Replacement of fuel and oil filters is necessary quite often. Fuel cleaners are changed approximately every 25 thousand kilometers, oil motor cleaners - with every oil change.
To dismantle the parts, you must use a special tool - a puller. Many do not purchase it, since the product is highly specialized, suitable only for removing the device. And some tools are only for dismantling a certain type of filter element. In order not to waste money, you can make an oil filter puller with your own hands.
You can pick up a ready-made tool - there are many products on the market various types. When choosing, it is important to consider design features car and know approximately what diameter filter needs to be dismantled.
Puller types
Pullers are divided into universal and designed for filters of a certain diameter or type. The first, in turn, are divided into:
- crab-type oil filter pullers;
- belt;
- chain;
- tape;
- sickle-shaped;
- with two adjustable grips.
With your own hands, you can make a belt and chain oil filter puller. Products are designed for a certain range of diameters - there is no absolutely universal fixture. Therefore, when buying, you need to be careful. It should be borne in mind that the problem can be not only in accordance with the dimensions, but also in the availability of the filter on the machine - on each brand and model it is better to work with pullers of one type or another.
A highly specialized puller, a fixture designed for oil devices of the same diameter, is called a "cup". Professionals purchase sets of such products, as they are the most durable and easy to use. But for private use, it is better to buy universal tools - you will not have to work with them often. But if the car changes, it will not be necessary to purchase a new product.
Making a belt puller
For work you will need:
Operating procedure:
- Cut off a rod from the hexagon of such a length that it is convenient to get to the installation site of the oil cleaner with its help.
- Make a cut 5-6 mm wide and slightly longer than the belt width along the hexagon, through opposite corners of its section.
- Remove sharp edges, burrs from the resulting workpiece with emery.
- Make a piece of belt 500 mm long. You can choose the size yourself. The longer the segment is taken, the more versatile the resulting tool will be, but the more inconvenient it is to work with.
- Insert the segment into the slot of the prepared hexagon so that its middle coincides with the center of the hexagon.
- Make three equidistant marks for drilling. Remove belt.
- Make three holes with a diameter of 5.5 mm.
- On one side, widen the holes to 6.5 mm.
- Cut threads in holes with a diameter of 5.5 mm.
- Melt the ends of the belt with a lighter, fold them together and insert into the workpiece so that they protrude by about 10 mm. There should be a loop.
- Burn holes in the belt with a heated nail or steel bar, alternately pulling the bar through the holes in the hexagon.
- Carefully, so as not to displace the holes, put the workpiece on the anvil and clamp the belt in the slot.
- Screw the screws into the holes.
The belt puller is used as follows: the loop is thrown over the filter, after which it is wound around the hexagon. When the belt is wound, a key is thrown onto the rod, with which the part is removed.
Chain Puller: When a Belt Puller Doesn't Fit
A chain filter puller is made from a bicycle chain and a piece of half-inch pipe threaded at one end (you can cut it yourself). The walls of the pipe must be intact, without rust
The work will need:
Operating procedure:
- Drill a hole with a diameter of 9 mm in the center of the plug and square it with a file. The resulting hole should fit under the ratchet end switch. It needs to be tight, with no gaps.
- Screw the cap onto the pipe and tighten firmly. Ideally, if you can attach the part by welding at several points.
- Make markings on the pipe for drilling two holes for the chain. This will be enough, but a third hole can also be made. Then the tool will be more versatile, as it will become adjustable in height of the filter.
- Pass a chain through one of the holes and throw it on the car filters to understand what length is needed. It is necessary to choose the length so that in the unclenched state the puller can be easily put on the filter. It is better not to take too long a segment - the product will become less convenient to use, although it is suitable for larger diameter cleaners.
- Cut off the necessary piece of the chain - for this, pins are squeezed out in the established places.
- Pass the resulting segments through the holes of the pipe, connect their ends by pressing the pins of the links.
Removing the oil filter using a manufactured tool is as follows: loops are thrown onto the cleaner (if they are too long, you can turn the pipe counterclockwise), a ratchet is inserted into the plug and dismantled with it.
The chain puller for the oil filter is quite simple to manufacture and more reliable than the belt one. Therefore, if there are suitable materials at hand, it is better to give preference to this type of tool.
This replaceable element has to be changed on the car engine every 7-15 thousand kilometers along with the next replacement engine oil. Usually it is attached to the engine at its bottom, and it is not so easy to get close to it, but it is even more difficult to turn it out, since it is not possible to grab it with two hands.
In addition, during the time from replacement to replacement, the filter housing is covered with dust, dirt, various oily deposits, and hands, not finding the right grip, slide over the surface of the part.
What to do if it was not possible to turn out this interchangeable product with one hand?
You should use the following simple, but quite convenient and effective devices.
1. Puller in the form of a metal band and a bolt with a nut
The device consists of a metal tape, which with its ends passes through the slots in the curly bracket, symmetrically located relative to its center, against which a bolt with a nut screwed onto it rests.The tape forms a loop-girth, and its ends are fixed on two opposite faces of the movable nut by means of short screws. If the bolt is unscrewed, the nut slides down and the diameter of the loop increases. When the bolt is screwed in, the nut goes up and the loop is shortened. The bracket in its lower part is made along the arc of a circle.
The puller loop is freely thrown over the oil filter housing and, by screwing in the bolt, is tightened due to the fact that the nut rises along the bolt and pulls the ends along with it metal loop.
When the loop tightly clasps the filter housing, the puller becomes a kind of lever rigidly fixed to the removed unit. Now it remains only to apply a small amount of force to the puller-lever counterclockwise to rip the filter from its seat.
After that, the puller can be removed, and the filter can be unscrewed with the force of the fingers of just one hand.
2. Puller type "Crab"
It is a kind of planetary mechanism: one central spur gear and three satellite gears of the same size and type, each of which engages with the first.The outer gears are arranged around the central one evenly along the circumference, that is, at 120 degrees to one another. All of them are fixed with their axes on a strong and rigid round disk and a triangular plate with rounded corners with reverse side gears.
The central gear is driven by a key through a nut located with front side plates on the continuation of the axis of the central gear. At the same time, the side gears-satellites begin to rotate within less than one revolution around their axis, which is quite enough for this type of clamp to work.
The clamping of the oil disc body is carried out by L-shaped brackets of circular cross section, which are welded with the short side perpendicular to the generatrix of the side gears right in the center so that the angle between them is also strictly 120 degrees. Moreover, the long rods of the brackets should be parallel to each other and oriented in the direction opposite to the location of the nut. For a better grip, the long sides of the staples, starting at least from the middle to the end, are provided with a protruding longitudinal notch.
If the brackets are arranged radially, then the conditional cylinder inside them has a maximum diameter. Turning the nut to the left or right brings the brackets together, and the diameter of the conditional cylinder decreases.
Using this device is quite simple: we grab the oil filter housing with brackets and turn the nut to the left with a wrench, thereby twisting the filter from its seat. When the nut is rotated to the right, the filter will, on the contrary, be twisted.
3. Chain puller
The main element in it is a piece of a chain, which at one end is fixed in the "spear" of the handle along with a swinging bracket, its other end is free. But, so that the chain does not jump out of the “horn”, a hairpin is threaded into the end link, the ends of which are separated.To unscrew the oil filter, the chain is thrown over its body, pulled up by the free end and thrown onto the two teeth on the handle. They do not allow the chain girth tightened around the filter housing to disperse and loosen the clamp.
Now it remains only to turn the handle of the puller counterclockwise by hand, and the filter can be easily unscrewed. If you throw the chain in the opposite direction, then by turning the knob clockwise, the filter can be installed in its original place and tightened to the stop.
After completing the unscrewing or tightening, it is enough to remove the force from the handle, as the chain will loosen by itself and it can be removed from the filter housing.
4. adjustable wrench
Perhaps this is the most convenient device if its size allows you to dilute the sponges to the girth of the oil filter housing, the diameter of which can sometimes exceed 100 mm. And also it needs a place commensurate with the length of the adjustable wrench. And how to find it on the engine of not only a passenger car, but also a truck? Therefore, this method is almost useless in practical terms.
5. Powerful screwdriver
Modern oil filters installed on car engines are mostly disposable. Therefore, after the first use, they are good for nothing. So, there is nothing to pity them.Hence - the last "barbaric" way to unscrew the oil filter using a strong and, preferably, a long screwdriver with a sharp sting and a strong handle.
We direct the tip of the screwdriver to the generatrix of the filter, as close as possible to the bottom of the removable part. Holding the screwdriver perpendicular to the surface of the case, we strike the end of the handle with a hammer until we break through the upper and opposite walls. The tip of the screwdriver should come out.
Thus, we have created an impromptu lever, to which it is enough to apply a small force counterclockwise, and the filter will be easily unscrewed. Moreover, the longer the screwdriver, the less force is required to unscrew. The disadvantage is the same as in the previous case: a lot of space is required.
Note in conclusion
How to unscrew the oil filter if the first three devices were not at hand, and there is no place to use the last two. You should try using sandpaper.To do this, put on gloves on your hands, cut off a proportionate piece of coarse sandpaper, clasp the filter housing with it and try to move the filter with both hands. Usually this is possible, because it is only necessary to overcome the crushing force of the annular rubber gasket to seal the filter and the tightening on the thread.
Every motorist who decides to independently replace the engine fluid faces the need to dismantle the oil filter. When performing this task, difficulties may arise, since the device sticks, and it is problematic to remove it. We will describe below how to unscrew the oil filter and what methods there are.
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Why not keep the old filter?
The oil in the car engine is replaced every 10-15 thousand kilometers or once a year. When using the vehicle in difficult conditions, the replacement interval consumable will be less. The service life of the oil depends on the specific brand of fluid and on the vehicle. It is necessary to change the oil filter when changing consumables.
The motor is the main unit of the machine, which is subject to rapid wear during operation, as it operates under high loads. Over time, foreign substances begin to appear in the lubricant, negatively affecting the functionality of the internal combustion engine. To prevent their impact on the power unit, an oil filter is used. The higher the wear of the device, the lower the quality of the oil, and this will sooner or later affect the operation of the internal combustion engine.
Moreover, it will not be possible to visually determine the suitability of the filter element, as well as draw conclusions about the need for replacement based on mileage alone. The grease cleaner is always in operation, even when the engine is idling. Its wear is determined not by the mileage of the car, but by the number of hours worked. And it doesn't matter whether it's a VAZ 2109, 2110 or a foreign car.
How and with what can this be done?
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main methods that will allow you to dismantle the filter device with your own hands.
User Andrey Florida in his video told how to replace the oil filter and what are the options for dismantling it.
Can it be twisted by hand?
There are special tools for dismantling the filter device. But you can also unscrew it with your own hands. If the sticking of the device is strong, a tool or improvised devices will be required for dismantling.
Which way to turn?
The filter is dismantled by turning its housing counterclockwise.
Special key
For unscrewing, you can use a special key. This effective way, but for its implementation you will need to purchase a tool. On sale you will find several options for keys:
- chain;
- clamping tool;
- tape;
- screw extractor.
How to use?
To unscrew with a chain or other special wrench, hook the filter device with a tool, securely fix it and dismantle it by turning it counterclockwise.
Chain type dismantling tool Special wrench with filter removal clip
Rope (belt) and screwdriver
To remove the device in the absence of a tool, use a belt or a rope with a screwdriver:
- A screwdriver breaks through the housing of the filtering device, as a result of which the tool is used as a lever. When using a screwdriver, it is necessary to pierce the element through and through, so it will be more efficient to twist.
- When using a belt or rope, the dismantling method imitates the use of a special key. The strap should be wide and made of leather or leatherette. A loop is made, after which it is tightened counterclockwise on the device itself. For quick dismantling, pull the rope or strap sharply. The removal process can be difficult due to slipping of the strap. Then insert a piece of sandpaper into the loop itself and follow the described steps again.
Hammer and long screwdriver
This method of unscrewing the part is similar to the screwdriver method. Its implementation is relevant if you pierced the filter, but could not budge it. Then the dismantling of the device is possible by applying the force from hammer blows to the handle of the screwdriver.
Hammer and chisel
If these dismantling methods did not help, or the housing of the filter device is damaged, then use a chisel instead of a screwdriver. On the part, make a small notch into which the chisel rests. We begin to hit the instrument with a hammer. This usually helps to quickly unscrew the filter.
homemade tool
You can change the filter and dismantle the device with a homemade puller. The principle of operation of such a tool is identical to the special key.
O self-manufacturing you will learn the dismantling tool from the video. The material was filmed and made public by the kv3st channel.
Such a device must be built independently:
- You will need a bicycle chain, or rather, its segment. When dismantling the filter in domestic VAZ vehicles, the optimal chain size is 30 links.
- The chain is connected into a ring, a lock or riveting is used for fixation.
- You will need an unnecessary head from a 19 or 22 socket wrench. You need to make a cut in it that matches the size of the bicycle chain.
- Install an extension cord into the connecting square hole on the head. Use an awl or ratchet wrench. For reliable fixation, the diameter of the extension must be equal to the size of the hole.
- Unscrew the filter device by turning it counterclockwise.
gas key
The use of this method is relevant if there is free space around the device. Hook the tool on the oil filter housing and use its handles as a lever. Be careful not to damage other components of the power unit. Be careful as some oil will come out of the filter when it is removed.
What to do if the filter is stuck?
If the device is stuck, use one of the methods described above. A stuck filter is usually not unscrewed by hand, then one of the options considered always helps. If any particular method did not help, use several at once.
An overview of oil wrenches for dismantling filters is presented in a video filmed and published by the Lefty channel.
What to do next?
Before screwing in a new device, the installation site should be wiped with a rag. Otherwise, dirt or foreign components will get into the engine fluid, which will affect its quality.
We twist the new filter without a key
The installation process is carried out as follows:
- The seat of the device is cleaned of contaminants.
- About 150 grams of engine fluid is poured into the oil filter. This is done to lubricate the rubberized gasket on the device, as well as to prevent the filter element from sticking in the future.
- Installed new filter. It must be carefully put on the thread so as not to damage.
- The device spins without any effort. It is not necessary to use a puller during installation, otherwise dismantling during the next replacement will cause difficulties.
- After installation, start the engine and warm it up to operating temperature. Assess the condition of the filter device and make sure that no oil comes out from under the part. Fluid leaks are due to filter failure or poor installation. In the first case, the part must be replaced, in the second - it must be tightened.
Most drivers are completely sure that an oil filter puller is an absolutely useless and unnecessary tool that only car mechanics should have. The other part has probably already encountered a problem when it is impossible to unscrew the filter with the help of hands. The choice of this puller is limited only by the car model, because not all filters are made under single standard, therefore, it should be selected in accordance with the model of the car.
The main types of oil filter pullers
Almost all pullers have the same structural similarity - a matte handle, usually made of plastic and a chrome base. Among the differences, it can be noted that pullers can be universal or those that are able to unscrew only a particular filter size, most often, round shape.
The bulk of the pullers allows you to dismantle the filter elements from internal combustion engines or filter element housings with a replaceable insert. Based on the above features, the following main types and types of pullers can be distinguished:
- belt
- Tape
- With special adjustable grips
- Chain
- Pincer or crescent
If you make a comparison, then the conclusion suggests itself that a puller with an adjustable grip will be the best and most rational. Actually, it is not. The fact is that such a puller is designed for a certain range of sizes, to which the filter of another car simply does not fit, and secondly, because of the large number of adjusting devices for it, which is not always possible to get close. After all, the engine compartment is very narrow and does not always allow you to install long tools on the elements.
How to use a cup puller?
The cup-shaped oil filter has become more widespread. They bear this name because of their shape, which resembles the most ordinary cup.
You need to choose such a puller very carefully. The fact is that it is made to a specific filter size and, having a difference of at least a couple of millimeters, can easily become the most useless tool in the garage. The most competent decision would be to purchase a set of such pullers, then you definitely can’t go wrong. "Cups" in such sets are located in a special case in the form of a small suitcase, which improves the convenience of storage and transportation.
Many "cup" pullers have special square wrench holes on the reverse side, or a bulge for a spanner wrench. This design feature allows you to cope with dismantling with virtually no problems, applying the least effort on the tool. If this is not provided for by the design, then the drivers modify such details on their own. Can go with many sets additional tool under a cup.
To remove the filter, you need to put on the cup with the side on which the edges are located on it. They must exactly match the edges located on the filter housing, otherwise, you risk getting slippage that will not help you unscrew the filter. Such a tool has been considered the most convenient for quite a long time. Thanks to its edges, it eliminates any slippage, and its compact dimensions allow you to work inside any engine compartment. However, to achieve this result, you need to select a tool with high accuracy in size.
Crab puller
Such a puller has the required range of settings for various sizes oil filters. It consists of two metal plates, round in shape, between which there are 3 clamps with paws. The working part of the tabs has a rough pattern to eliminate the possibility of slipping and ensure maximum engagement with the filter housing. Fixing and clamping of the legs is carried out with special adjusting bolts.
First, the legs of the puller are adjusted to the diameter of the filter, and the crab is put on it. We remind you that in order to achieve the best engagement, pull the clamps as tight as possible. After that, install a special key in the square groove of the device and unscrew the crab along with the filter.
The process of turning the filter inside out is completely identical to unscrewing the filter using a “cup” puller.
The main disadvantage of the crab is the narrow range of regulation. This means that it has limitations on large and small oil filters. Therefore, the purchase of such a puller should in the future correspond to the dimensions of the filters used.
Nevertheless, there is also a certain advantage of the puller - this is the same ability to work in narrow spaces, which are severely limited by the elements of the engine compartment.
Other types of filter pullers
The chain puller type is a single-row or double-row chain, which is passed into a special groove and has a lock in it. It is stretched according to the diameter of the filter circle, tightened and fixed. Thus, the handle is formed from the rest of the chain and the retainer, acting on which, you can unscrew the oil filter.
The belt puller has a similar design to the chain puller. The difference lies only in the material of manufacture of the gripper. For such a puller, a special belt is used, which is tightened and fixed on the filter housing, also forming a special handle. Thanks to this handle, you can easily unscrew the oil filter.
Probably the most unsuccessful puller can be considered a tape puller. It includes a special metal tape, which ensures the capture of the filter. This design has one serious drawback - too small a range of capture control. The difference between the maximum and minimum diameter is only 30 millimeters. The second drawback is the weak fixation of the capture. Many pullers of this design simply cannot unscrew an oil filter that is too tight.
Video - How to easily unscrew any oil filter
How to make a belt puller with your own hands?
The basis for the future puller will be a hexagon. Choose the size according to your preference (think about what kind of wrench you plan to unscrew) and cut to the required length. Be careful, too long a base will not be effective at all and will seriously limit the space in the engine compartment.
Take a car seat belt and, according to its width, make the necessary cut at the end of the hexagon. Insert the belt there, align and fix with bolts and nuts. The holes in the belt should be burned, but in no case should they be drilled, otherwise, over time, it will begin to fluff and come out of its place.
The end of the belt must protrude from the hexagon by at least 10 millimeters and must be fired to exclude the possibility of its dissolution. The other end of the belt should have the same parameters.
After adjusting the puller to the size of your commonly used oil filter, tighten the loop on the end of the hex and you can safely use the new tool.
How to make an oil filter chain puller + Video
For the manufacture and further use of the chain puller, you will need steel pipe inch size, a bicycle chain and a metal plug that is easy to screw onto the pipe thread.
A hole with a diameter of 9 millimeters is drilled in the plug, and using any triangular file, process its surface until the hole is suitable for the square section of any ratchet. The metal plug is screwed all the way onto the threaded end of the pipe and tightened tightly. To prevent further movement, it is recommended to permanently fix it using conventional welding.
Make holes in the plug in which the end of the chain will be fixed. Put a chain there and thread any pin that needs to be fixed on both sides with any convenient way. Put the chain on the puller and tighten. Make adjustments for the plug in the clamped and unclenched position. Thus, the puller will have two positions: one allows you to put it on the filter, and the second - to capture and unscrew the filter element.
