Over Tightened Parts

[BinaryData]

Alright, so I'm kind of irritated with the Dodge Dealership. The lug nuts for my truck are so f***ing tight, that I had a breaker bar (2 - 3' long 6 Ton Jack handle), on it and I was jumping. I got one broke loose, the others, I gave up on. I put the one back on, and decided to wait till I had my brothers help, which will be Saturday.

Over the weekend I helped someone with an oil change. She took it to a shop last time, and charged her $100+ for a simple oil change, and standard fluid refill. Her oil filter was attached so tight, I broke my oil filter tool. I went out and bought an oil filter clamp (looks like vice grips). Still couldn't get it off, finally called my brother and he told me to just stab it with a screwdriver to remove it.


I'm not fond of spilling oil all over the place, and I'm fairly certain it's illegal in most places. How do you guys normally remove over tightened parts when you come across them? Use my two stories above, as examples. I'm trying to compile an "Idiots Guide to Car Repairs" for myself, so in 6 months or 9 months whenever I do something new, I'm not back here asking for help on something mundane.

 

[fastgti]

I am a diesel mechanic with the army and if I ran into the same issues as you just stated I would use a 5-7 ft cheater pipe for the lug nuts and for the oil filter if I could not get it off with a wrench I would just use a screw driver.


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[Nick_rp]

I was also a mech in the army and if my cinched belt around the filter couldnt remove it, then it got stabbed with a screw driver lol

If your worried about making a mess, get an aluminum Turkey pan. There like $3 at the grocery store and very wide.

If your worried about breaking your lugs then use an impact. Cheapo HF works or take it to any tire dealership, I'm sure they will crack them for nothing

 

[quietpeen]

Was this the first oil change on the truck? Only ask because for some reason they come really tight from the factory and that worries me that your filter didn’t get changed because the tech couldn’t get it off easily.

 

[PerfectCreature]

Was this the first oil change on the truck? Only ask because for some reason they come really tight from the factory and that worries me that your filter didn’t get changed because the tech couldn’t get it off easily.

That is a worrisome thought.

 

[ThunderMug95]

At least from my experience, the screwdriver trick would be just as much a contortionistic feat as trying to get any type of wrench on the filter...I will add that my brother did thus trick on his F150 5.4 and the screwdriver went clean through the filter and shattered part of his power steering pump housing...end result involved a tow truck.

 

[JB1]

I have always heard about the filter being to tight from the factory and to let the dealer do the first oil change so they can deal with it. However, I did my first oil change at approx 4k miles and mine wasn't that bad. It was tight but required nothing more than just some extra muscle and it came right off. I guess I got really lucky.

 

[pacofortacos]

My dealership tightened my son's Jeep lugnuts so tight I couldn't get them off without snapping a couple of studs.
We took it right back and told them about it and had them get them loose - they covered it all even the couple they had to burn off.
Happened the next time - we checked them right after. Same drill, they covered it.

Told them they needed to have that guys impact turned down haha.

Now I think he uses a torque wrench like you are supposed to.

 

[Pull Ya]

I think the lug nuts are only suppose to be torqued at about 130-140 which should allow you to get them off without a cheater bar. If they tighten them more than that, let them do it again--the right way. The oil filter is a well known problem for most of us. The first time I always let the dealer do it. The robot at the factory that installs them torques it at about 1000 lbs(well maybe not quite that much) and it's a ***** to get off(there are some exceptions). I don't have a magic answer to get them off with out tearing the filter up or without making a mess. If their that tight, your just going to have problems.
Jay

 

[fastgti]

So to properly put on a filter you take the new filter and use a light coat of fresh oil on the gasket. That will help keep the seal from drying out and also so it will not over tighten. Have not done it on the ram but my filters I get for my 65 Galaxie it tells you to do that in the manual. Plus in the army all manuals will tell you to do that as well. Any time I replace an oil filter I do that and I have never had an issue getting them off.


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[Pull Ya]

It's a lot easier to install them correctly if you know who has to take them off--you----LOL
Jay

 

[crash68]

All these oil filter over tightened stories, I'll add another one to the pile. Had a mechanic over tighten the oil filter housing on a Saturn. The housing shattered when trying to remove it. This was on a Friday night, luckily there was a Saturn dealer open on Saturday that had the housing in stock. So yes I use a torque wrench when I put any oil or fuel filter housings on.

 

[Longhorn1500]

Never heard of using a torque wrench for an oil filter... 3/4 turn (by hand) after the gasket touches the base.

 

[sbarron]

The other issue with over-tightening lug nuts (other than the PITA of getting them off) is that the threads become stretched. This makes getting and keeping a proper torque on them problematic going forward.

 

[fastgti]

The other issue with over-tightening lug nuts (other than the PITA of getting them off) is that the threads become stretched. This makes getting and keeping a proper torque on them problematic going forward.

And it also can cause where the lug-nut or lug bolt to seat to become warped causing the lug nut or bolt to not seat properly. Causing it to be loose and also back out.


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[hotrod45]

So to properly put on a filter you take the new filter and use a light coat of fresh oil on the gasket. That will help keep the seal from drying out and also so it will not over tighten. Have not done it on the ram but my filters I get for my 65 Galaxie it tells you to do that in the manual. Plus in the army all manuals will tell you to do that as well. Any time I replace an oil filter I do that and I have never had an issue getting them off.


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The touch of oil on the gasket lets the gasket slide ***and not distort*** while installing the oil filter to the proper tightness. All the years I worked as a mechanic and all the oil changes I've done since, I never, ever used new oil on the filter gasket. I always touched a finger tip in drain oil and ran the fingertip around on the gasket two or three revolutions. All you're looking for is a uniform smudge or smear of oil on the gasket. Wipe the boss and put it on there, done. Check to be sure there's no leak. I never had one, but you never know.

 

[turkeybird56]

IMHO, all the comments were spot on. The last time I was at the dealer, I had a Heart to Heart with my Service Advisor (SA), u get assigned a person who dictates, etc, how their service department is set up, so I always see same SA. I told him, no way jose impact them suckers on, run them on with a impact till snug, then mechanic best use a torque wrench to complete. Well, OMG, took an extra 10 minutes to do rotation, and I had them use Full 5W-20 synthetic, not the bulk BS in the system, cost me a lil as my Oil Changes are $18.00 for life. Works for me....... And being the **** person I am, I checked before I left. Just happen to carry a torque wrench in my truck with 22 mm socket, just saying, LOL

HOTROD: Since I got lifetime changes, dealership can do the truck. I'll just do my MC (maybe), too much crapola to take off to even get to filter, and my mowers. Sometimes I use new oil on seal, sometimes old. But I have not used a wrench on filter putting on, just snug up good, then 1/2 to 3/4 turn, and wala...

ADDED: Yup, the ole big *** screwdriver through the filters in those certain situations. Works, but what a friggin mess. These days, don;t let the EPA Police see U spill any oil. Cat liter good for garage floor.....

LONGHORN: Oh yeah, there are specs for filter for that "special" wrench, though why.,. My Trike has engine side covers that are torqued to 18 NANO meters, (7 FT Lbs), WHY, ne body can use a good wrench/socket and get the feel for when tight, just saying...
Truck - OIL FILTER: 25 NM, 18 FT LBS, I had to look up. And the oil drain plug is 20 Ft Lbs... Only posting this for WTF info, LMAO, as who torques a filter or even a drain plug.....

 

[PolarisCobra]

While we are on the subject of oil filters, always have a look at the one you take off, to make sure the gasket is still on it. I have seen a couple of cases where the gasket sticks to the flange on the motor, so when you put the new one on, the two gaskets are stacked. Pressure blows out the old one, makes a big mess. (There was a stain on my driveway for years the first time it happened, and I learned the hard way).

 

[hotrod45]

I have seen the stacked gaskets once, at least. I can't recall any of the details. I got an oil filter for a small pickup I had once. Parts store guy looked it up and handed it over. I changed the oil and filter in the driveway and ran it to check for leaks. Good to go. The next morning, I started it up and the oil light came on. I looked under the hood and the engine had spit the oil filter out onto the driveway. Parts guy had looked up a Toyota model instead of the GM and the stud was about a mm off. It went on, snugged up and tested ok - - once. That was probably the strangest oil filter event I've ever seen.

 

[indept]

The other thing some jackasses do is put the nut in the socket and ram it on the lug spinning. I've seen tires with crossthreaded lugs, if you start the lug by hand a few turns there's no way it will crossthread.