Comments on: Goodbye, Strap Wrench!

By: steve in W MA

steve in W MA — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:03:44 +0000

Cute, but unnecessary. Buy a strap wrench. It will last forever and work forever.

Of course, I know this is basically a marketing article so whatever.

By: Toolmonger » Blog Archive » The Week in Tools: Toolmonger Top 5

Toolmonger » Blog Archive » The Week in Tools: Toolmonger Top 5 — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:48:45 +0000

[...] Goodbye, Strap Wrench! Forget about the marketing hype for a minute and recognize K&N for a simple addition that should be standard on all oil filters: they’ve eliminated the need for special filter wrenches by welding 1″ nuts to the top of their automotive and marine filter canisters and 17mm nuts to their motorcycle and ATV canister filters. [...]

By: Fabian

Fabian — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:07:03 +0000

This is what I use on my VW:

4-Stroke Outboard Oil Extractor:

http://www.amazon.com/Pela-4-Stroke-Outboard-Oil-Extractor/dp/B0001ZPWG6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1219986352&sr=8-2

End Cap Oil Filter Wrench 76mm 14 Flutes:

http://www.amazon.com/End-Filter-Wrench-76mm-Flutes/dp/B000HAXGOU/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3CKVK11045GQC&colid=3KB2269E3KATU

By: Old Donn

Old Donn — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:35:38 +0000

Aside to Brew. I agree, to an extent. But when the filter’s on for 3000-5000 miles, exposed to the weather as well as the temperature extremes of the engine, they tend to get a little snug, even if they were installed hand tight. Plus, if you follow the book and warm the engine up prior to changing oil, things down there get a liitle too warm to touch, especially if the filters are tucked up against the side of the block, oilpan and flywheel.

By: beano_t

beano_t — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:23:38 +0000

the champion filter for my aircraft has one of these nuts welded on and it is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Of course the filter is chest high and and oil changes are a breeze.

http://www.chiefaircraft.com/airsec/Aircraft/OilSystem/OilFilters.html

By: apotheosis

apotheosis — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:25:56 +0000

What Brew said. I picked up on the relocator thing years ago from 4×4 magazines, and they’re a solid winner. Definitely worth the money.

By: Brew

Brew — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:10:42 +0000

You should be able to un-thread the old filter by hand, no tools needed. If you can’t you either put it on too tight, or it has been on there too long.

For the plug, I put in one of these, and it works great. Can attach a hose so it goes directly in to the pan.

http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

I also put a filter relocator on one of my old trucks since the filter was hard to get at and it worked nice too. Put the filter up in the engine bay and the plug even had a cable that would drain the oil from under the hood.

By: techieman33

techieman33 — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:27:38 +0000

if you don’t want to have to use a wrench on your drain plug get a fumoto drain valve, no tools needed, and no mess either.

As far as the screwdriver method, your just begging for trouble. That should only be attempted as a last resort. the canister could just buckle and still not come out then your really screwed. And besides if you can get a screwdriver in there you could probably get a wrench in there too.

By: Old Donn

Old Donn — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:31:42 +0000

Aside to DLMoore. I’d like to have a look, but can’t link to your page. Evidently, your application’s on top. My old Chevy small block’s on the bottom. Removing the can’s a mess as well as cleaning it out. I know there are spin-on conversions, but I’m trying to keep it as original as possible, so I’ll live with it, (it’s still a pain). Had a ‘71 Pinto back in the day. The drain plug was on the left side of the pan, the filter on the side of the block, all accessible from under the hood. The only car I’ve owned where the oil could be changed from above. The Pinto was a POS otherwise, but that feature made life a little easier.

By: Casey

Casey — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:13:07 +0000

Neat idea but how about “JB Weld”ing a nut on the end of your replacement oil filter? That’s what I am going to do from now on.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:25:50 +0000

man you guys make life to difficult. For the cars that I own where the filter is on, I drain the oil, then take a flat head screwdriver, pound it through the oil figler, and use that for leverage. Guaranteed to get any oil filter off, little mess to. Obviously the longer the better leverage, but why even mess with oil filter wrenches or buy over priced k&n.

Or get a super duty with the oil filter ontop with a 36mm socket

By: DJMoore

DJMoore — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:23:39 +0000

Shopmonger, my apologies: I meant to say, “take out the drain plug without having to crawl underneath”. Don’t know how I let that slip by.

By: Toolaremia

Toolaremia — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:04:50 +0000

Personally, I think the K&N’s are ludicrously overpriced. They aren’t that much better than a Purolator. (I think they might even have identical guts.)

If you like having a nut on your filters, buy the nuts and some super glue and have at it. That’s what the motorcycle guys do.

I use the Lisle filter wrench for removing my little filters, and a plastic filter socket for installing them. (They go on *very* tight.) I just use a metal filter socket for my big filters. No troubles.

By: ShopMonger

ShopMonger — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:24:21 +0000

“figure out how to get drain plug out from underneath, and oil changes will be absolutely trivial”

On all my car on the first oil change I put a plug with a allen head on it in for the plug. Makes it really easy for removal with and allen head socket set…

let’s “knuckle busting” and a lot less swearing

By: ShopMonger

ShopMonger — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:22:08 +0000

These have been out for many years, but they do strip very easy becaus of the coating on them. when they manufacture them, they put a heavy coating on them, which is great for race cars with high heat, however they can strip easy so be careful that the wrench on on straight…

By: DJMoore

DJMoore — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:44:13 +0000

Just in case there’s anyone here who hasn’t seen one of these (it was new to me), here’s my oil filter housing:
http://ricketyclick.com/blog/index.php/saturn-l-series-oil-filter/

Here’s the element that goes into the housing:
http://www.pureoil.com/smartlink/?partnum=L15436

The cartridge-type is not a problem for me, given how clean and easy it is to get to in my car, and of course I’m not throwing away a canister every time I replace one.

I can actually change this in the parking lot of the auto parts store, bare-handed, without crawling under the car or draining the crankcase

By: Old Donn

Old Donn — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:36:45 +0000

A good idea, if you can get to the top/bottom of the filter. Anyone who’s had a Pontiac Sunfire knows what I mean. You can barely see the filter, much less get a wrench up there. And, a lot of the newer cars are going back to the cartridge filter, like GM had for years. Don’t know why, those were a pain.

By: Benjamen Johnson

Benjamen Johnson — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:14:43 +0000

I had even heard about Volkswagen doing this — hadn’t heard about Saturn though.

Saying this was their simple innovation was the wrong choice of words on my part since other companies have done something similar, but making oil filters easier to remove for the rest of us is still a good thing.

By: Vincent Wright

Vincent Wright — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:51:07 +0000

There are two other things you can do, one is to use really big channel locks or do what I do, just use your hand. Start going to the gym more and you will be able to do it too.

By: jb

jb — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:27:00 +0000

Its not really an innovation by K&N… Volkswagen has been doing this for years on their oil filter housings.

By: DJMoore

DJMoore — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:26:36 +0000

Then there’s Saturn’s solution:
My L200 has a filter housing which not only has a hex nut molded into the cap, but is also accessible by lifting the hood. Now all they have to do is figure out how to get drain plug out from underneath, and oil changes will be absolutely trivial.