So we got the rebuilt B20 roaring to life for the first time this past weekend. After a breaking in period, it was time to change the oil. The "mechanic" who rebuilt the thing screwed the oil filter on so tightly, that it's not budging, absolutely impossible to remove so far.

Anybody have any tips or tricks for removal? Already tried a bit of pounding on the oil filter wrench handle. If worse comes to worse the carb and manifold will have to come off, to allow a heavy duty wrench to get in there. I'm hoping for an easier way out, if possible.

Shayne Green, my VVT (vintage Volvo technician) here in Portland, was finally able to get that oil filter unstuck after using those tong-like oil filter grabbers sold at IPD. Absolutely NO excuse for the thing to be screwed on that tightly in the first place, man, I don't know what the previous mechanic was thinking... Hope those spark plugs weren't screwed in as tightly as that filter was!

Shayne has been a Godsend, not only getting the engine running, but also hooking up the electrical system, the braking system, the suspension and steering system; rebuilding the transmission, connecting the driveshaft, reassembling most of the interior, plus a number of things I'm probably forgetting, it goes on and on.

I'm sooooo happy to finally find a competent mechanic who not only does excellent quality work on my vehicle, but is honest, straightforward, conscientious, and fair. A rare breed.



photo courtesy IPD

I use an inexpensive pliers type filter "wrench" for removal of stubborn units. If ou go that route, test the "gription" of the unit first as I recently got a new one when I couldn't find "ol faithful" and it keeps slipping the slider adjustment thingy (major annoyance). It ususally makes a dented mess of the old filter, but who cares. Never a failure.

"cap" type are OK too but I found them to be flimsy in the heat of a truly stuck filter. They have sheet metal stamped ones too. I just like the versitility of the pliers as I only need the one (and it grips large diameter tubing nicely too).

Screwdriver method not fail-safe as you can tear apart a really stuck unit. However, I sucessfully used the method for years until I found the pliers.

--
Mike!

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1209748&posts=5&fid=29

--
Joaquin / Rojo 121 / Lima, Peru

They sell these adapters at every car parts store... plastic, usually black, and they fit over the end of the oil filter and have a hex head you can put a socket on... that's how I got my buddy's stuck oil filter off.

Good luck!
--
-Flup, 240DL Wagon, 2 subs in the trunk, Dancing Bears Sticker to top it off :)

I invested in a nice cast aluminum wrench/socket-thing 10 years ago with when I had my 145. Very handy little tool with one exception. The OEM volvo filters, which I highly recommend at $7.00, are smooth and the wrench head has nowhere to grab onto. A strap wrench comes in handy with such filters. However later volovs like 940 are so cramped, you can't even get one of those into the space.
--
You mean Volvo makes cars that are *NOT* Wagons?!?

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions folks! I think the screwdriver through the filter technique is a good place to start. Can put a pipe over the handle, and see what happens. Might get a bit messy since oil is in filter; desperate times call for desperate measures...

Poke a long screwdriver through it, use that for leverage.
--
I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.

Done this 2x, once was because of a monkey mechanic and the other was due to me. Drop some cardbard under the area and have kitty litter/paper towels at hand. Depending on how quick you are once the screwdirver punched through one side of the filter you should be able to remove it and quickly place a bucket/catch pan under it while it drains. Then go back and finish the screw-driver job.

je

....and before you screw on the new one, run an oily finger around the sealing surface.

And then just loosely tighten it. It is much more likely to leak if it is too tight.
--
I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.