Ok I feel seriously lame, but I canNOT get the oil filter off. I don't think it's that it's on too tight. I know I changed the oil on my last Subaru but seriously, I've never seen a car that was so set up in every way to NOT let you get any good angle for leverage on the filter. Anyone have advice? I know this is pathetic, but I've tried with my hands and the "belt" method, and it just slips around on the filter, doesn't help at all. I've been trying for the last half hour and there's just no way I can grab it that I can actually put any muscle behind. Will I need to actually buy one of those filter wrenches?

Ok I feel seriously lame, but I canNOT get the oil filter off. I don't think it's that it's on too tight. I know I changed the oil on my last Subaru but seriously, I've never seen a car that was so set up in every way to NOT let you get any good angle for leverage on the filter. Anyone have advice? I know this is pathetic, but I've tried with my hands and the "belt" method, and it just slips around on the filter, doesn't help at all. I've been trying for the last half hour and there's just no way I can grab it that I can actually put any muscle behind. Will I need to actually buy one of those filter wrenches?

 

Yes.

They are pretty cheap too.

The filter wrenches are definitely worth it. The best one in my opinion if you have the space to work it and have an oil filter with a fluted end is the cap wrench that fits over the filter. With a breaker bar on that thing the filter will succumb to your advances. Harbor freight has a four set of aluminum ones on sale sometimes for as low as $4.

 

Second best if you can't get the cap wrench on is a chain wrench like the vise grip kind. It will crush the filter and may even rip it a little but it works.

You can also stick the filter with a screw driver and spin it that way.

 

Not the end, the side.

messier yet you can just pound a screwdriver through it and turn it off that way. Ive needed to do that several times on other cars ive had unfortunately. Be prepared to get messy however.

 

Sounds good. i didn't think to just do something that would destroy it, but there's no reason no to. I need to take a little aggression out anyways:lol:

 

Thanks a lot!

i use a set of fairly big channel locks that works great on over tightened oil filters .

Not the end, the side.

 

....... I've been doing it wrong all this time!

 

 

GD

messier yet you can just pound a screwdriver through it and turn it off that way. Ive needed to do that several times on other cars ive had unfortunately. Be prepared to get messy however.

 

That's what i was going to say. Its worked for me plenty of times. GOOD LUCK!!!

Ryan

....... I've been doing it wrong all this time!

 

 

GD

 

:lol:

 

Screwdriver worked great. That thing was seriously tight. I had to punch one hole, move it as far as the space would allow, then punch another, same thing, then I could finally move it by hand. Thanks for the tip. Maybe I'll buy myself a wrench for the next oil change.

 

I also replaced the fuel filter and did a seafoam treatment. All I got was white smoke, so I guess my intake was fairly clean anyways.