Oil filter... FFFFFFFFFFUUUU!

[Gorbstein]

Ok, so I serviced my GFs Mk3 Ibiza in half an hour, easy. Then I get to my Mk4 and it's causing me a major headache.

It seems the oil filter has been tightened by the combined strength of all superheroes. I've had two mechanics give me a help at trying to get the bugger off, and it isn't moving at all.

So I try the leather belt trick. And snap two belts at the metal buckle.

I get at it with a ratchet and socket large enough for the nut on the end of the filter. And the nut simply rips off the filter.

I went and bought one of these:

No luck, it simply takes my ratchet bar to the point it's going to break, and the cup is distorting.

Next up, these:

And it just digs in, and digs in, until the casing rips and empties the oil onto my driveway . But STILL doesn't budge.

I'm tempted to jam a screwdriver through it and turn it that way, but theres barely any space to turn it in the cramped Mk4 engine bay.

Any ideas?

 

[Earthling]

Ideas:

1. You must be turning it in the wrong direction.

2. It was tightened by the combined strength of all superheroes.

Like most modern oil filters, it's only gripped by surface tension of the rubber ring, nothing more.

Last idea:
If you can reach it with a blunt chisel type tool, tap the top edge in an Anti clockwise direction at as many different points that you can reach.

If you ever get it off, oil the rubber ring of the new filter before fitting.

 

[attila_tdi]

Try doing it when the engine is stone cold.

If that fails heat (very carefully) the surrounding and not the plastic cap.

 

[Edward9th]

I remember seeing the 'old' way - knock a hole through it ( if possible - I know access is minimal), and use a tommy bar.

 

[Gorbstein]

Cheers all, finally got it tonight after a couple of hours of swearing and cut knuckles. Eventually managed to get into the rubber seal then soaked it in WD40. Repeated about 5 times and then got the filter pliers to crack the seal.

Made sure to oil the seal on the new filter, and vowed never to let the garage near it again.

 

[attila_tdi]

Its the only fixing with the torque setting stamped on it and people still get it wrong. Twonks.

 

[Gorbstein]

Its the only fixing with the torque setting stamped on it and people still get it wrong. Twonks.

Well this is the same garage that stripped my hub threads by tightening too much. Probably put the oil filter on with an impact wrench

 

[Earthling]

Hand tight is normally tight enough.
I've changed a few hundred and never had one leak.

 

[BigfatPaulie]

Had they used some sort of gasket goo?
Never met one that a strap wrench would shift!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 4

 

[RUM4MO]

The original one fitted to my B5 Passat 2.8 V6 was a nightmare to remove, I changed it and the oil at 9 months and that annoyed the dealer a lot! ("oil must be left in for 12 months and 10,000 miles as it is only during the final few weeks and few miles that it changes its self and scrubs the inside of the engine") I got a bit sarcastic at that point and suggested that the oil, that I had collected in a can, must now be worth a lot of money, just like "distressed pair of jeans" which seem to sell for more than a "new" pair!! I kept my cool I seem to remember and stopped short of calling then liars.

 

[Earthling]

I think a much better term than "liars" would be gullible idiots.

 

[BigfatPaulie]

...it is only during the final few weeks and few miles that it changes its self and scrubs the inside of the engine

Thats a frikkin corker.... wonder if the F1 boys know about that ?

 

[RUM4MO]

Thats a frikkin corker.... wonder if the F1 boys know about that ?

If I had heard someone else being told that story I might have sniggered a bit, but it is a bit different when its said to "you". I was prepared for a repeat performance when I took wife's 2003MY 9N Polo 1.4SE in when it "asked" for its first oil service, but they did not bat an eye when I said that I had already replaced the oil and filter (I just HAD to tell them), something must have changed in the intervening 2 years, I know - better oils used at factory!! They even took on board my request to change the car to fixed miles/time servicing.