I bought my truck in April and now I am ready to change the oil and filter. Found out it is about impossible to get to the oil filter. After many trys with the filter wrench I was not able to budge the filter but managed to dent the top of the filter in.

How can I get the filter off and can I drive the truck with the filter dented?

2005 F-150
Lariet

 

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out welcome to the best site. On my 04 5.4 I busted two wrenches one strap and one socket type, went to NAPA and got a different style of socket type and that got it. I have seen them with many points and fewer points, match the filter to the socket wrench. Also I had never seen it before but my filter was put on with a orange sealant? Good luck.

 

Like Fordteamone said, you have to use a socket type filter wrench. When I was in the auto parts store, I grabbed an FL820 and took it over to the wrench selection and found one that fit the filter the best. They had ones that were labled to fit a Motorcraft filter but some of the ones on the shelf fit better than others. I've had no problems getting the filter off with the new socket. It should be OK to drive the truck with a dented filter.

 

You are not alone. Apparently they really stick the filters on tight, and possibly with no oil moistness at the factory.

Best advice on this has been to take it to the dealer for the 1st oil change, and then do it yourself on later changes.

Its just the first time off thats a bitch.

 

2 things that are bears the first time on a new vehicle seem to be changing oil and rotating/changing tires. You already discovered the fun with the oil filter. You might also consider seeing if your lug wrench will loosen all your wheels at home, as opposed to when you get a flat on a rainy night.

If you get the socket type oil filter wrench, make sure it fits the factory filter you are taking off, as well as whatever replacement filter you put on.

 

I couldnt agree more on the FIRST OIL change. I would only add that after you get home from the dealership, loosen the filter (slightly) and re-tighten yourself to the usaul spec. (shops will over tighten and you'll have the same problem next time)

Dont worry about the $$ you spent on a filter and oil, your going to have the truck along time and you'll have plenty of chances to do it yourself!

 

Just do what I did...Call the service department at the dealership and tell them that you are bringing it in for the FREE 1st oil change that the salesperson had mentioned when you bought it as part of the deal. They will just say, OK, bring it on in....hehehe

 

It's ironic I read this post when I logged in. I just got done changing the oil on my '05 Scab 5.4L.

My first observation was "that looks easy enough". It *looked* easy enough to get at, but like others said, it was on WAYYYY tight from the factory. I had a socket type on there, but the ribs didn't align perfectly, and it was slipping. So, I tried a tried the traditional spring steel strap type wrench. I had no room to get at it from below, so I tried from up top. I couldn't get at it from there, either...UNTIL I took off the air intake tube. That thing just pops off - no tools required. It was still pretty tough, and I let a few four letter words fly, but I was able to get it to move a hair at a time, eventually loosened it enough to crawl back underneath and remove it by hand. If you're a guy with big forearms, you'll likely have a very hard time accessing itfrom above.

After I got the new filter on - again tightening from above, I had my next two surprises. I didn't look at the manual first to see how many quarts, but I had bought six. It seems like the 5 quart days are gone. Anyway, I put in 5 and looked at the dipstick...wait - this friggin dipstick is two piece? with rivets in the middle?? What's that deal? There's no oil on the dipstick. So, I add another quart, pull out the two piece dipstick, - it's just on the tip. Can this be??? A 7 quart system?? So - I looked at the book as I was scratching my head...yep - 7 quarts.

I'll get the correct socket type filter cap, and I'm sure next time will be easier - from underneath.

Rick

 

This is a piece of cake job. Go buy yourself a 9.99 filter wrench from sears. It is a gear driven three pawl adjustable wrench for all oil filters and uses a standard 3/8 drive ratchet and extension. I don't have the part # at the moment. It tightens on the end of filter as you turn it. I took me less than a minute to take the first filter off.

 

Don't know if it would work here, but on a 94 ranger I used to have, if the oil filter got stuck hard, I'd take a big screwdriver and hammer it through the filter and twist it off that way. Sounds like you wouldn't have enough room to do that though.

 

Thaxon.

You're right - there really is no room up there to get a screwdriver through it.
Even if there was, I'd be afraid to damage something else under there, with all the sensors and hoses on vehicles today.

Rick

 

Definitely one of the worst placements for an oil filter. Just did my first oil change and it was a pain getting the filter off and back on. All I had was a strap wrench so I found standing on my bull bar and going in from the top worked best for me. The funny thing is when I first looked at the setup it looked easy, more so than on my cobra(two plugs one on the front one on the bottom. it required jacking the car up to drain the pan). Actually it probally took me less time to change the oil on the screw than the cobra because there was a lot more clearance underneath!

 

I use the Walmart multiple size orange oil filter tool. The key is to get it on straight. I use a swivel adapter to engage the tool. Works like a champ!

 

Yeah, this thing rocks. It bent the snot out of the filter on my first oil change, though.

The location of the filter was much worse on my 2000 F-150 with a 4.6 Romeo. . . The wheel had to be truned to the left and you could only move a strap wrench like an inch at a time.