Triumphrat

Chris90

Hi there
I'm about to carry out an oil change on my Sprint RS (early '01 model) and wondered if there is an 'easy' way of removing a stubborn, very tight, oil filter.

I bought and tried using Triumph's own oil filter 'socket' (part no T3880311) but this is no good. The socket - which I incidentally consider to be an ill-designed piece of c**p - puts so much force on the filter before rotating. A bit like trying to undo a bolt with a spanner that's a size too big.

I also tried using a strap wrench but this doesn't seem to do much - apart from put a very slight dent in the side of the oil filter....

So has anyone who has had experience of these bikes got any ideas?

cheers

Chris

DEcosse

Stick a large screw driver right through it (go all the way through to break through the opposite side) then turn to break it free.
Not like it matters since you're tossing it anyway.


[ This message was edited by: DEcosse on 2007-03-24 15:11 ]

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Catenaccio

I went to Napa and bought a self-adjusting oil filter socket. It fits and works perfectly on every vehicle I own. Cost was $25.00

PaloAlto

Chris,

Some riders seem to have had success with the screwdriver-through-the-filter method. But there have been threads about what to do when you wind up with a shredded filter still on the bike but now absolutely unrideable.

If the Triumph socket doesn't fit, I'd follow Catenaccio's advice and find one at the local auto parts place that fits better. The one I use is slightly tight - works well but a little hard to get off afterwards.

Good luck,
Bern

Chris90

Hello again

Just a few lines to say thank you all for the suggestions so far.

I should have pointed out that I tried the old 'screwdriver' method before. But the end result was like you described, Bern. My local garage came to pick up the bike and managed to get the filter off without too much trouble but that was an expensive oil change....

Thanks for your comments about a self-adjusting socket. Now you mention it, I seem to remember seeing an advertisement for them a few years ago so I might try to get hold of one.

Many thanks

Chris

nortoncharlie

I have had the same problem with the Triumph wrench and some cheap auto parts store wrenches. I got a Honda wrench that seems to work pretty well. The thing is I never seem to have problems getting the filter off if I installed the filter, but always have some sort of crumpled mess whenever I remove a filter someone else has installed.

BombFactory

Just adding a tip to the line. I have always used the "screwdriver" trick on a stubborn filter. If that doesn't work and you end up with a shredded mess, you can cut/peel away the metal sides of the filter until you can reach the small holes drilled around the circumference of the matting surface. Once you see those you can use a screwdriver and a hammer to knock the filter loose. :hammer:

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Speed3

My solution was to get one of those claw wrenches at NAPA that has the 3 arms that get tighter as they close and fit on a 3/8 socket. There is no filter that thing can't get off.

Chris90

Just thought I'd say how I got on.

Unfortunately I couldn't find one of those self-adjusting sockets that Catenaccio bought. So last Tuesday I ordered one of those claw wrench's that Speed3 mentioned.

It certainly did the job. The only thing is that you need to keep realigning it because there is limited clearance between the sump and part of the filter.

But what the heck, it got the old filter off. And it fits filters down to 63mm in size. That last bit is useful since Triumph seem to have changed the diameter of their oil filters - the old one is 68mm, the new one is more like 63mm.

Which means I can't even use my genuine Triumph oil filter socket to tighten the new filter up 'cause it's too big a size. As a result I've tightened it up by hand and will be keeping a close eye on it for the moment.

cheers

Chris

vwvectors

Usually when I put the filter on I just hand tighten it & to get it loose I use a plummers wrench to break it loose if I can't use my hands .

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