DIY oil filter replacement
The oil filter gets dirty all the time, so it needs to be changed regularly. This can be done not only by service center specialists, but also by any car owner without special equipment and keys. Let’s talk about the correct replacement of the oil filter with your own hands

The longer an engine oil is used, the more impurities it contains: dust, dirt and combustion products. All this pollutes it, makes it thicker – as a result, the oil cannot fulfill its purpose and does not reduce friction between the moving parts of the engine. The internal combustion engine, into which such a mixture enters, wears out faster and breaks earlier. 

Therefore, to protect the internal combustion engine, a special cleaning device is used – an oil filter. Its design and principle of operation are simple: it is a filter element in the form of a cylinder and a housing, which is a container for oil. Through the bottom with holes, the liquid penetrates into the device, and there it passes through the filter paper. Then the purified oil goes to the engine. 

Oil filters for different car models are different. They are of two types:

  • Non-separable. The metal housing of this filter is one-piece – it is removed together with the filter element inside. These devices are more expensive because they are easier to replace: you just need to unscrew the used part and install a new one in its place.
  • collapsible. In such a part, there is access to the filter element – it is this element that needs to be changed, while the housing remains in the filter seat. These devices are cheaper – in fact, only a cartridge with a filter curtain is sold. But installing it is not so convenient: each time you need to disassemble the structure, rinse the body and other reusable parts from oil and dirt, and then collect everything back before installing the filter.

Non-separable filters are more difficult to dispose of and less environmentally friendly, but this type is the most common. Most of these parts are similar and interchangeable. Almost all of them are cleaned mechanically – with the help of special paper or cardboard, dirt is filtered out, but oil passes through the pores. 

However, over time, the curtain becomes clogged and may stop letting fluid in. Then the oil will enter the engine in a different way – through the bypass valve, which, under pressure, passes the crude mixture into the internal combustion engine. This is an extreme measure, to which it is better not to bring the cleaning system. In order for clean oil to enter the engine, and not a tarry mixture mixed with dust and soot, timely replacement of the oil filter is necessary.

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How to unscrew the oil filter and put a new one in the car

First of all, you need to find its location – often the device is located under the hood, on the cylinder block of the car. 

What is needed to remove the old part? Depends on the situation: in some cases, the filter can be unscrewed by hand, and sometimes you have to use improvised means. But the most correct and easiest method is to replace it with a special key, the so-called puller.

Oil filter wrenches are of two types:

  • Chain. It looks like a regular roller bicycle chain attached to a metal handle. It is necessary to wrap the chain around the body of the cleaner and fasten the nearest free link to the hook of the handle. Thus, the key tightly compresses the filter and helps to unscrew it easily.
  • clamping. This design is not as flexible, but it also allows you to adjust the size of the “loop” that will wrap around the body of the part. The key with a clip has a handle, with its help it is convenient to unscrew the filter after fixing. 

Not all car owners have such a device. And it’s usually impossible to unscrew the filter by hand: not all cars have enough space to clasp the body of the part. In addition, cleaning devices are often installed very firmly and tightly, and fingers only slide along the metal case, without leading to any results. In this case, alternative methods will help. 

How to unscrew the filter using an alternator or timing belt

For this method, you will need a worn timing belt. An old alternator belt will also work. 

To unscrew the part, you need: 

  1. Thoroughly wipe the filter housing from oil, soot and dirt – microfiber cloths or an ordinary cloth rag are suitable for this.
  2. Put the belt on the cleaner and make sure that it does not slip off during the rotation of the part. It must be fixed by hand so that the timing belt tightly wraps around the filter housing around the circumference.
  3. Now you can unscrew the filter by turning the belt loop in the desired direction. If there is not enough space for the palm of your hand, you can grab the ends of the belt with your hands, pull it on and thus scroll the filter in the right direction.

To tightly tighten and fix the loop, you can use a spanner wrench: insert a belt into its hole and only then adjust the diameter of the girth. Any metal cylinder with an appropriately sized slot will also work for this purpose. 

If the belt still slips, sanding paper can be placed between it and the filter surface. 

How to unscrew the filter using any belt and open-end wrench

In this case, you will need a belt or ribbon. By themselves, they can slide on the filter housing – for example, if we are talking about a smooth leather belt. Therefore, for additional fixation and convenience, you will need a medium or large open-end wrench. 

The procedure will be as follows:

  1. Clean the body of the device from oil and dirt.
  2. Wrap the filter housing with a belt or tape. In this case, you need to leave a small gap in which one tooth of the open-end wrench should fit.
  3. Tighten the belt tightly. The horns of the key will be on different sides, so you can turn it and thus tighten the belt.
  4. Now the open-end wrench can be used as a pen – just turn it further in the right direction, unscrewing the filter.

If there is enough space near the filter, and there is another wrench or mount on hand, you can use them. To do this, place the tool at the other end of the open-end wrench – between its free teeth. Thus, you can use them as a lever, with your free hand holding this structure or the filter housing while turning.

How to unscrew the filter with a screwdriver

Shilo is also suitable for this method. There is no complicated procedure here: you just need to drive a screwdriver into the side of the filter, breaking through the thin metal case. Now the tool can be used as a lever and use it to scroll the part counterclockwise. 

This method is considered not the safest. There is a possibility that particles of the filter element, when pierced, can get inside and clog the channels through which oil enters and exits. This rarely happens and not in all filter models, but still this method is more risky and crude than the previous ones.

What to do after removing the old filter

First of all, you need to check the installation location of the cleaner. It is necessary to wipe it from dirt and dust, and also make sure that there are no parts left from the previous filter in the seat – for example, an o-ring. This is a rubber element of the filter, and sometimes it can become detached from the structure. If you install a new filter with its O-ring on top of it, it will not work properly, and this may lead to oil leakage. 

If the filter is collapsible, you need to put on gloves and perform several steps:

  1. Remove the perforated gasket and remove the rubber anti-drain valve along with the spring. In some collapsible cleaners, these parts are reusable, like the body – in this case, you do not need to throw them away. The gasket, that is, the cover with holes, also does not change in this type of filter – it is just the bottom of the housing through which oil passes under pressure.
  2. Remove a special triangular plate with a hole in the middle, if provided in the filter. You need to press on it and scroll, after which you will have access to the filter element.
  3. Get the filter – it will most likely be dirty, and there will be dark oil at the bottom of the case.
  4. Dispose of the spent element, and thoroughly wash, clean and dry all other parts.
  5. Assemble the structure in reverse order, installing a new filter in place of the old one.

Before installing any filter – collapsible or non-collapsible – you need to lubricate the o-ring with oil. A small amount is sufficient, which must be evenly distributed throughout the rubber rim. 

Popular questions and answers

Pavel Karpov, Executive Director of KIBERCAR agreed to comment on issues that are most often of interest to car owners.

What is the best oil filter to buy?

It is best to buy original oil filters from authorized dealers. Currently, there are both premium products that are put on warranty cars, and the second line, which is used on post-warranty cars. Buying a filter from an authorized dealer, you get a guarantee for the product, confidence in the quality and responsibility of the company to you, says Pavel Karpov.

How do you know when it’s time to change the oil filter?

The filter must be changed every time the engine oil is changed. You need to focus on the recommendations of the car manufacturer, but there are also unspoken rules of motorists – change the oil and oil filter after every 10 thousand kilometers.

Do I need to add oil to the oil filter?

From my 10 years of experience in dealerships, I can say that no one has poured oil into the filter. In addition to oil filters in an iron case, there are a huge number of cars that use a cartridge filter, like in a vacuum cleaner. You can’t put oil in it. In theory, it can only be lowered completely into a bath with oil, which, of course, no one does,” said Pavel Karpov.

What happens if you do not change the oil filter for a long time?

The main component of the oil filter is the filter paper element. The function of the filter is clear from the name – to filter, in our case, oil. What happens if you do not replace the filter element itself, which is paper? It will clog and its functions will be lost – the oil will become more and more dirty, and this will already have a negative effect on the engine itself. “Privately, colleagues conducted an experiment to check how long a car would drive without an oil change – as a result, the car drove 70 thousand km, but this experiment ended with a complete engine failure,” Pavel Karpov shared. – Therefore, all manufacturers recommend changing the oil filter along with the engine oil, following the recommendations from the car manufacturer.

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