Stuck oil filter [Archive]

PWO

08-28-2010, 03:47 PM

I've got an 06 OBV/325 Assault. I'm winterizing early this season and was working on the oil today, first time doing it myself. Pumping it out was no sweat of course, but then I was trying to take off the oil filter and had pretty much no luck. I don't know if they just put it on too tight last season or what, but I can barely get it to move because there's hardly any room to turn the oil filter wrench in the tight space with the support beam in the way. Combined with that, the support arm that's holding the filter isn't very strong so any time I try to turn the filter the arm just bends enough so the wrench goes into the support beam leaving nowhere to turn. The casing of the filter is pretty beat up at this point leaving me only a few positions where I can grip it with the wrench, none of which leave me any real room to turn it once the support arm bends.

So need some ideas if anyone has any. I guess I could try to support the arm somehow so it doesn't bend when I'm trying to turn the filter but not sure what I could use to do that.

I could also try perhaps just removing the piece the filter is screwed into, is that a bad idea? Would need to unscrew the in/out lines and I think the 3 screws on the inside of the piece mounting it to the arm.

I suppose I could have tried a strap wrench instead of an oil filter wrench but too late for that now. With the casing beat up would a strap wrench still potentially get the grip it needs to turn it? If so I think I might still run into the issue of trying to turn into the support beam but if I can grip the filter from any position then I might have enough room.

lewisb13

08-28-2010, 05:14 PM

Heres what I did since you and I have the same engine and Im pretty sure Satan himself tightened my oil filter when the last owner had it. I used a strap wrench connected to a 1/2 drive rachet. You reach down and slide the strap wrench (its made from car seat belt material and I got mine at Oreileys) over the oil filter and use the wrench from the top. If you want me to take pictures and you absolutely cannot get it, I will.

Razzman

08-28-2010, 09:45 PM

When i had the boat services the last time by the dealer they also put it on too tight. No wrench of any type would get it off. I also knew of the screwdriver trick and having had to do that years ago i also know it would more than likely just tear the thin metal.

I had to remove the oil lines, remove the remote filter mount and put it in the vise and using an oil wrench, large channel locks and all the strength i could muster finally got it to start moving in millimeters until loose.

I will gaurantee that if yours is anywhere as tight as mine that's the way to get it off. Don't waste your time messsing around as it will actually bend the remote mount bracket.

DOCDRS

08-29-2010, 09:27 AM

I wonder if these are on too tight as the rubber seal is not lubricayed with oil before it is placed on, Make sure you do this. Installing the new one, never had a prob and usu can hand remove

PWO

08-29-2010, 11:19 AM

I was able to conquer the oil filter this morning. I went out to give a few things a shot, prepared with a drill and some things I thought might fit through it and not bend like a small screwdriver. I drained it and gave a quick attempt at trying to drill through but that wasn't really going to work so I gave up quickly. I thought about trying to unscrew the in/out lines to take the whole assembly off, but once I put the crescent wrench in place it kind of clicked. I was able to use that to brace the mounting bracket so I could turn the filter without the bracket bending (2 attached pics).

For my replacement filter I had searched the list of matching filters, and in this thread (https://forum.moomba.com/showthread.php?t=12402&highlight=filter) I saw that the Mobile version was the M1-111. That was the first one I found at my local shop so I picked it up. It would fit but since I'm a newbie I'm comparing it to what was there, and it's a lot shorter (see third shot). Can I assume that's not a problem? (I wonder if it might make it harder to get off next year though). Why the height difference and should I look for a different filter before I put it on? For what it's worth I didn't get mobile synthetic oil (and didn't refill yet so options are open).

lewisb13

08-29-2010, 02:15 PM

The M1-111 is the shorter version of the M1-303 or 302. I cant remember which it is. Let me look it up real quick...

Yeah its an M1-302. Thats what I put in my boat. I have the 325 Indmar. Its the same as the M1-111 except its double the capacity.

newty

08-29-2010, 03:33 PM

DOCDRS, agreed! always lube the o-ring and it will be much easier to get off. I always just put my filters on hand tight, or star tight... Turn it til I see stars.:D

PWO

08-29-2010, 06:25 PM

Got it all done, thanks guys.

kaneboats

08-30-2010, 11:59 AM

I end up doing the screwdriver thing just about every time a vehicle gets taken in for service. I can never get the filters back off even with a wrench. It seems these shops (including quickie lubes, walmart, etc.) have major liability for a filter coming off but no liability for putting it on too tight. So they teach their guys to wrench them on. (and the filters nowadays are so wimpy they just bend up if you have to wrench them very hard) You can put them on hand-tight and they won't come off. It's supposed to be hand tight plus 1/4 turn with the filter wrench. With a properly lubricated seal it will go on tight and still come right off with the filter wrench. I've never understood overtightening anything. But, my Dad was the guy who would tighten every bolt till he broke it off. I remember the night he broke a water pump bolt off and when I found him in the morning he was trying to drill the broken drill bit out of the hole-- what a mess. Moral: Don't overtighten anything. Get a torque wrench if you have no "feel".

Razzman

08-30-2010, 12:06 PM

When the filter bottoms out after spinning on a 1/4 turn is all you need and it will come off every time. Anymore than that and your just making it hard on yourself.

badasshybrid

08-30-2010, 03:34 PM

A rubber strap wrench will take them off with no problem at all. Put it on near the seal and turn.

http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/1501539_lg.jpg

Razzman

08-31-2010, 12:13 AM

I have to agree with Ed, i broke one trying to get mine off.

wolfeman131

09-25-2010, 09:56 PM

kaneboats

09-25-2010, 10:05 PM

Welcome to the club. Now shotgun two Yeunglings, swear at the old lady, bust your knuckles a few times, get oil all over the place and then change the filter!

wolfeman131

09-25-2010, 10:11 PM

I'll take you up on the Yeungs, but skip the other ones if at all possible.

zegm

09-26-2010, 09:21 AM

A rubber strap wrench will take them off with no problem at all. Put it on near the seal and turn.

http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/1501539_lg.jpg

Well Not exactly! I had this issue a couple of years ago while performing my first 10 hour oil change. I had a very good oil filter wrench and it wouldn't budge. I put a section of pipe over the handle and felt it turning and thought Ah.....it is off. Nope! I bent the metal handle of the oil filter wrench, two steel arms 3/16" thick each!!! . I took it to a dealer and well.....Lets just say that I actually ended up getting getting a replacement motor! Yes after just 10 hours on the factory motor they had to ship one from Indmar and replace my motor. I now put on my own filters and haven't had this issue but when it says hand tight don't take that to mean hand tight with a man doing it. Don't take it to mean hand tight with your wife doing it. I quantify this as hand tight with my 13 year old son doing it. Check for leaks and off we go.
I really believe there is a thermal expansion problem here. Dissimiliar metals?

zegm

09-26-2010, 09:23 AM

I couldn't quite believe this thread when I first read it last month. I thought, "poor fellow Moomba owners that have to deal with this kinda stuff."

I joined the club this afternoon with the same dang problem with the oil filter. I cranked until I almost passed out and the mounting bracket began to bend on me. I left it for the night before I my temper got the best of me and I broke something. I'm going to try again tomorrow morning with bracing the bracket, but I'm preparing myself to remove the lines & bracket and slap it in a vise.

I was able to crank so hard on mine (with the bent oil filter wrench mind you) that I twisted the filter housing. If you can't get to it easily I would recommend that you take it off and put it in a vise. Luckily for you V-drive guys you won't end up damaging your engine block if things go wrong. And trust me things can go wrong!!!

wolfeman131

09-26-2010, 10:10 PM

had to go with Razzman's advice and pulled the whole dang thing off. THANKS Razz for the idea!

bent the heck out of the bracket

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/wolfeman131/Moomba/2010-09-26_10-35-53_898.jpg

Had to put it in a vice, tried the oil filter wrench, tried a second oil filter wrench, tried a strap wrench then pullled out the big ole' bad boy (should've started with this one) 18 inch pipe wrench. It took 2 of us cranking to get it to begin to budge. Noted once it was off that the gasket looked as dry as the new one in the box.

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/wolfeman131/Moomba/2010-09-26_10-35-38_684.jpg

MartinCaron

09-27-2010, 09:16 AM

I ended up braking the filter mount this weekend...

zegm

09-30-2010, 02:37 PM

I know someone who took an air chisel to the ring on the end/opening of the filter to try to get the oil filter off and ended up digging a deep groove into the cast iron engine block rendering the engine useless.
Luckily that person is no longer in the Inboard Boat Repair Business!

tidbit of the day!

Purolater:

German for Oil Filter!

Quiz of the day:

Knockinwell (probably spelled incorrectly)?