would a chain wrench damage oil filter??

[aid-90]

hi i am just after purchasing a chain wrench as my local diy store only had the oil wrench for a ratchet in large sizes to fit a car. i bought the chain wrench as an alternative. in my haynes manuel it says not to use a chain wrench as it will damage the new oil filter.

what is your view on this as i know chain wrenches are commonly used, or is it for removal only as using it for installation would lead to a damaged filter??

 

[Downs]

You don't need a wrench to put it on. Hell you shouldn't even need one to take it off. Most people put their oil filters on WAY too tight to start with which has required me to at times drive a freakin screw driver though the filter to get it off :/

Put it on with a little bit of oil on the gasket then go 1/2 to a full turn past gasket contact and call it a day. Should be easy to get off even without a wrench the next time you need to get it off.

 

[aid-90]

You don't need a wrench to put it on. Hell you shouldn't even need one to take it off. Most people put their oil filters on WAY too tight to start with which has required me to at times drive a freakin screw driver though the filter to get it off :/

Put it on with a little bit of oil on the gasket then go 1/2 to a full turn past gasket contact and call it a day. Should be easy to get off even without a wrench the next time you need to get it off.

my friend was helping me change the oil and he tried to loosen the filter with his hands as we had no filter wrench at the time, it wouldnt budge, i even gave it a go and im a lot stronger than him to no avail. if i got the filter off with the chain wrench would hand tightening it be ok? i just thought it had to be tightened to a specific torque??

 

[Downs]

Service manual torque is 18 ft lbs. not sure what that translates to in the metric system.

It's not critical that it be torqued. Every nut and bolt on a motorcycle has a torque spec given to it by an engineer somewhere but I don't bust out my torque wrench to tighten my fairing bolts. But then again I understand that not everything out there needs to be armstrong torqued. Snug is ok too especially on fairing screws and bolts.

The Chain wrench will get it off for sure. You could put it back on but it will damage the filter's finish which isn't a big deal when you're taking it off.

You'll be ok to just go till the gasket contacts (you'll feel it) then go another half to a full turn. You won't have this much of a hard time getting it off next time.

If you can't fit the chain wrench in there you can try a few options. Once is some course grit sand paper. Grip the filter and turn it'll give you some more grip on the smooth finish of the filter.

Other option is to drive a screw driver though it with a mallet and break it loose that way.

 

[PhotoAl]

Per the manual it is supposed to be tightened to something like 12 ft-lbs which seems like too much to me. Have been using the K&N filters with a nut welded on top which makes it very easy on and off. Always lube the o-ring or gasket BEFORE installing the filter - the K&N filters are pre-lubed. Typically if there is not nut I will tighten until the gasket just touches the base then turn one half to three quarters of a turn.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

The chain wrench is fine for removing a stuck one (as it doesn't matter as its coming off and trashed anyway).

As noted above, 12 ft lbs isn't much and you should be able to get it tight enough by hand and not have any leaks...

 

[ebster1085]

As others have said above, when putting on a new oil filter it should only be hand tightened and the gasket should always be lubed with oil. An oil filter wrench of any style should never be used to put one on.

If for some reason you need one to take it off, doesnt matter what type you use or how it damages the filter, as you will be replacing it anyway. Personally, in the past when I have had issues with getting a filter off any car or bike, I just shove a screwdriver straight through it and use it for leverage to crank it off. No need for a wrench with that method.

 

[Evitzee]

Per the manual it is supposed to be tightened to something like 12 ft-lbs which seems like too much to me. Have been using the K&N filters with a nut welded on top which makes it very easy on and off. Always lube the o-ring or gasket BEFORE installing the filter - the K&N filters are pre-lubed. Typically if there is not nut I will tighten until the gasket just touches the base then turn one half to three quarters of a turn.

+1. A K&N 204 filter with the 17mm nut welded on the top is the cleanest and easiest answer to this problem. $10.51 each delivered to you through Amazon Prime. (in the US at least) It's the only way to go, imo. All you need is a 17mm box end wrench and an oil pan to change the oil. And no cursing required.

 

[Downs]

I could buy a years supply of supertech filters for that :O

 

[YZF73]

my friend was helping me change the oil and he tried to loosen the filter with his hands as we had no filter wrench at the time, it wouldnt budge, i even gave it a go and im a lot stronger than him to no avail.

A marigold (rubber kitchen glove for you funny Americans :spank: ) is very useful for getting quite a bit more grip on stubborn oil filters than just using bare hands :thumbup:


Yamahaboyz

 

[birdman2389]

I think a Marigold is a flower....... Anyway +1 on everyone overtightening the filter.

To get a stuck one off: Channel locks, just crush the sides in

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I could buy a years supply of supertech filters for that :O

I don't know how the supertech filters stack up against (performance wise) K&N, but can say, from experiance, about Hi-Flo filters vs K&N (from my old KLR-used cartridge type filter).

The K&N filter, side by side with the Hi Flo, visably had more filtering pleats, more surface area than the Hi Flo.

The Hi Flo was a little bit cheaper in $ but IMHO, I rather spend the extra in an oil filter for longer engine life..

 

[Downs]

I don't know how the supertech filters stack up against (performance wise) K&N, but can say, from experiance, about Hi-Flo filters vs K&N (from my old KLR-used cartridge type filter).

The K&N filter, side by side with the Hi Flo, visably had more filtering pleats, more surface area than the Hi Flo.

The Hi Flo was a little bit cheaper in $ but IMHO, I rather spend the extra in an oil filter for longer engine life..

It's made by Champion Labs same folks that do lots of other big name filters.

They've been dissected by some enginerds and other "experts" over on the Bob is the Oil Guy forums (I put experts in quotations cause I've never actually met the guys so don't know of their real credibility). General consensus is for a 2 dollar filter it's as good or better than some of the other higher priced filters out there and is actually a pretty good filter. I'm sure the K&N is probably better just not sure if it's 8 dollars more better lol.

I know I don't use their air filters anymore because when I had them on my Jeep I had problems with dust getting into the intake tract even when cleaned and properly oiled. Oil analysis showed that silicates (dirt) doubled when using the K&N Airfilter and went back to "normal" levels when I swapped it out for a regular paper filter.

 

[PhotoAl]

I tried a Pure One for a couple of oil changes but noticed what I thought was more noise from the engine so went back to motorcycle filters (K&N cause of the nut) and the paranoia went away.

 

[ChevyFazer]

I tried a Pure One for a couple of oil changes but noticed what I thought was more noise from the engine so went back to motorcycle filters (K&N cause of the nut) and the paranoia went away.

At least you admit t was paranoia lol

 

[FinalImpact]

Just an FYI: you folks that ride when its real cold out, keep in mind that sharp edges, creases, rock dents <sharp pointy rocks, can weaken a filter and cause it to burst.

Yes, most filters have burst strength of 300psi and you'd never think a bike would get that high, but a cold engine at high RPM with thick oil and a compromised filter can burst.

The point being never use a tool other than your hand to install a filter and replace damaged filters should something impact them.