Do your own oil changes!

[drunk_medic]

So, let me start by explaining a little...

This is not a how-to, but more of an informative post and a little bit of complaining about products and services.

I usually do my own oil changes, but last time I dropped by a local place. I don't want to complain about their speed, service, or variety of oils and weights, but the way they put on the oil filter. I went to do my own oil change and found that they must have used a filter wrench and torqued the living hell out of it. Usually I can get my hands in from the bottom, or from the top between the turbocharger and the passenger side strut tower, to the oil filter and can budge it, even when it's on tight. This thing was HORRIBLE. I tried until the muscles in my wrist were sore and weak. Finally, I tried my filter wrench. The one I have is a hard, thick plastic that is sleeved perfectly for oil filters. It slipped on very snug and seemed promising. Well, I went to turn the ratchet and the thing kept slipping and popping, the same as when you use a socket that is too big for the bolt/nut you are trying to turn. Yeah, the place put it on THAT TIGHT! I was pissed, and my wife asked how I was going to get it undone. I said I'll need to get a metal filter wrench that won't flex and pop under that much strain. Well, I needed to change the oil to use the car, since the plastic filter wrench was a piece of junk and the oil filter will be disposed of, my wife had the great idea to superglue the filter wrench to the filter, and then try. I glued, set for 2 hours, got the ratchet on and FINALLY got the sumbitch off!

This is more incentive to do your own changes and filters. If you put it on by hand, you should have no problem removing it. Don't over-snug it with your gorilla grip. Lube the seal, get the seal flush, and get 1/4 turn more on the filter BY HAND - use a filter wrench for removal only [local lube shop guys must not know that].

 

[ninetyturbo]

I do a crap load of oil changes every day and everyone i work with goes hand tight. Whenever i get in a car with a delco or motorcraft oil filter on it, i know im in for a struggle. It seems that the dealers always go way way way too tight and it pisses me off.

well thats my story....

 

[Stretch]

Good tips. Most peopel would say tightest you can do is good ahahaa, yeah...
Glad you finally got it off tho!
eric

 

[supra90turbo]

Always hand tight. If you had that filter relocated, you wouldn't have this problem

 

[drunk_medic]

Always hand tight. If you had that filter relocated, you wouldn't have this problem

Oh, I KNOW it!!!

I had ordered a 2JZ relocation kit for the swap, and I was going to put it behind the passenger foglight area or something out of the way, yet easy enough to access. The part went on backorder, and I got the runaround, so I got a refund and bought something else with the money. Doesn't help me with the 7M anyways, but still I highly recommend a relocation kit for anyone with a MA70. I remember the first time I did an oil change on my car. I hunted for awhile to locate the damn thing. I wasn't mechanically inclined at all when I bought the car. That has since changed.

 

[supra90turbo]

LOL same here. I never thought I'd be where I'm at now... ever.
Go order a SUM-G4985. It's like $45

 

[jetjock]

Those places aren't called "Iffy Lubes" for nothing .

Hand tight is all that's needed. You should cut the old filter open for inspection too. Course, best thing is a remote mounted bypass depth filter setup. Then you don't need to change the full flow or even use it. The oil stays good for a lot longer too. That said, doing your own changes gives you the chance to regularly get under the car and eyeball things.

 

[Wills7MGTE]

I do my oil changes cuz I run amsoil and oil places use crap conventional oil, luckily I have help from people if I hit a snag, but I will say the 7M is the biggest pain in the azz to change the filter on, theres no way to get it out ya have to push it around past oil, IC, and AC pipes and get it to fall out of the back, which means basically you get covered in oil anytime you do the job. It sucks.

 

[bluemax]

After 20+ years of owning cars, I've never been to a place to have my oil changed. I'm too picky on what oil and what filter I want to use, and too cheap to pay someone to do something I can do.

I have friends who go to those lube places and they don't change the filter, or drip the oil into places where you can't get it out. You never know if they lube things either unless you stand there to watch them do it. If you do, you might as well do it yourself.

It becomes a hassle to dispose of the oil with 3 cars and one diesel powered, 3 gallon/oil change Ford Excursion, but I do it.

 

[Joel W.]

I have seen this type of thing before where the filter was so tight the metal filter wrench actually crushed the filter trying to remove it, I ended up driving a screw driver through the filter itself and using the screw driver as leverage..

It worked, but what a PITA.. Glad you got it off..

 

[chedderknight]

I usually go hand tight till you feel some resistance, and then one turn with a filter wrench, but yea I dont really like oil change places, I"m too picky about my oil and gives me a chance to get under the car and day dream of things to buy

 

[K Spec]

So, let me start by explaining a little...

This is not a how-to, but more of an informative post and a little bit of complaining about products and services.

I usually do my own oil changes, but last time I dropped by a local place. I don't want to complain about their speed, service, or variety of oils and weights, but the way they put on the oil filter. I went to do my own oil change and found that they must have used a filter wrench and torqued the living hell out of it. Usually I can get my hands in from the bottom, or from the top between the turbocharger and the passenger side strut tower, to the oil filter and can budge it, even when it's on tight. This thing was HORRIBLE. I tried until the muscles in my wrist were sore and weak. Finally, I tried my filter wrench. The one I have is a hard, thick plastic that is sleeved perfectly for oil filters. It slipped on very snug and seemed promising. Well, I went to turn the ratchet and the thing kept slipping and popping, the same as when you use a socket that is too big for the bolt/nut you are trying to turn. Yeah, the place put it on THAT TIGHT! I was pissed, and my wife asked how I was going to get it undone. I said I'll need to get a metal filter wrench that won't flex and pop under that much strain. Well, I needed to change the oil to use the car, since the plastic filter wrench was a piece of junk and the oil filter will be disposed of, my wife had the great idea to superglue the filter wrench to the filter, and then try. I glued, set for 2 hours, got the ratchet on and FINALLY got the sumbitch off!

This is more incentive to do your own changes and filters. If you put it on by hand, you should have no problem removing it. Don't over-snug it with your gorilla grip. Lube the seal, get the seal flush, and get 1/4 turn more on the filter BY HAND - use a filter wrench for removal only [local lube shop guys must not know that].

Haha, similar thing happened to me. I gave them a really nice Fram filter, the kind with the grip on the end, the bastards kept it and torqued on some slick, no name piece of crap. I ended up having to grip it with sandpaper, to get it off.

 

[brad92t]

:aigo:

last resort is hammer a screw driver or punch through the side of the filter if at all possible.. and use that to turn it. i had to do that once on my old talon after 2 days of trying to get it off.. i don't recall how it got on there that tight though.

 

[Big Wang Bandit]

I put some redline 10-40 in a month or so ago. And a K&N filter. Wouldnt mind relocating it to a wheel well or the bumper tho... Too bad I forgot to write down the milage when I changd it! <---Idiot

 

[johnathan1]

You NA guys are lucky, the filter is easily accessible right on the side of the block... This actually happened with my NA on the first oil change after it was taken to an "Iffy Lube"...I wrapped a bunsh of masking tape around it, and then gripped it with sandpaper...did the trick

 

[Nick M]

If anybody can put on the filter as tight as Toyota says by hand, I would like to see it. If you wipe the mating surface, put NEW oil in the seal and install it according to specs, you will need a filter wrench to take it off.

edit: I remember those stupid billboards with a female saying "nobody touches my 4 x 4 but Grease Monkey". Which was great, they sent us(Toyota dealer) a bunch of business. I even saw a transfer case with a broke off bolt from over torque. A simple wrench cost them several thousand $$$. Sweet.

 

[OneJoeZee]

When I was at college dorming, I took the car somewhere and had them change the oil... Of course I used my own oil I brought and filter and stood there and watched them do it and made sure my filter was on tight after.

I'm back at home now with my own garage so I just do it myself again.

 

[jdmk3_87t]

Here's my question:

If we do oil changes ourselves...What do you do with the used oil that you drained out of the oil pan? We can't simply just throw it down the drain, right? I always wanted to do oil changes myself, its just that I don't know what to do with the used oil.

 

[WeDgE]

Your local dump should have provisions available for used oil.

 

[johnathan1]

you take it to your local Kragen/Autozone, and put it in their huge recycling container.