Approx how much motor oil would be lost if the oil filter was removed & replaced?

The reason I ask is because I was changing the oil on my sis' car but I could not remove the oil filter by hand. It was located in one of the most asinine designed locations possible! I think I need a filter wrench to complete the job but I didn't have time and had to move the vehicle. So I went ahead and put in fresh motor oil but left the old filter there.

How detrimental is it to use a dirty filter with new oil?

6/16/2009 9:46:37 PM

stab with screw driver. twist. done.

6/16/2009 9:55:16 PM

Nah, sometimes that works, sometimes you just end up ripping off the bottom of the filter(then you're really screwed). I've had to chisel them off after heating them cherry red with a torch, no mean feat considering that oil is flammable. Get a filter wrench.

No worries about the oil. Just swap the filter as soon as possible and maybe add a quart to top it back off.

6/16/2009 10:30:50 PM

ha, was this car a late 90's malibu?

my sister had one a while back, and i tried to change her oil once and had the same issue with her filter. no matter how I contorted myself, i couldn't reach the motherfucker.

6/16/2009 11:39:14 PM

my dad had one of these craftsman universal filter wrenches that worked well for me, works great for tight spaces

6/16/2009 11:42:53 PM

^^on this list of hard cars to change the oil filter on, a malibu of any year is not one of them.

for MOST cars with the filter housing somewhere on the side/bottom of the block, you'll lose roughly a quart or a little less. cartridge style filters that are on top don't lost much of anything.

also, changing the oil and not the filter is kind of pointless. it doesn't matter how clean the oil is, if it can't flow well through a clogged filter it's not helping you a bit. doing the opposite makes a lot more sense. lots of modern oils are good for extended intervals but still recommend a filter change or two inbetween. i'm hardly the one to be giving out advice on following proper schedules and procedures for fluid changes though.

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 11:52 PM. Reason : cheap/generic brand oil is okay, but spending a few extra bucks on good filters is worth it imo]

6/16/2009 11:51:16 PM

get a pair of oil wrench pliers might help you reach it.....that worked for me when my oil filter was stuck in an odd position

Or you could do it the messy way like Quinn say and just stab with a screw driver.

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 11:53 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2009 11:52:15 PM

I had to use oil filter pliers on BigBlueRam's damned Excursion...and STILL needed a cheater pipe to get the filter off. The nimrods that changed your oil must have left the gasket dry...or put damn super glue on it, Ivan.

6/17/2009 2:06:12 AM

not more than a quart, most cars will be half that

6/17/2009 9:24:32 AM

And an assload of them will be less than 1/4 that. New Hondas, Nissans, Mazdas, and damn near all Toyotas from the '80s on up. Tiny damn filters. Too damn small.

6/17/2009 9:55:15 AM

was this a cavalier?????????

6/17/2009 10:24:19 AM

you shut your mouth. I had a 91 cavalier for 8 years. that thing was so bad ass.

6/17/2009 2:56:35 PM

I like how i never overtighten oil filters and i can always easily get them off with a bare hand.



^aren't the fucker who has my M3?



[Edited on June 18, 2009 at 12:06 AM. Reason : ll]

6/17/2009 11:57:10 PM

the best part about rebuilding your suspension, transmission, motor, and head is that nothing is hard to unscrew ever again.......for at least a few years i hope

6/18/2009 8:34:48 AM

lol

6/18/2009 1:09:53 PM

Quote :

"I like how i never overtighten oil filters and i can always easily get them off with a bare hand."

Same here. Up until I changed the oil in BigBlueRam's Excursion, I didn't even own a filter wrench. Well, many moons ago, when I actually worked in a shop, I did...several cup types and one band type. It's different when you're working on some shit that the monkeys at Jiffy Screw have fucked with.

Quote :

"the best part about rebuilding your suspension, transmission, motor, and head is that nothing is hard to unscrew ever again.......for at least a few years i hope"

Bingo. I do like to observe torque specs, lubricate threads when specified, and use anti-seize compound on suspension components. I'm gonna get some of the nickel based anti-seize one of these days for exhaust shit.

6/18/2009 3:59:37 PM

^ i guess you have never change the oil on a new honda/vw/toyota. the factory filters are on at like 90ftlbs

6/18/2009 7:17:54 PM

hmm, somehow i dont see cut threads in a stamped cap holding 90 f/lbs without pulling

6/18/2009 7:42:08 PM

im sure its only like 25 but they put the filter on dry

6/18/2009 8:04:47 PM

maybe it wouldnt be a problem if you werent such a weak little pussy

6/20/2009 12:09:26 PM