King Kong-The Mechanic!

[Orionaut]

For all the years that I have worked on motors, I have always been puzzled (amazed) at how tight some oil filters end up being to remove.

I will tend to do them up "Tight" by hand and can always undo them "By Hand" the following year when I do a service on a previous customers car.

However, I often come across filters that are absolutely immovable. The strap wrench/whatever will crush them before you can get them undone (filter cup wrenches make the job a bit less destructive but it can still be very hard)

How does "King Kong" get them so tight in the first place??

What got me to comment on this is a recent experience with an old Zafira. This has an all alloy oil filter housing containing a replaceable element.

I was unable to remove the "Cap", it had been done up so tight that the whole body started to move breaking the locating tab.

The cap has "15Nm" clearly on it. That is basically finger tight.

Why do people whale on these things????

This is not an uncommon problem. My local Vauxhall dealer sells an alloy filter housing assembly per week!

 

[Clarkey]

Easy, put it on without oiling the O ring and tighten it as much as possible.

 

[Orionaut]

Easy, put it on without oiling the O ring and tighten it as much as possible.

I do not really believe that this fully explains it.

Oil filter housings are always oily, you can't really install an oil filter without having lubed the ring (Erm ) at least a little bit!

Even with that taken into consideration, this doesnt explain the "Vauxhall Phenomena"

It seems that there are people (A LOT of people) out there who routinely ruin Vauxhall's by doing up the oil filters like wheel nuts!

Why, Just why??

 

[pepsilol]

By using the proper tool and not a srap.

 

[Orionaut]

By using the proper tool and not a srap.

I think you are missing the point.

No proper tool on Earth would solve the Vauxhall problem.

It has just been done up so tight that it simply cannot be undone (without causing other problems)

Why do people do it?

 

[Clarkey]

I do not really believe that this fully explains it.

I think it does, I always used to do it myself until my mechanic friend showed me just how little they actually need to be tightened. Even with oiling the O ring I'd end up having to punch a screwdriver through to get them off at the next service. Now I know better they unwind easily without a fight.

 

[Philz0r]

first year I serviced my st220 I had to buy an oil chain it was on THAT tight.

I usually just nip my oil filters, with oil on the rubber seal and they never leak and come off with ease.

 

[millsd44]

simple answer - people don't know what they're doing

 

[Simon]

An oil filter that can come off by hand would have probably fallen off.

s2000 has a torque setting for the filter. Alright 9000rpm 4 pots do vibrate a bit and have been known to come off on if just put on hand tight