Those simple jobs that go horribly wrong

[mrfil13]

Simple job, jack car up remove oil filter.

Out come, oil filter is on so tight that the oil remove chain has put a hole in the oil filter and not moved it at all.

Whats worse is that jacking up the car a bit higher (i really screwed up before i continue) the car leant to the side, slipped off the jack and one of the axle stands has bent the track rod end.

Simple job gone completely wrong.

Anyway, any ideas on how to get the SOAB filter off? Ive got a screw driver through it at the moment and it wont budge still, also do i need anything special to remove the track rod end?


Thanks
Phil

[Jiveman]

Hi Ya, I feel for you mate the same thing happened to me some years ago. The Oil Filter just would not come off. I tried the screwdriver trick and that made the situation worse it just chewed the end of the filter up.

I finally freed it off with a chain wrench hard up against the seal end of the filter and tapped it hard a few times. The filter did start to cave in but it moved it. If this fails I was planning to cut the filter off. With all the hacking about there was not much left of it anyway.

All this was caused by a garage doing the service, ever since I have done it and I only screw it on hand tight with a smear of oil on the seal. It seems too loose but in 15 years I have never had a problem.

To change the filter now I warm the engine up, put on a leather glove and just undo it by hand.

One other thing you mighy try is to use a centre punch on the bottom edge of the filter and tap it in the direction of rotation this works but you need to see what you are doing.

Good Luck.

[mrfil13]

Thanks for the advice, my father told me about a 3 prong tool that grips the filter so I'm going to try one of them, failing that I might remove the oil filter bracket.

Cheers Phil

[Rowland]

Dude, sounds incredibly stupid but you ARE turning it the right way aren't you?

I've made this mistake at least once that's all.

[mrfil13]

definitely turning anti clockwise...

[Rowland]

definitely turning anti clockwise...

Bet you're cursing the donkey that fitted that. Hope you get it sorted.

[pk_090]

those 3 pronged tools are good when the filters are large and in acres of space. Having not seen an mr2 filter i wouldn't know whether it would work or not. but if the filter is small forget it with the 3 prong tool.
Alex

[elbon50]

those 3 pronged tools are good when the filters are large and in acres of space. Having not seen an mr2 filter i wouldn't know whether it would work or not. but if the filter is small forget it with the 3 prong tool.
Alex

65 mill Alex

Peter

[mrfil13]

Fingers crossed that's big enough for the tool. Prefer not to have to remove the bracket the filter attaches to, that's if it comes off with the filter attached.

[Gad]

Bang a screwdriver through it, crude, but it works, tis how we got mine off after we'd forgotten to check we had the appropriate tool!

[PW@Woodsport]

Bang a screwdriver through it, crude, but it works, tis how we got mine off after we'd forgotten to check we had the appropriate tool!

Read the first post

[SuperRedMR2]

I dont know if its possible to do with the filter on, but if you take off the entire oil filter housing or sandwich plate you could then get the filter in a vice and or remove it another way.

Just be careful the o-rings do not get damaged if you go down this route and take it off - as I lost 3 litres of oil over a period of a week before I realised my o-rings had gone through reasons unknown!

[stenky]

i have bought something similiar to that 3 prong thing. it's two opposite half-shells with fine inner teeth, that are lever-linked to the centre socket and therefore the more you turn it the more it grips. pretty small, should fit 65mm filters but since i have it only for about half a week i didnt try it yet. but i am quite confident about that tool.

just in case the 3 prong doesnt help

[Gad]

Bang a screwdriver through it, crude, but it works, tis how we got mine off after we'd forgotten to check we had the appropriate tool!

Read the first post

Doh, must stop skim reading posts.
How about a bigger screwdriver?

[matt86]

I use a set of oil filter pliers, have never let me down so far. I did my first oil change on the MR2 on Saturday, and with these I could remove the oil filter working from above the engine, didn't have to jack car up or get under it

Example of the kind of tool:

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Equipm ... e=googleps

[T.F.S.]

i use an oil filter socket...

[Lauren]

When you do get it off, you can do it all from above without needing to jack the car up.

OEM filters come pre-oiled on the seal, so just do it from the top and do it hand tight, nothing more.

Then when you come to change it next time, you can do it all from above and simply undo it by hand.

Doing it that way an oil change takes around 10 minutes IME.

[mrfil13]

Thanks for your suggestions, if the 3 prong tool fails then a bigger screw driver maybe needed.

Any idea if the oil filter bracket can be removed with the filter attached? A plan B is always nice (plan E in this case)

Never enjoyed doing filters but this is taking the mick.

Thanks
Phil

[SuperRedMR2]

I've never been able to do it from above - As I normally run the car for five mins to get the oil runny and then burn my hand/arm on the exhaust manifold!

[LimeyMk1]

Any idea if the oil filter bracket can be removed with the filter attached? A plan B is always nice (plan E in this case)

From what I recall the plate it's mounted to is 2 layered. The part bolted to the block is held on by 2 M8 or M6 bolts which should be accessable (just). The outer 'layer' is held on by the threaded tube the filter attaches to, the thing I can't remember is if this goes through to the block.