Serious Oil Filter Problem - Urgent Help Needed If Poss!

[ST-eater]

Hi all... can anyone suggest how the hell i can remove whats left of my oil filter? It was put on around 2 weeks ago, and i cant get the frigging thing off. Will teach me for buying cheaper quality items. I was removing the filter to fit a larger internal bolt and then fit an oil cooler plate and cooler set up. The central bolt needs to be removed, and i was thinking of tack welding a spanner onto it and removing the whole bolt in one go, could this be done? and if so is the middle bolt on a normal, or reverse thread?

To remove the filter i firstly tried the proper chain tool, which didnt work... then the redneck screwdriver trick.. which didnt work... this then developed into an attempt with the crowbar, which still hasnt worked. Also tried knocking it round with a screwdriver but it just cuts into the top lip. So i have snipped away with some tin snips togain access to the middle to see what im left with, and how to remove it all.

I need to be as careful as possible to the main parts of the engine as the car is in situe, but i need to remove the part of the filter thats left, and the middle thread thing anyhow, so any suggestions would be great... Warning the picture IS NOT pretty!

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/417/image416.jpg (http://www.imagehosting.com/)

[ST-eater]

Can anyone suggest how the middle bolt it attatched or what it called so i can do a search, as it might have an allen key fitting in the middle :S

[deanwilko]

if the center bolt has to come out i would weld a socket onto it

[ST-eater]

not sure its copper as it looks it in the pics and its too dark to check lol...

[deanwilko]

if its coppe then heat it up and hit the outer lip of the filter and it should come off

[novaguy08]

pretty hefty mole grips on the base of whats left of the filter, NOT the centre bolt, it will be too soft and the mole grips will just chew it up!

[gaznovalet]

a like your style mate done a good job there mind. you need to remove the whole lot as you say by the allen key bolt in middle as this is wot holds filter upto the engine, wen you remove the allen key bolt the whole lot will turn off.

[ST-eater]

aah so it is an allen key bolt then? As i read somewhere it was, but putting the small allen type socket pieces in there i couldnt feel anything. So maybe i need a longer allen key... Will have a butchers tomorrow after college :D

[Benn]

Making holes in the filer(screw driver thru) is one of the worse ways to try and remove a filtrer...

Grip the top collor with some grips.

[ST-eater]

i know it isnt an ideal wy of removing it, or i wouldnt have called it the redneck method, its just im limited in tools as people seem to lend them and they never return.. am i correct in thinking the middle threaded part is held in by a 10 or 12mm allen key fitting (been searching mig)

[novaguy08]

get yourself a proper filter strap for future use! I got a chain one and give up whilst doing my last filter change....... just undid it by hand eventually!

[Pistol Pete]

Filters are meant to be done up by hand anyway IIRC. And agreed on the filter strap. I use one every time.

[ST-eater]

lol i havent got a filter to use the strap on at the min lol. Anyone know if its an allen key fitting in the threaded central nut thing

[ST-eater]

oh and i did it by hand, just a tad too tight i guess

[Pistol Pete]

Wasnt having a dig. Your pic isnt that clear TBH. Can you not see what type of fitting it is?

[novaguy08]

yeah they supposed to be done up by hand but be REALLY tight and if the ring not oilled then they dont like coming off!!

[ST-eater]

thats the thing, it was oiled with fresh oil, and hand tightened, but tight... ive been having problems with the engine getting hot, like really hot... and im guessing this could have glued it somehow? Sorted the heat problem as it was a faulty rad, but now its just this frigging thing im having issues with. I cant physically see up the threaded thing to see, so just thought id pick your brains... oh and FAO PETE 58 - I know you wasnt having a go, im just p*ssed with the car this evening lol. :D

[Pistol Pete]

At a complete guess i would say allen fitting. Get a small allen key and have a poke. Work up in size till one fits? I have an old GM oil pump, i'll have a look tomorrow and see if i can work out what fitting it is.

[mowgli]

all I can suggest is that are you actually undoing it the right way????? because I have never ever seen an oil filter do that before & I have to service heavy plant & some of the filters have to be undone with the screwdriver method & I have never seen one split like that before.

I always thought that when you fit an oil cooler sandwich plate, the spacer bolt/tube thing had a female thread & a male thread, & you just wound the female thread onto the stub on the block to hold the sandwich plate on.....

[ST-eater]

cheers appreciate your help (Y)

[novaguy08]

get some grips on the base get that mess off & then concentrate on getting the bolt out

[jimbob-mcgrew]

jesus, youve made a right mess of that lol

stilsons ?

if all fails dremmel half way thru it and open it apart

[ST-eater]

lol will try an allen key tomorrow if that doesnt work il try a stanley blade around the top to free the gasket, as i read this could be a fix, and worst case il try and split it off :D