So, it seemed that my oil filter canister had decieded to weld itself to the engine block. After juggling around turning the steering this way and that, I finally had enough to get in there with my biggest torque wrench, (everything else had failed to move the oil filter canister).

And then this happened;

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn85/TVRMoneypit/SkodaFelicia13161.jpg

:-?   :o   >:(

Anyone got any ideas? I've tried a load of different sockets, metric and imperial, but none fit. The 3/8th's end of a socket is far too small and a 1/2" drive too big to fit in the square hole.

How easy is it to cut these buggers off, and am I even likely to get it all off if I do take an angle grinder to it?


Any help, anything at all would be greatly appriciated as I'm starting to come towards my wits end with this car  :'(

You should never use anything in the 3/8ths hole, you MUST always use a proper socket (24mm iirc), else you, errr, split the cap ::)

TheBoy wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 17:46:

You should never use anything in the 3/8ths hole, you MUST always use a proper socket (24mm iirc), else you, errr, split the cap ::)

I always do ::) ::) ::) But only now I know how tight it is... First time off it was a socket job  ;) ;) Equally, if it is tighter than it should be then I would revert to a socket

Oh dear. Welcome to the world of dealership servicing......

The really annoying part is the fact it clearly states the torque value on the lid....

Looking at the colour of the oil it's not been changed for a while either.

Thanks all.

I knew I wad going to be in trouble when I had to use a 28" long bar on the sump plug, which must have been torqued up to a greater value than the wheel nuts!  :o

I tried a 24mm regular socket on the oil filter canister, but that just started slipping, chewing up the end of the canister. Then I tried a 24mm impact socket, but even with the steering turned to the maximum one way or the other, there just wasn't the room, either with breaker bar or torque wrench, to turn the housing. Hence using the torque wrench with the 3/8th's adapter on the end.

So, how do I get out of this problem?

can you get a chisel/air chisel on it?

Well, the houysing is now split so chisel the end off and remove the whole lump from the block

My filter-housing lid also became 'fused' to the body last year; I bought a double-ended threaded nipple from the dealer and now simply use a 'spin-on' canister filter.

Perhaps worryingly, the dealer`s service counter said they always stock spare aluminium filter-housings as: "they`re always getting stuck"......the rest of the sentence would (doubtless) have been: "When overtightened by our mechanics!"::)

Thanks all.

Here's the bit that I want to be sure of before proceeding.

I've already bought all the bit's needed to convert to a regular 'spin-on' type oil filter, so I want to be certain that I'm not going to end up with any of the old canister stuck in there preventing the new one from getting a leak free seal.

I've not yet driven the car on the road, (besides bringing it home from the dealers), so I've never removed a canister type oil filter before. How do they attatch? If I just cut or chisel the broken canister away, will all the bits just fall out?

I like my cast ally housing.  :y :y

Have you read this guide?How to Convert Your Oil Filter

The aluminium casting is bolted to the side of the engine block. It is held in place by a hollow bolt (which might have a hex head or might have a hex socket). If you can get the bits of cap out then the centre bolt shouldn't be too difficult to remove.

V6 CDX-er wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 20:19:

Thanks all. Here's the bit that I want to be sure of before proceeding. I've already bought all the bit's needed to convert to a regular 'spin-on' type oil filter, so I want to be certain that I'm not going to end up with any of the old canister stuck in there preventing the new one from getting a leak free seal. I've not yet driven the car on the road, (besides bringing it home from the dealers), so I've never removed a canister type oil filter before. How do they attatch? If I just cut or chisel the broken canister away, will all the bits just fall out?

There`s a bolt-head behind the paper filter, which tightens the canister body (with it`s integral rubber gasket) against the circular 'land' on the block....if you can carefully loosen/pry the broken lid off, pull the old filter out and then loosen the internal securing bolt, you`ll be in business for the spin-on change. :y

The bits you need to be sure not to damage, are the circular 'land' surface and the thread in the block (where you`ll fit the double-threaded nipple; using locktight)

Andy B wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 20:23:

I like my cast ally housing.  :y :y

but not the price of a replacement!

Could you not use a couple of the chain/strap type filter removers turning opposite directions to crack the lid off?

Welung666 wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 20:36:

Could you not use a couple of the chain/strap type filter removers turning opposite directions to crack the lid off?

Believe me, it was stuck fast. Even with a 28" breaker bar I still had to put quite a bit of pressure on it.

tidla wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 20:35:

Andy B wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 20:23: I like my cast ally housing.  :y :y but not the price of a replacement!

I've never needed to fix it, & I've had it for 7 years worth of oil changes.  :y

Andy B wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 20:56:

tidla wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 20:35: Andy B wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 20:23: I like my cast ally housing.  :y :y but not the price of a replacement! I've never needed to fix it, & I've had it for 7 years worth of oil changes.  :y

That`s almost two changes for some car owners! ;D

Debs. wrote on 17. Jan 2011 at 21:02:

.... That`s almost two changes for some car owners! ;D

:-? so you think I should have changed it before now?


;D ;D ;D ;D

Best to get the lid off now its broken then you need a 12mm allen key to remove the hollow bolt in the base of the filter body, would not advise unscrewing the filter body, as there is a flange which locates the filter on the block and you could finish up damageing the block or loseing bits of broken flange in the engine.