bakerroc

Changed my oil yesterday for the first time since I bought the truck. When I went to remove the filter, it was so bloody tight my filter wrench kept slipping off the indents on the base of the filter. I ended up going down to the auto parts store and buying a strap wrench that could be turned with a breaker bar and extensions from underneath.
Why do these guys think that these filters have to be screwed on by the Incredible Hulk?

Lary Ellis (Top)

Warm the engine up first that helps a bunch on tight filters

torquefan

Yep I've noticed on these engines too that the factory oil filter is always brutally tight. Back when the 12 valves had spin-on fuel filters, they were even worse. Not sure who the guy at the factory was who put these things on, but I don't think I'd want to get him mad.

jhenson

I agree....there's no reason for it being that tight. A bit more than hand tight has always worked for me. Too tight and you almost always risk the chance of stripping the threads. Be it the oil or fuel filter, I always spin them on by hand and then give about a half turn more with a filter wrench and then back them off just a hair to relax the rubber. How can one go wrong with that method?

Shorts

I think spinning on an oil filter is a woman's job. You men gorillas turn it too tight.

bettamsw

I always spin mine on by hand, and never have to use a wrench to remove them, can do that by hand also. Never had one come loose.

Shorts

^^ I spin mine on by hand but still need to crack it with the ratchet and fluted filter cap. The seal sticks, even when lubed. I imagine the heat cycling has some affect.

I think it's also a physics thing that once you tighten anything on a thread, like a nut and bolt, it takes more torque to break it and get it moving again than the effort it took to stop tuning at that point it went on at.

NE frmhnd

My uncle and I used to joke about my dad using the air wrench to put the filters on. Case filters always had A B C D marked on them for a reference for turning them half a turn past gasket contact. The ones dad put on we always had to drive a screwdriver through to bust them loose.

MRoman

I remember reading somewhere that Cummins sprays the motor with a clear coat after assembly. The filter is probably tight to begin with, so braking that seal the first time makes it worst.

ChrisJohnson

I used to have a '03 3500 4X4 Quad cab, and still have my '06 3500 4X4 Megacab. First oil changes by me turned out to be the same! I had to take off the front right side wheel well liner to get the oil filter off! These days I put it on hand tight, with just a little extra "tweak" every time I change my oil! No problem for me to get my oil filter off! And neither of these trucks have ever had their oil changed by other than me!

papaduck

If the filter is put on dry, no oil on the gasket, it will stick like it is glued on. Most spin on filters state to make contact with the gasket and then 3/4 of a turn more.

I sometimes need to put a paper towel between the socket and filter to keep it from slipping when removing the filter.