Regardless of why you do not want to go to a car service to change the oil in the engine of your car, you will still have to change the oil after a certain period of time (mileage). And with it the oil filter. And this filter sometimes sticks in such a way that although it was wrapped by hand, it is not possible to unscrew it without special devices. In our article, we will offer four effective ways of how to unscrew the oil filter without a key or a special puller in a conventional garage.
The ups and downs of the process
The filter is screwed in and out very easily. With screwing everything is clear. We twist it all the way, then tighten it, clasping it with both hands - that's all. Often, having stretched, the filter also manages to be torn by hand. But those who are wondering how to unscrew the oil filter without a key obviously had problems with the unscrewing procedure. The main thing here is to rip it off, that is, crank it once for at least a couple of centimeters. And then things go on their own, he will get out with his hand as easily as he twisted.
The first way - sandpaper
Often, the part can be slippery or the very arrangement of it does not help to grasp it well. If the filter slips in your hands, medium-sized sandpaper may come to the rescue. The process is simple:
- We drain the used oil from the system by unscrewing the plug at the bottom of the car engine. For each, it can be in different places, but invariably on the bottom of the crankcase cover. After draining the used grease, only a couple of drops will leak out of the filter, so you will not be able to contaminate the engine with all your desire.
- We crawl to the oil filter and wrap it in our hand. Not every model will be able to crawl to the filter with both hands, but if it succeeds, it is better, of course, to try to break the filter with both. If it does not give in and slips, it is bad. There are no keys, special pullers, for example. How to remove the oil filter without a key in this case?
- We wrap the filter in sandpaper. Its emery fractions will not allow sandpaper to slip through the filter. We grab the filter on top of sandpaper and try again.
If we succeeded in breaking, we unscrew the filter completely, and the thing is done. We screw in a new one, twist the cork from below, fill in new oil, and you're done. If it was not possible to break the part manually, we read on.
The second and easiest way - a sharp screwdriver
As we already said, it’s great when there is a special puller on hand. But how to unscrew the oil filter without a special key? The best way out is to make your adaptation, that is, a kind of lever that will not slip and that you can easily grab onto. What needs to be done for this and what tools will be needed?
To do this, you will need a hammer and a strong screwdriver, in which the handle does not crack from hitting it with a hammer. If the screwdriver is a pity, you can use any metal pin pointed at one end. And the meaning of the procedure is as follows.
The metal of the casing of the oil filter is thin, and it can easily be pierced through, thus making a kind of lever with which you can tear the oil filter off without any strain. What do we do:
- Set the pointed end of the pin (screwdriver) in the middle of the side of the filter.
- We hit the pin (screwdriver) with a hammer, perforating the filter cover and driving it into the inside of the part. Next, break through the opposite wall.
- The lever is ready. How to unscrew the oil filter without a key using this lever? There is nothing easier. We take the edges of the pin (screwdriver) and rotate. The filter breaks down.
- We take out a screwdriver from the filter and then unscrew the part by hand. She will go like clockwork.
Do not be afraid of such a cruel procedure. The filter which has fulfilled your resource will no longer be useful to you anyway. It is unsuitable for further operation, and in what form you will dispose of it, with or without holes, it makes no difference to you. Throw it to the dump anyway.
The third method is gentle, using the old belt
This method, how to unscrew the oil filter without a key, is only suitable if there is enough space around the oil filter itself so that we can crawl with the lever with which we will tighten the belt thrown onto the filter glass. What will be needed in this case and how will we do it?
For the procedure, we need an old belt, going, for example, to the generator, and what we will use instead of the lever to tighten it. For this, a massive wide screwdriver is suitable. What do we do:
- We fold the belt in half (or more, depending on its length).
- Throw it on the filter glass.
- We put a screwdriver into it from one side and start twisting it, tightening the belt around the filter.
- When the belt is fully tightened, we try to turn it with the same screwdriver along with the filter clamped in it.
- After the filter is turned for the first time, remove the belt with a screwdriver from it and then unscrew it manually.
The fourth way - a hammer and a chisel
Another fairly simple way to unscrew the oil filter without a key. To do this, we will need nothing more than a chisel with a sharpened tip and a hammer. How do we act:
- We set the sharp end of the chisel to the rim of the filter bowl from the side adjacent to the engine.
- We position it at such an angle so that at the time of impact it can disrupt the oil filter, that is, counterclockwise.
- We hit the chisel with a hammer. Didn’t go wrong? We rearrange the chisel a centimeter further, hit again.
In the end, the filter will turn, and the part can be turned out by hand. If something remains incomprehensible, watch the video.
Conclusion
We hope that our simple tips on how to unscrew the oil filter without a key and other special and abstruse accessories have helped you. Well, if you don’t feel like messing around, you have a direct road to a car service. Only here is the procedure for changing the oil and filter, in addition to the oil and filter itself, you will get a pretty penny. And why overpay for what you can do with your own hands and without any tricky devices?