Just tried using a pickle jar to get a stuck oil filter off

Had a 2012 Civic on the lift with a filter that wouldn't budge. Saw a video online about using a strap wrench, but mine broke. Grabbed an empty pickle jar from the trash, wrapped the filter in a rag, and tried to twist it with the jar's grip. The jar shattered, pickle juice went everywhere, and the filter was still stuck. Anyone got a better trick for a filter that's welded itself on?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonl862mo agoTop Commenter

Ever try the screwdriver trick? Jam one right through the side of the filter and use it as a lever... just be ready for a mess if it's in a tight spot. It's a last resort, but it usually works.

paul1172mo ago

That trick is a total hack job, man. You're just asking to shred the filter and leave metal bits in the engine. It's lazy. The right way is to use a proper strap wrench or a cap tool. If it's that stuck, you heat the housing with a heat gun first. Stabbing a screwdriver through it shows you gave up before trying the real methods.

wren65214d ago

So have you ever tried doing both? Like, heat the housing up with a heat gun first to loosen it, and if that still won't budge, then stab the screwdriver through as a last resort? That way you at least give the proper method a shot before going full hack mode. I've done it on a few stubborn filters on my work truck, and the heat really helps soften the seal, so the screwdriver trick works cleaner with less shredding. Just watch your knuckles when it finally breaks free.