It was oil change day today... I had the truck nice and warm so the filter would come off easier, and I had all my tools lined up, but little did I know I was missing one. I pulled the plug and got the oil draining. Then the bad started. I destroyed one of the cheap-o metal oil filter wrenches, then I broke out the fabric oil filter wrench. After piercing into the oil filter, covering the filter, the wrench and me with 5,000 mile black oil I lost grip with the wrench. So I poked a hole in the bottom of the filter with a flat head screw driver assisted by a hammer to get the oil to drain out of the filter. After I had drained the oil I took some cleaner to it so I could get a grip.... and I DID. I completely ripped through the fabric, and made a pretty impressive gash-dent combo on the filter... woe is me.

I then went to Sears and picked up a chain wrench, my last bastion of hope before I had to break out the cold chisel and spend all of tomorrow getting the filter off. After about two hours struggling and fighting with the chain wrench I finally got the filter off.

I nearly tore off a third of the filter housing, and it sort of looks like a crushed soda can, but fortunately it didn't tear up anything important.

Just though you'd enjoy the story. But oil change, air filter change, transmission treatment (Lucas product), and a nice injector cleaner additive to two fresh tanks.... the old boy sure sounds good for a 240k mile truck!

Plans for next month... new shocks (Monroe Sensa-tracs) and new front leaf springs!

 

You must over tighten your oil filter. I always just hand tighten and hand remove. No leaks yet. Plus its alot easier and quicker.

 

Well, glad ya got it off. There's been a few stories like that on here. Just gotta watch how tight you put them on. I have a punch that I specificly use for my oil changes. I always poke a hole in the bottom and let it drain when the pan is draining. Makes for alot less messy filter change.

 

Oh I understand, but if you've ever had one pop off, you'd never do it again :-P

I took it in to get it checked out for an oil leak and it was the oil pan gasket right where it meets the rear main seal (I thought it was the rear main)... my bet is the mechanic tightened everything with a little too much gusto, I noticed the plug was harder than normal to get spinning.

I'm going to wait until I need a rebuild for the oil pan gasket as it's quite the procedure.

 

Yeah I suppose. LOL

 

I drove from Houston to Dallas and back one day... next morning I went to the office and right when I put it in park the oil pressure hit zip and I killed it.... the filter had rattled loose. Different truck, but lesson learned.

 

Well I am glad you got the filter off. I ran into one of those stories years ago as a mechanic. It is funny when you look back on it. LOL

 

I bought one of the filter wrenches that slips over the end of the filter.

It's a bigger version of this:

They work a lot better without the tendency to crush the filter.

 

There is tricks to hand tightening. Just takes some carefull attention paying, and depends on the filter type used.
Some just are never going to come off easy (fram)

If you always buy the same filter. you can figure out the tricks. Which is what I try and do.

Be ware of lucas products though. Bad stuff.

 

The Lucas product I'm referring to is just the transmission cooler, mine tends to get hot and thin out in the torque converter and cause hard shifts.

 

What about Additives?

check this out. You might change your mind.

 

Lol it would if I were thinking about adding something to my oil :-P

 

I wasn't aware that Lucas made a trans cooler.
Far as I know they only made additives and oils.

Cool.

 

[QUOTE=Talyn;7998790]
Some just are never going to come off easy (fram)

QUOTE]


WRONG. That's all I use, and it's rare I have a problem with them. Everyone has their opinions on filters. I like Fram, some don't. But you can't just say some never come off like "Fram". Just my opinion.

 

The trick to getting a filter off... is when putting it on, use some oil and lubricate the threads... every time I do that, I have no issues getting it off... but when I dont, I always have isssues getting it off...