/2 months.

Is this is a DIY task without frustration? If so, I figure I'll go to the dealer at the major intervals (every 7500) and do my own oil change at the 3750 mile mark.

 

Dude...oil filter wrenches are like 5 bucks...get one.

 

They are very cheap... so it won't cost you much to get one.

That said I always change my own oil and I've never used an oil filter wrench.... just the old hands....

 

IMO, depends on who put the sucker and/or do your forearms look like this:





The "official" Honda oil filter wrench is not a lot of $$$ and/or get something more "generic."

YMMV

 

if it's super-tight and you don't have a wrench, you can just jam a screwdriver all the way through it's side and turn it loose. That worked for me once when I couldn't find my wrench. It's just going to be thrown away anyway.

 

Yes, but did you enjoy the hot oil all over your hands, arms, and driveway? :P

 

Use some grippy gloves, find those easier than using a filter wrench. A golf glove or a wide receiver gloves...something along those lines, if you have em would work great.

 

I wear the disposable rubber gloves, do it in the morning when the engine's cool and drain into an oil pan so it wasn't too much of a problem. Plus, that was only done cause I was in bind since I couldn't find my wrench. It was messy though!

 

Hmmmmm..... Where did I put those "wide-receiver" gloves.......

 

I plan to do this in my garage. I'm a little neurotic when it comes to clean! I plan to drive over a tarp so any spillage ends up on the tarp and not my new floor! I also plan to use a super sized waste oil collector. I saw one at Pep Boys and this freaking thing is huge! If you miss this, your pretty bad.

 

I like having a filter wrench. I've had to do the "spear it with a screwdriver" and "pinch it with channel locks" before. Sometimes they come off easily by hand. If it doesn't the filter wrench is well worth the $3-$5 it will cost. I use the kind that fits on a ratchet then I use my sidewinder ratchet and I can take the filter completely off through the fender without even touching it. Then I use my Tempo oil extractor to suck the oil out. Did it last time in about ten minutes and didn't get ony oil on me or the floor.

 

No point getting a super size. The tire or the car ramp is in the way. I have rectangular one and it is the most suitable for the oil filter removal. Any huge one would not work any better because the tire or the ramp is in the way.

 

Or get one of these. They are cheap also and can be used for other things.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...#more-pictures

 

always good to have the right tools for the job....

 

I have this thing from Sears/Craftsman.

It's the one wrench that actually works, and works for all sizes of filters. Good to have if you own different branded cars with different filters.

It fits into your rachet and with each turn the claws both dig deeper and turn the thing off.

I've found that some of the large channel locked shaped wrenches can slip. I've never tried the rubber band wrench.

 

dpending on who put em on maybe, the installs I did I can get off, but the dealer I think they use the wrench to up it on too, but nothing a good old hammer and screwdriver won't fix

 

I wasn't planning on jumping on ramps as I've read you can turn the wheel and get at the filter. Thanks of the advise on the super size. I would have been pissed when I realized I couldn't get that sucker under the car!

 

i have an oil wrench, but i only use it if i cant get the filter off with my own hands..

you dont need a super duper oil bucket.. just use some basic sense and see where the flow is going to go..

what i love about my mitsubishi over my honda

the oil filter is right there and easy to take off. my civic i had to twist my arm in unnatural positions to get to it.

the oil pan bolt faces towards the front, and subsequently the oil flow comes out the front.. much easier..

 

You mean I wouldn't have to get under the car (other than the filter removal) to change oil! How much is one of these tempo's? Any other generic brands out there at the retail level that work?

 

I have a Griot's Garage version of the extractor. I believe the Tempo is a bit cheaper and can be found at boat/marine supply stores.

 

I was thinking about getting that...

Any negatives so far?

 

thats the fun of changing oil

 

i understand doing it when all the oil's in the oilpan, but i was always told to do it when the motor is a little warm, i guess thats so the oil flows a little quicker out of the drain plug

 

yup a mallet and a screwdriver always gets the most stubborn of filters off. Unless your a professional mechanic than you shouldn't need an oil filter wrench in your toolbox...

I use fram filters with the grip on them and make sure not to tighten them ultra. A quarter spin after it gets tight is all that is needed to keep it on there.



Always remeber to dispose of your oil properly also. Any autozone, quicklube, napa, ect by law has to take it.

 

on our camry beater. i used to change the oil. and this last time they tightened it so tight i cant get it off by hand. idiots

 

Not really. Seems to get just as much oil out as draining. (It get's more out of the wife's Jetta than it is supposed to take for an oil/filter change). With the placement of the filter on the CL you can do a no-jack, no-ramp no pan, no mess oil change. I use a cheap triangular pan to set under the filter while removing. I stick the extractor hose in, pump it up and take the filter off. Here is the one I got Tempo Oil Boy

 

This is because oil gets thinner the hotter it gets. The hotter the oil the smoother the flow. It might take 20 minutes to get it out when its cold and only 5-7 when it's hot/slightly warm...

 

OMG!! it looks like a penis pump!!!!


I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face around friends that saw that in my garage....

 

that'd be a fucking HUGE penis pump

 

Same as ChadT said, except I usually put the front end on ramps or jack it up.

I've gone and drained after extraction and next to nothing comes out -- it really does do a very complete job and is quite un-messy. No need to retorque the pan bolt either.

The best thing is that your used oil is easily transferred to a recycling receptacle (I use an old washer fluid gallon container or a few 2 liter soda jugs) without dripping.

FWIW, these products don't work on Subarus. I read that somewhere and then tried it on our Forester XT -- there's a baffle in the pan that prevents compete extraction from above.

 

Also because you want any particulates in solution and not precipitated onto the pan. Honestly though, I think this is a bit of voodoo, as your oil shouldn't really have any precipitating particulates of significance -- one of the jobs of the oil is to keep any micro-debris in solution so it can be grabbed by the filter.

 

:nutkick: Penispumper!!!!

 

yeah, I've heard that also, but 5w-20 (and 5w-30) is pretty thin and flows easily, even cold. Thicker oils like 10w-40 might benefit more from warming up first though. Either way, I prefer to work on a cool engine. Plus (as you mentioned), if it sits all night beforehand, more oil has made it's way back to the oil pan instead of being up in the heads and block.

:thinking: Actually, this got me thinking: since it's a multi-grade oil, it has two viscosity measurements- 5 and 20. It's viscosity is 5 when it's cold so the oil flows easily at startup. Once the oil is at operating temperature, it's viscosity is the thicker 20 (or 30 if you're running 5w-30). So, does warming up the car really help thin the oil??? hmmm... anybody??

 

bueller?

 

That is

I have to change the oil on a Corolla. The filter is in a tight space, no room for a filter wrench or strap wrench. I can use that with an 10 in. extension bar and a ratchet.

I use the oil extractor on my CL and the corolla. No ramps or jacks. I double some walmart bags over the filter when I remove it, keep oil off the suspension/floor.

Does anyone torque the filter to spec? Or just hand tighten? I try to make 5/6 - 1 complete turn once the washer makes contact.

 

I really like the idea of an oil extractor. Does anyone know if they sell these at the retail level (pep boys, autozone...)

 

I tried to torque it properly once, and it seemed that to do so the filter would have to turn much more then one turn. It didn't seem right, so I've never tried since.

I usually hand tighten to somewhere between 3/4 and 7/8 turn after contact is made. It seems to get pretty tight anyway just short of 3/4. I've never had a filter leak (yet! ).

 

I've never seen them in auto stores. You can get them through a marine supplier. I spent a couple $$ more and got the Griot's Garage version online.

 

The OEM honda filters had the numbers 1 - 6 marked off on the filter, and said 5/6 of a turn. I use Bosch now and just pick a spot to watch.

 

I said 7/8 because the Honda filters that I have has marks 1-8 and says turn 7/8 (and it also says this in the Helm). The Purolator PureOne that I have on now says 3/4 turn.