How-To: Remove a stuck 6.2/6.5 oil filter

[flomulgator]

Alright, so I just went through this headache and I thought I'd give some pointers and shortcuts if you find yourself in the same position.

The problem: Going "a turn and a quarter" like the directions say after hand tightening is TOO MUCH. Also, I probably forgot to oil it. Also the oil filter on the 6.2/6.5 is about as big as it gets which means the static resistance of the rubber gasket to moving is over a much wider radius. What this means is that it's the gasket, not the screw that's sealing this thing on and it's gonna take a hell of a lot more torque to get this filter off than a smaller one.

If your filter is not coming off via conventional methods stop before you put any dents in the filter housing. This is your last, best chance to get it off the easy way. Go buy one of these plastic socket caps:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=153159_0_0_

Clean up the filter before trying it. If it's metal use the 3/8" drive hole, if it's plastic use a 9/16th socket on the hex molding (the square drive hole is worthless for plastic). Push upwards while wrenching to keep it on the filter and give it hell until something breaks or it slips off the filter due to torque vectoring. The problem with these filters is the housing walls are weak and this is the best tool because it uses the maximum radius and the most contact, thus having the smallest amount of force on the walls of the filter. If this doesn't work all the other tools will just dent the wall or break themselves.....trust me I tried them all!

So if that doesn't work it's time to get ugly. There are many other suggestions out there on the internet and they won't work. On these trucks you are now dealing with a filter that will require a greater force to unscrew than the sidewalls of the same filter can handle.....and it's in a stupid, incredibly confined location! So skip the screwdiver idea...it' can't generate enough force.

Plan B: If this is your only vehicle go to the store while it's still mobile. Heck if it's still mobile seriously consider taking it to a shop with bigger better tools than you have and make it someone else's problem.

Anyways. Step one is to get a hammer, punch, and oil pan and make a hole in the bottom of the filter to drain out all the oil. Once it's out punch a couple other holes near the edges to get oil trapped outside the filter. After it all drains, take a hole near the edge and enlarge it. You can use power tools but be super careful as you are dealing with sparks and flammable stuff. After you get a hole open enough, slip a pair of tin snips in there and slice it open to the base. Run around the "top" (lowest elevation) rim of the filter as much as possible, making crisscrosses as necessary to help. Keep folding and cutting until you can get the paper filter to drop out. All of this will be messy, so have towels.

Once the paper filter is out make multiple cuts to the base, and start intersecting them at angles as close to the block as possible until the filter is pretty much down to the baseplate. It will me much harder on the oil pan and bellhousing sides but you're just trying to make room, it doesn't need to be perfect.

Here's the fun/long part. Go buy this tool:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=297190_0_0_

You don't actually need the tool, you need the very thick, strong baseplate with a square drive hole in it. Take the tool to a bench and hammer punch the rivets out that hold the thing together. They can be a little bit stubborn but with some force and creative attacks they pop out. I imagine a hydraulic press would work well too. Once you have the arms off, drill 2 oversized holes 4 cm apart. This will take a good metal bit and some cutting fluid might help as this tool is thick. Also, don't be an idiot an burn your hand on the super hot plate after drilling like I did Find two bolts that fit inside the drainback holes, the bigger and stronger the better. Slide them in your new holes, along with some nuts and maybe some washers to hold it all super tight. If the holes area little oversize this gives you a little adjustment room if the bolts aren't lining up with the drain back holes. Get the bolts up in the plate as far as possible (without going into the oil passages) with the tool plate as close as possible too the baseplate (ie, no long bolts). Get a 6" socket extension (heavy duty) an 1/2" breaker bar with a long handle, and possible a length of pipe behond that. Steady the tool at the bend (possibly a two man job) and then crank. I estimate it took over 200 ft./lbs to finally get the rubber gasket to crack free on mine, and I was bending the bolts. This is the ONLY method that will generate that kind of torque in our confined space setups. Don't even bother with any other method.

Hope that saves you some time! It only took me 4 days


(admin note: I thought this should go in 6.2/6.5 tech but access is restricted.....move as you see fit)

[jhornsby3]

When I had issues.... ok... subscriptions, with an oil filter, I just went and got a strap wrench and put it on the base plate. With a warm engine, I reefed on it and it broke loose. Of course I had the filter body twisted and hanging before the strap wrench was purchused and used. Worked like a charm and only took 2 hours total.

[flomulgator]

You must have found a better strap tool than me. First I was just denting the housing near the baseplate. Then when I got the strap "higher" onto the baseplate area I just tore the strap material out of the handle whilst simultaneously twist-bending the metal of the strap bar at the same time. And thus another tool went in the trash.