Oil filter puller. How to make an oil filter puller and what are the types

Having decided to change the oil in their car on their own, many car owners are faced with an unexpected obstacle - the oil filter does not want to be unscrewed by hand.

Everything is complicated by the round shape of the filter element housing, which is impossible to grasp normally. It’s good if there is a car shop nearby that sells special pullers of various types (they are chain, screw, end, belt, etc.), but what if there is no opportunity to purchase a key, and you need to remove the filter desperately?

In fact, everything is much simpler than it might seem at first glance: there are several simple ways remove oil filter w/o key. We will talk about them in detail in this article.

Method 1: Using a powerful sharp screwdriver and a hammer

This is the simplest of all possible options.
The principle is the following:

1. A large flat screwdriver is taken, a through hole is punched through it in the filter housing (the metal is thin, so this can be done with almost one blow).
2. Next, you need to grab the screwdriver handle and apply force in a counterclockwise direction. Due to the increase in the power arm, the filter breaks off quite easily, after which it can be unscrewed by hand.

Please note that the oil can remain hot for a long time, so safety precautions should be observed.

Method 2: Using an old alternator or timing belt and a screwdriver

1. The belt is put on the filter with a loop, tightened, a screwdriver (a small metal bar, file, etc.) is inserted into the free loop formed and rotated counterclockwise. Instead of a belt, you can also use a piece of clothesline.

Method 3: With a leather belt from trousers

If the old timing belt was not at hand, a regular leather belt is quite suitable.

1. The principle is as follows - the belt is put on with a loop and tightened with force. In this case, the long end of the belt serves as a lever.

Do not forget that the oil filter is unscrewed counterclockwise.

The most important thing is to keep the filter housing clean, otherwise the belt will slip. For better contact, the filter surface can be slightly sanded.

Method 4: Hammer + chisel.

1. Everything is very simple here: a deep notch is made on the filter housing from the side of the thread, then a chisel is inserted into it and the filter is torn off the thread with a tangential blow of a hammer.
2. Next, the filter element is unscrewed by hand. This method is rarely used, since the free space around the filter is limited and there is practically no room for such maneuvers.

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

How to make a chain wrench for an oil filter with your own hands

The devices listed above are not applicable to all car brands. For example, on the Suzuki Grand Vitara, the oil filter is in a hard-to-reach place and it is very problematic to get to it with a belt and a screwdriver.

In this case, a more ergonomic and efficient chain wrench is needed. You can always buy it at the car market for 200-300 rubles or do it yourself.

Craft universal chain wrench for removing the oil filter There are several ways, but many of them involve the use of a welding machine, which is not available in every garage.

However, you can make a practical puller without welding.

All that is needed for this is:

• a piece of an old bicycle chain;
• a small piece of metal pipe 10-15 centimeters;
• a large nail (100-120 mm) or a piece of thick wire;
• drill with a drill for metal with a diameter of 5-7 mm.

The oil filter puller key itself is very simple:

1. A hole is drilled in the pipe at a distance of 2-3 centimeters from the edge so that a nail passes through it.
2. The bicycle chain is folded in half and pushed into the tube so that the resulting loop approximately corresponds to the diameter of the filter (it should be put on it).
3. With the help of a nail, the chain is fixed in the pipe to the desired length. The key is ready!

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

It is enough to throw it on the filter and press the pipe like a lever (counterclockwise direction) to easily unscrew any oil filter.

This filter is universal and suitable for all types of oil filters, since the length of the loop is adjustable.

Oil filter pullers are considered by most motorists to be a useless tool used only in car services. Tools are used to remove filters that cannot be unscrewed by hand. Specialized car dealerships offer a wide range of pullers, which are selected based on a specific car model.

Correct installation of the filter

The oil filter unscrews itself and without problems when it is installed correctly:

• A new filter is installed at the same time as the engine oil is changed.
• The sealing gum must be lubricated with lithol.
• The filter is hand-tightened and tightened 1/3 of a turn with little effort.

With proper installation during operation, the sealing ring does not stick to the engine body, and the filter itself can be easily removed manually. If the case is heavily soiled, then sandpaper can be used - it provides a secure grip between the palm and the cleaner.

Car owners often violate the rules for proper filter installation:

• The rubber ring is not lubricated, which leads to loss of elasticity under high temperature and pressure.
• The thread is tightened with two hands, which causes it to be overtightened and the rubber seal to flatten.

Removing the filter without a puller

If the installation technology is violated, the oil filter can be dismantled without the use of special tools:

• The rim of the oil filter is tapped in a circle from the side of the sealing ring to ensure its mobility and the ebb of the seating surface.
• The rubber seal is pierced with a narrow screwdriver to separate it from the outflow side.

In other situations, special tools are used. Due to the fact that access to oil filters is much more difficult due to the limited space of the engine compartment, and the cleaners themselves vary in diameter depending on the specific make and model of the car, it is very difficult to determine which of the pullers is better:

• There are models of pullers with separate handles, under the head or wrench.
• Many tools are narrow-profile and are made for filters of a specific diameter.
• Some models of pullers are equipped with interchangeable grippers of different sizes.
• Universal pullers are suitable for dismantling any oil filters.

Types of pullers

Pullers for work are selected based on the size and design features of oil filters. The base and body of the tools are made of chrome-plated steel. The handles of some pullers are equipped with plastic pads, which makes it easier and easier to work with them.

With the help of pullers, you can unscrew the oil cleaners and oil cups, represented by filter housings with replaceable inserts. Tools are divided into universal and designed for filters of a certain type or diameter.

Universal pullers are represented by the following types:

• Belt.
• Crabs.
• Tape.
• Chain.
• Crescent.
• In the form of ticks.
• With two adjustable grips.

Such pullers can be called universal with a stretch - not every filter can be unscrewed with their help. The range of oil cleaner diameters varies depending on specific models, respectively, and pullers are designed for certain ranges. The design features of the tools themselves play an equally important role: due to the size and protruding parts, it is inconvenient to work with some pullers in the limited space of the engine compartment.

Only "cup" oil filter pullers, which got their name because of their appearance, are considered narrow-profile.

Chain pullers

The main structural element of the oil filter chain wrench is a metal chain with adjustable length. It is used for removing and installing oil filters with a diameter of 60 to 140 millimeters. The design is represented by a handle, at one end of which a single-row or double-row chain is fixed. The filter during operation is covered by a chain, the end of which is fixed in the groove of the handle with a special lock. The remaining chain is attached to a hook located on the handle. Making a similar chain filter puller with your own hands is not difficult.

Some models of pullers are already equipped with a chain loop that pounces on the filter and makes work easier. The advantages of chain filter pullers are durability, reliability and efficiency, since such tools allow you to remove heavily twisted filters.

Unlike other types of pullers, chain pullers cannot be used in the limited space of the engine compartment, since when working with them it is necessary to turn the handle, which is not always possible. The exception is chain pullers based on a metal head. Unscrewing the filters with such tools is carried out using a socket wrench. The cost of an oil filter chain puller is 300-700 rubles.

Types of chain pullers

Manufacturers offer two options for chain pullers:

• With handle. Depending on the diameter of the filter, the length of the tool chain is adjusted.
• Key/head. Adjustment of the size of a puller is carried out automatically at its rotation.

On the handle of the first type of filter chain wrenches, there are several protrusions designed to secure the loop of a single-link or two-link chain. The choice of a free stroke is not necessary, since immediately after the application of force, the lapel begins.

In the second type of tools, the cylindrical part is rigidly fixed in the chain break. During rotation, it is wound onto this part, after which it captures the slots of the filter and transfers force to the threaded connection of the oil filter.

To unscrew the filter using such a tool, the chain is wound around the body of the cleaner, the end is attached to a special hook located on the handle. The chain puller of the oil filter rests on the filter and reaches for the handle, which acts as a lever.

It is much easier to use pullers with ready-made loops. The chain is pulled over the cleaner and stretches over the edge coming out of the groove located at the end of the handle, which allows you to unscrew the failed filter.

Self-manufacturing of filter pullers

It is not difficult to create a do-it-yourself puller: it is enough to simulate the design of industrial tool options. When assembling a puller with your own hands, you need to consider several nuances:

• Making accessories for crab and cup pullers will cost more than buying them in a store.
• Tools are most often created from improvised materials - fasteners, consumable belts, used tapes from a tow rope, metal-roll waste.
• The finished tool should be easy to use, which guarantees quick removal of the filter.
• It is not necessary to copy the entire linear range of pullers, since a filter of the same size is installed on a specific engine.

Do-it-yourself chain filter puller

Chain pullers at home are made from pieces of an inch or half-inch pipe with a thread at one end and no corrosion on the walls. The length of the pipe must not be less than the height of the filter. A suitable plug must be screwed onto the pipe thread. Additionally, a bicycle chain is required.

A hole with a diameter of 9 millimeters is drilled in the center of the plug, which is squared with a triangular file. Processing is carried out manually until the dimensions of the hole correspond to the ratchet end switch: it must fit into the plug without play and tightly enough. The finished plug is screwed onto the end of the pipe and tightened tightly. Ideally, it can be welded to the pipe to avoid unscrewing during operation. The metal at the end of the pipe can be crushed with a hammer and a blunt chisel so as not to resort to welding.

Markings are made on the pipe for drilling holes for the chain. In order for the filter to be tightly and securely gripped, it is enough to use two segments of the chain installed at opposite ends of the cleaner. Often an additional, third hole is drilled for another chain, thanks to which a do-it-yourself oil filter chain puller will become universal and will allow you to unscrew consumables of different heights.

The chain is threaded through one of the holes in the pipe and looped around the oil filter. Such a segment of the chain is measured so that, in the unclenched state, the puller can be easily put on the cleaner. Often a certain supply of chain is left especially for filters of larger diameter, but it is not so convenient to work with such a tool. The chain is disassembled into separate fragments according to the measured length. Chain segments are threaded through holes in the pipe and connected into loops.

How to use an oil filter chain puller

Puller loops are thrown over the filter. If the chain is too long, then the pipes are turned counterclockwise by hand, which allows you to pick up the slack. After that, the plug is inserted into the ratchet and the oil filter is dismantled.

What is the best filter remover?

Crab and cup pullers are considered the most convenient and effective, allowing you to work in a limited space. For this reason, such tools are considered the best. The second most efficient are belt, belt and chain oil filter pullers. They are considered universal, but do not allow you to work in a limited space. With their help, even heavily twisted filters can be removed. The most primitive are sickle-shaped and pincer-shaped pullers: they are inexpensive, but have a lot of disadvantages. With their help, highly twisted filters cannot be removed, and their diameter range is very limited.

Oil filter pullers do not have a single article number. A chain tool or another type of each manufacturer has its own marking. In order not to make a mistake when purchasing a puller in a car shop, you need to study its parameters.

Replacement of fuel and oil filters is necessary quite often. Fuel cleaners are changed approximately every 25 thousand kilometers, oil motor cleaners - with every oil change.

To dismantle the parts, you must use a special tool - a puller. Many do not purchase it, since the product is highly specialized, suitable only for removing the device. And some tools are only for dismantling a certain type of filter element. In order not to waste money, you can make an oil filter puller with your own hands.

You can pick up a ready-made tool - there are many different types of products on the market. When choosing, it is important to take into account the design features of the car and approximately know what diameter filter needs to be dismantled.

Puller types

Pullers are divided into universal and designed for filters of a certain diameter or type. The first, in turn, are divided into:

• crab-type oil filter pullers;
• belt;
• chain;
• tape;
• sickle-shaped;
• with two adjustable grips.

With your own hands, you can make a belt and chain oil filter puller. Products are designed for a certain range of diameters - there is no absolutely universal fixture. Therefore, when buying, you need to be careful. It should be borne in mind that the problem can be not only in accordance with the dimensions, but also in the availability of the filter on the machine - on each brand and model it is better to work with pullers of one type or another.

A highly specialized puller, a fixture designed for oil devices of the same diameter, is called a "cup". Professionals purchase sets of such products, as they are the most durable and easy to use. But for private use, it is better to buy universal tools - you will not have to work with them often. But if the car changes, it will not be necessary to purchase a new product.

Making a belt puller

For work you will need:

Operating procedure:

1. Cut off a rod from the hexagon of such a length that it is convenient to get to the installation site of the oil cleaner with its help.
2. Make a cut 5-6 mm wide and slightly longer than the belt width along the hexagon, through opposite corners of its section.
3. Remove sharp edges, burrs from the resulting workpiece with emery.
4. Make a piece of belt 500 mm long. You can choose the size yourself. The longer the segment is taken, the more versatile the resulting tool will be, but the more inconvenient it is to work with.
5. Insert the segment into the slot of the prepared hexagon so that its middle coincides with the center of the hexagon.
6. Make three equidistant marks for drilling. Remove belt.
7. Make three holes with a diameter of 5.5 mm.
8. On one side, widen the holes to 6.5 mm.
9. Cut threads in holes with a diameter of 5.5 mm.
10. Melt the ends of the belt with a lighter, fold them together and insert into the workpiece so that they protrude by about 10 mm. There should be a loop.
11. Burn holes in the belt with a heated nail or steel bar, alternately pulling the bar through the holes in the hexagon.
12. Carefully, so as not to displace the holes, put the workpiece on the anvil and clamp the belt in the slot.
13. Screw the screws into the holes.

The belt puller is used as follows: the loop is thrown over the filter, after which it is wound around the hexagon. When the belt is wound, a key is thrown onto the rod, with which the part is removed.

Chain Puller: When a Belt Puller Doesn't Fit

A chain filter puller is made from a bicycle chain and a piece of half-inch pipe threaded at one end (you can cut it yourself). The walls of the pipe must be intact, without rust

The work will need:

Operating procedure:

1. Drill a hole with a diameter of 9 mm in the center of the plug and square it with a file. The resulting hole should fit under the ratchet end switch. It needs to be tight, with no gaps.
2. Screw the cap onto the pipe and tighten firmly. Ideally, if you can attach the part by welding at several points.
3. Make markings on the pipe for drilling two holes for the chain. This will be enough, but a third hole can also be made. Then the tool will be more versatile, as it will become adjustable in height of the filter.
4. Pass a chain through one of the holes and throw it on the car filters to understand what length is needed. It is necessary to choose the length so that in the unclenched state the puller can be easily put on the filter. It is better not to take too long a segment - the product will become less convenient to use, although it is suitable for larger diameter cleaners.
5. Cut off the necessary piece of the chain - for this, pins are squeezed out in the established places.
6. Pass the resulting segments through the holes of the pipe, connect their ends by pressing the pins of the links.

Removing the oil filter using a manufactured tool is as follows: loops are thrown onto the cleaner (if they are too long, you can turn the pipe counterclockwise), a ratchet is inserted into the plug and dismantled with it.

The chain puller for the oil filter is quite simple to manufacture and more reliable than the belt one. Therefore, if there are suitable materials at hand, it is better to give preference to this type of tool.

The oil filter is replaced at car service stations. The service is paid. It is rational to use the service when the motorist has free time. If not, it is better to have your own removable mechanism. It is easy to make an oil filter puller with your own hands.

Making a removable assembly yourself is interesting and useful for the development of personal technical creativity. And not only. The knot is made from improvised means that have become unusable. This is where saving money comes into play.

Disadvantages for the driver

Car modifications have individual principles for attaching an oil filter. The common thing is the lack of space around them, since the layout of the power units is so compacted that it is almost impossible to “crawl” to screw the oil cup. Adhesion of rubber seals to metal should also be attributed to the difficulties.

Based on the foregoing, they conclude that for a particular engine, a “own” device or a universal puller is needed. When developing your own design, you need to focus on factory analogues of oil filter pullers sold in car dealerships.

Type of pullers

Various housing geometries require their own individual oil cleaner removers in a long line of removable tools. Their casings are made of durable metal. The surfaces are treated with special coatings that do not give rise to chemical corrosion reactions. Some glasses are equipped with plastic overhead elements, which make it easier for motorists, service station mechanics to quickly disconnect oil filters from power units.

The industry produces several types of pullers that are actively used in practice. These include:

• products where the main element is the belt;
• chain devices;
• belt pullers;
• products with special grips;
• products in the form of crab mites and so on.

You can call them universal conditionally, since you don’t have to use them for all modifications of cars.

The limitation is due to the many different engine layouts. For example, an oil filter chain puller is ideal for one brand of engine, but unsuitable for another car. Not suitable for diameter, other metric parameters. The environment for accessing oil filters for each brand of vehicle is individual. Some have a good approach to the node, others are fenced off by installed parts, partitions, and so on.

We make a do-it-yourself puller

Let's try to make a removable belt tool with our own hands. We get a universal key for unscrewing the oil filter from the engine.

To work, you need a metal blank with six faces.

They take a turnkey metal piece at 17. Saw off a 15 cm long rod from the workpiece. That is, the size that is best suited for dismantling the oil filter from the car engine. The length of the workpiece, other metric parameters, are adapted to a personal car. In this case, a universal key is obtained for subsequent work.

Rod element

The metal blank is fixed in a bench vise, a longitudinal cut is made 6 cm long. This is the maximum parameter. The cutting width is 0.5 cm. The sawn workpiece is subjected to emery treatment: burrs are removed, unnecessary pointed edges are leveled. In a word, the workpiece is turned into the main element of the puller, which is the core in a home-made design.

The tap marks the points of through drilling on the cut section of the workpiece. The distance between the points should be no more than 0.5 cm. Threads are cut on one side in the holes made in order to further strengthen the constructive removable assembly.

Using an old seat belt

For the subsequent operation, a fragment of a used automobile seat belt is searched for, a length corresponding to the diameter of the oil cleaner housing. The optimal length of the flap is 50 cm. The cut ends are melted with a blowtorch so that the flap does not unravel during operation. After all, it is an active element in the separation of the oil pump from the engine. The belt folded at the ends is squeezed into the cut. The result is a fixed loop. The holes on the belt are not pierced with a nail, but burned, since the singed threads will not fluff during the use of the device.

The final moment in creating a do-it-yourself device designed to remove the filter element from the engine will be fixing the loop material in the slot of the hexagon. It is placed on the anvil, the sawn sides are compressed with a hammer blow. After fitting the sides of the device, tighten the bolts. The material fixed between the two sides is fixed in the desired position for work.

Removing the oil filter

Homemade wrench, for removing the engine oil filter element, is ready for use. Hand-made devices are convenient and reliable to use.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• The loop is thrown over the oil filter housing;
• After that, a winding action is performed on the hexagon;
• At the moment of complete winding of the fragment on the hexagon counterclockwise, the maximum retention of the casing of the oil unit occurs. It remains to take the key to 17, put it on the hexagonal metal, start unscrewing the filter.

Their place is in the garage and in the car

Far-sighted owners of personal trucks and cars have a set of oil filter pullers. And they do the right thing. At the right time, they will come in handy for a specific case. Keep devices in garages, in special compartments of vehicles.

Surely every car owner who at least once tried to change the oil on his own faced a problem when it was impossible to unscrew. Professional car mechanics use for this oil filter pullers. Currently, there are several varieties of filter pullers, 7 main types, which are the most used.

Filter unscrewing procedure

Let's review these pullers:

Cup puller (end)

Oil filter puller “cup” refers to highly specialized tools. This fact is due to the fact that each such tool is designed to unscrew the filter of some one diameter. Accordingly, such a puller cannot be used in different situations; it is designed to work only with a filter of the same diameter and design.

Cup pullers are a design with several (8, 12, 14, 15, 30) faces. On the back of the cap there is a square recess for a universal landing key. Some manufacturers produce "cups" with a hexagonal bottom. This allows you to use the ring wrench, which in this case is included in the kit.

When buying an end puller, pay attention not only to the diameter of the cap and the number of edges, but also the size of the recess for the setting key (⅜, ½, and so on).

Oil filter puller "cup" (end)

As a rule, “cup” type oil filter pullers are sold in whole sets, in special suitcases, where keys of various diameters are arranged by numbers. This set of oil filter pullers are ideal for for use in car workshops. Often, the sets include not only end pullers, but also their other types - pliers, tape and others. Buying a set will save you a lot of money if you use the tool all the time. For example, you can buy a good set with 15-30 “cups” and corresponding keys for about 3-7 thousand rubles. While you can buy a separate puller for 300-800 rubles.

The main advantage of the oil filter cup extractor is its ease of use. The right tool never slips, which can sometimes happen with other types of pullers. Besides, "Cup" allows you to operate it in hard-to-reach places due to its compactness.

Oil filter puller “crab”

These pullers belong to the generic type., because they can be used to remove filters of different diameters. Structurally, the puller consists of two plates, which are its body, between which three grips (“paws”) are mounted. They are notched to prevent slippage on the filter surface.

Crab filter puller

The “legs” are controlled by means of a clamping mechanism, the elements of which are located in the middle of the body, as well as between the swivel mounts. To do this, use a socket or spanner wrench that interacts with a working tip that extends beyond the body.

Working with the “crab” type oil filter puller is completely identical to working with the “cup”. However, the "crab" is more versatile, because allows you to work with filters having different diameters. As a rule, the value of the diameters is in the range 60...125 mm. "Crab" is great suitable for working in confined spaces. The price of such a puller is in the range of 400-900 rubles.

Oil filter chain puller

The operation of such a puller is based on the use of a metal chain, the length of which is adjustable. With it, you can remove and install oil filters, the diameters of which are in the range 60...140 mm. Structurally, it is a handle, on which a chain is fixed at one end. It can be single-row (in most cases) or double-row. During operation, the filter is covered with a chain, its second end is fixed in the handle, in a special groove with a lock. The remaining length of the chain, if necessary, is attached to the hook on the handle body. By the way, making such a chain is not difficult.

Chain type oil filter puller

There are also pullers in the design, when the chain loop already exists, and it simply pounces on the filter for further work. Undoubted advantage of chain pullers oil filter - it reliability, durability and opportunity unscrew even heavily twisted filters.

Unfortunately, chain pullers cannot be used in tight spaces like the previous types. Indeed, to unscrew the filter, it is necessary to turn the handle of the puller, and this is not always possible. The exception is chain pullers based on a metal head. Unscrewing here is done with a socket wrench. The cost of a chain puller is 300-700 rubles.

Filter puller

Belt puller

The oil filter belt puller is similar to the chain puller in operation, but has a large range of working diameters. So, with its help, you can work with filters that have diameter 25...160 mm. The working body in this case is a belt fixed in a square steel bar. In the future, a key is thrown over it, with which the oil filter is unscrewed. The advantage of belt pullers oil filter - wide operating range, as well as the ability to work with highly twisted filters. You can buy a belt puller for 600-1000 rubles, depending on the quality, manufacturer and place of purchase.

Belt puller

Filter stripper

This is one of the simplest models. Its working mechanism is a metal or plastic tape, which enters the handle with both ends. One of them is fixed rigidly, and the second allows you to adjust the length of the tape. At the same time, the belt pullers of the oil filter have the smallest working range (about 30 mm) so their use is limited. In addition, only the muscular effort of a person is used during operation, therefore, with the help of a belt puller, sometimes it is impossible to unscrew tightly tightened filters. You can buy belt pullers for 200-600 rubles.

Plier type puller

Pliers and sickle-shaped oil filter pullers

Pliers resemble standard pliers both in appearance and in the method of working with them. They are a design of two working sponges with corresponding notches, as well as two handles. Sickle-shaped have one handle and two working jaws, one of which is adjustable. Accordingly, they can easy to grab and unscrew filter. The advantages of these designs include the simplicity of the design. Disadvantages - inability to unscrew heavily twisted filters and work in hard-to-reach places. The cost of pincer-shaped pullers is in the range of 500-900 rubles, and sickle-shaped - 200-600 rubles.

Top 5 Most Popular Oil Filter Pullers

What is the best oil filter remover?

As practice shows, it is most convenient to use “cups” and "crabs". They allow you to work in confined spaces. Therefore, these types of filter pullers are considered the best. In second place are chain, belt and tape pullers. They are universal, but with their help it is impossible to work in places where there is no free space. In addition, they can be used to unscrew heavily twisted filters. And finally, the simplest are pincer and sickle-shaped pullers. They are inexpensive, but have a lot of drawbacks. In particular, they are limited in diameter, and it is also impossible to unscrew strongly twisted filters with their help.

Conclusion

The choice of oil filter puller should be based on the operating conditions. As mentioned above, if you are the owner of one or more cars, then it makes sense for you to purchase the appropriate pullers for them. If you work in a car repair shop or provide repair services on an ongoing basis, then the ideal option for you is to purchase a set of pullers.