Oil filter tool stuck to oil filter!!!

Mine got stuck a few years back. It held on so well, I just left it. No harm from doing that. It was annoying at first though, since I really wanted to find a way to get it off. It stayed put.

 

I experienced same issue, left it on drove for 10,000 miles till next oil change and it was still on, then had it removed from workshop and never overtorqued it.

 

Try lightly tapping it with a hammer to straighten it out on the filter, like you were seating it further on. That will sometimes knock it loose without damaging the new filter.

Bill the Engineer

 

LOL, welcome to the club.

 

I've not had that problem. But then again, nobody else has been near the filter since it left the factory.

I'd suggest to take a piece of flat iron, say 1/8"x1" by 12" or so long. Lay it against the filter housing touching the stuck filter socket, and give it taps with a hammer. Alternate locations as much as possible. That's gotta get it loose.

One of my older oil filter sockets (sized for larger filter), has an opening in the socket's dome, you can slip a screw driver in and pry.

Not helping, I know, just trivia:

 

Oooo! I see a new use for my Sawz-all!

Bill the Engineer

 

I'd be curious to know, if/when you get the filter socket off: what's the inside face-to-face dimension on it. I'm using a filter socket that I've measured semi-carefully with an inside caliper, get 64.5 mm for that dimension.

If, for example, yours measures around 65.0 mm, I'm thinking: the looser the fit the more it'll be inclined to jam.

(Using a digital caliper with dead battery, so just relying on the somewhat rough scale on the caliper. Been meaning to get a decent old-school caliper, but they're kinda hard to come by, and pricier.)

 

Another thought: did you try putting something like a 6" extension on the socket, then rock the socket back and forth. Maybe couple this with taps from a hammer.

 

This. Been there several times. Try to tap it in different directions to "wiggle" it off the part.

 

I got a 22mm that was a too tight for the bolt on oil filter tool and pressure fit it on, now when im done just take a small hammer and tap the socket on the left and right of the socket and it pops right out.

 

My oil filter tool got stuck on my first Prius DIY oil change. I simply:
1) Put the filter housing and tool back on the car
2) Tighten the filter housing to the point it doesn't move much
3) Turn/hit your ratchet with the filter tool attached by the socket mostly counterclockwise (but possibly clockwise) until the filter tool losens.

 

For anyone having it stick on, I'd be really curious to know what the inside face-to-face of the filter socket is.

I've never had this issue, either taking it off or reinstalling. Rock it a little, off it come it comes. When reinstalling I torque to 18 lb/ft, give the extension I'm using a bit of a wiggle, it's off.

The inside dim (center of face to center of face) on my (Honda) socket is 64.5 mm.

 

I guarantee you those "idiot monkeys" at -iffy Lube everyone talks so bad about don't have this problem.

 

Watch out, the filter housing is plastic. I cracked and broke my second oil filter wrench trying to loosen it. Then I broke the filter housing after more concerted effort to loosen it. $67 to Toyota for a new filter. Yeah, no one is going to change my oil but me from now on.

And you know what? Freaking things are still stuck together! I should've just left it on as you did. They're sitting next to my tool box. I'm NOT going to let this filter defeat me. I will figure out how to separate them one of these day even though both items are broken and unusable.

 

I can't get my filter out. Stuck so tight I got so mad. What idiots tighten these things like that? I used to just hand tighten regular oil filters an they never came loose. This one is so tight that I can not get it out with 3/4 ratchet attached to the proper filter tool that grips the whole filter cap. So what is next? Used even my foot and kicked at the thing. Nothing. Will this plastic cap just break off and part will be still stuck in the base if too much force is applied? What then? I am nervous to apply more force with extensions. Thoughts?

 

It's really all plastic. I needed a few good kicks with an extension to get it off. If you break it, then you break it, like I did. It's plastic and can be easily pried off.

 

I'd strongly suspect this is due to "pros" spinning them on with something like a cordless torque wrench at full power. I've always hand torqued to 18 ft/lb, and taking it off just takes a little oomph to get it moving, but no problem.

 

I guess I should make a video on how to remove your stuck oil filter cap lol... Mine get stuck all the time when I remove the filter housing, but when I put it back on tight, and then wiggle the filter cap, it comes off... Not a big deal really...

 

Take the handle of your 3/8" ratchet and hit each side of the tool in the direction to get it off (away from the front). It doesn't take much, but you will have to work it for a little while. Mine sticks all the time. If you have a thin steel one (mine is aluminum and thick walled), use a slot screwdriver and hit it. DO NOT use a lot of force, just gentle taps from side to side and it WILL come loose.

Once again, the filter housing WILL NOT unscrew by itself. It's held by the "O" ring friction and the "O" ring is the only seal. The filter housing doesn't even have to bottom in the engine to work properly, though I suspect the filter is designed to "seat" when it does bottom. Anyway, you don't have to torque it on there. Hand "gentle" tight is good enough.