What Size Oil Filter Wrench

Do yous know that every auto needs an oil filter to keep the engine functional and durable? This item is pocket-size, merely information technology keeps your machine engine alive and reliable.

If you're new to car engines, y'all tin can find this component as well the car engine cake. Even though it appears idle, an oil filter protects your engine from impurities in engine oils.

Perchance you didn't know, just engine oils are unremarkably filled with clay and droppings that can damage your car engine bearings. When that happens, at that place'll be low oil force per unit area on your engine, which is very bad.

Information technology destroys the auto engine and makes your life miserable. Yous may spend a lot trying to fix the engine or even have to replace it entirely. That's how of import an oil filter is to your car.

Now, the question is, how practice you brand sure that your oil filter works all the time? By changing it from fourth dimension using an oil filter wrench. Right now, there are dissimilar types and sizes of oil filter wrenches in the market.

It gets confusing when you want to pick ane for your oil filter. Let's encounter how we can change all that past showing you to cull the best fit.

Contents

What Is an Oil Filter Wrench and What Does It Do?
The Different Sizes of Oil Filter Wrenches
1. The 3/4"
2. The thirteen/16"
3. The vii/8"
4. The ane-Inch
5. The 15/16"
How to Choose the Right Size Oil Filter Wrench
Type of Oil Filter Wrenches
1. Metal band oil filter wrench
2. End Cap/ Socket filter wrench
3. Chain Loop oil filter wrench
4. Hook Wrench
5. Strap Oil filter wrench
6. Pliers
How to Choose the Correct Oil Filter Wrench
Determination

What Is an Oil Filter Wrench and What Does It Do?

An oil filter wrench is a special type of adjustable wrench used to loosen and tighten the top of an automobile's oil filter cartridge. This allows for removal and replacement of an old or chock-full filter with a new i, allowing the engine to once once again filter its own oil supply properly. Oil filter wrenches tin almost always be found free at auto part stores such as Kmart, Advance Auto Parts, Autozone, Pep Boys and other similar businesses that sell auto parts. Most modern automobiles require that this device come in several different sizes to fit on various types of filters that they may use. However, most will take at least three carve up sizes on hand, normally designated "small", "medium" and "big". Although there are just three main sizes, other measurements are besides used to designate the circumference of the filter.

Oil filters demand to be replaced every few thousand miles depending on how often you bulldoze your car and how hard it is driven. If oil runs dirty or if at that place is any sign that something may be wrong with the oil supply inside of your engine, then it's time to replace your current oil filter with a new ane. Some newer cars will have both an "inline" oil filter every bit well as a cartridge style filter for specific areas of different vehicle engines such equally timing belts, transmissions and auxiliary motor components. These cases crave both a special wrench and a special socket to remove them from their housing location. Nevertheless, nigh automobiles only apply cartridge manner filters which may be removed and replaced every bit needed.

The Different Sizes of Oil Filter Wrenches

The iii/four"

These wrenches piece of work with standard four-sided spin on oil filters only, not the bypass filters that are used with our Ford engines. For Ford trucks, the 5/8" wrench is often too large to fit around the small filter canister. The best size for this vehicle is usually the 3/4". If you lot have a Ford truck or SUV older than 1998, in that location is a very good chance your oil filter falls into this category.

The xiii/16"

The adjacent size up is the 13/16". They are used more ofttimes on some of our GM vehicles. The oil filter canister is usually more than squared off than with a Ford or Dodge, then they use this larger size more. This wrench will fit effectually nigh filters, even some of the larger capacity ones, besides known as High Flow.

The 7/8"

Next upward is the 7/eight" wrench which fits effectually even the larger capacity filters like our Dodge trucks, and some of the V8 engines that used them such as our classic Corvette's and Viper engine. Fords also use this size but it isn't as common. Many pocket-sized cars will require either a v/8" or seven/viii" wrench.

The one-Inch

The 1-inch size is used more often than not on engines with larger oil filter canisters, such equally some of our V6's and V8'south that take the filters mounted on pinnacle of the engine away from the forepart. The Buick 3800 serial engines are a common example forth with some four.6L, 5.4L and 6.8L Ford engines besides. You can run into in the photograph that this wrench is super large compared to the residuum of them, and then it has a lot of leverage when yous are using it on these filters.

The fifteen/16"

The concluding size is the 15/16" which is used on most of our Chrysler products including some Dodges with V8's, four.7L V8'south up to 2011 models with VVT (variable valve timing) in engines like our new Hemi trucks. It isn't very mutual only I've included information technology for reference here in instance yous happen across an awarding where yous demand one of these wrenches for this blazon filter.

Of course there are many other oil filter types out in that location like the spin on (behind engine), cartridge type (front of engine) which uses a different style of wrench, and some other unconventional models. I haven't included any pictures here but they are pretty easy to find on Google or Bing if needed.

How to Choose the Right Size Oil Filter Wrench

We've all been there...struggling to remove an oil filter for what seems like hours, merely to find out that your wrench isn't the right size. I e'er institute information technology to exist much easier when I had a second person helping me, especially if they are taller than y'all. Y'all can take them hold the wrench in place while you piece of work the oil filter off with your hands.

It can exist very frustrating to go the right wrench for the job. Some people spend countless hours at their local auto parts store, trying to find simply the correct tool, but to settle on something that may or may not work. I ended up having to brand my own...and it works perfectly every time.

The first thing to exercise is go online and find a movie of your verbal oil filter. You can typically find them by searching "<YOUR VEHICLE> oil filter".For instance, Ac Delco PF2127 oil filter, which happens to be used on the Chevrolet Corvette C6.

You may call up y'all have a wrench that fits, but it is all-time to compare your electric current filter wrench to the online film. This will ensure that you go an oil filter wrench that properly fits your filter and make removal much easier in the future. Every bit you can see in the paradigm below, I was able to find a wrench (top) that fits perfectly.

Since you are doing this for hereafter reference, I would suggest printing the image of your specific filter out and so you can easily refer to it when trying to purchase an oil filter wrench in the futurity. If all else fails, you should be able to find the right size by contacting your local automobile parts store or mechanic.

Type of Oil Filter Wrenches

Car engines don't come up with a one-size-fits-all oil filter. Each car has its own unique filter, depending on the manufacturer every bit well. That's why y'all will never use i type of oil filter wrench for every kind of car.

When it comes to wrenches, here're the bachelor types in the industry.

1. Metal band oil filter wrench

This type of wrench has a potent metallic band attached to both of its ends to the handle. This band is what yous place around the oil filter and turn the handle in an anticlockwise management. The tension from the turning will cause the wrench to grip the oil filter for an effortless extraction.

The design of this wrench makes it a good choice for oil filters in tough or complicated spots. With its handle and pivoting adjustment swivel, it makes oil filter replacements easy.

2. End Cap/ Socket filter wrench

The shape of this oil filter wrench is like that of a socket. It uses a plastic or metal cup to get the job done. All you need to do is to identify the cap on the end to your oil filter to engage the knurling.

Then use the wrench to loosen the oil filter. The types of filters uniform with this type of wrench are those found in the engines of BMW cars and Volkswagen Grouping.

three. Chain Loop oil filter wrench

But like the name implies, this wrench works with the loop of the concatenation, which you'll place around an oil filter. In one case you've done that, you turn the bar in an anticlockwise direction.

This volition make the chain wrap around the oil filter. Later, y'all can use an adjustable spanner or socket wrench to turn the bar the aforementioned style you lot did before to finally remove the filter.

4. Hook Wrench

This is another type of wrench in the market. Information technology has 3 geared metallic prongs, twin jaw plates, and two clamping legs. It too has a 3/eight inches ratchet driver, which is turned anticlockwise to accomplish a difficult clench on the filter body. If you have tight filters, this is the wrench to use.

Moreover, if the position of the filter is more complicated than what the concatenation and strap wrench can remove, use this hook wrench. It works amend where others fail.

5. Strap Oil filter wrench

This type of wrench fits large vehicles such equally pickup trucks, SUVs, and others. These cars use broad oil filters, and strap wrenches go far easy to remove the filters someday.

vi. Pliers

These pliers are designed with a double handle that allows users to remove oil filters without stress. The pliers are fabricated with potent steel to ensure extra immovability.

These tools come in different sizes ranging from 3 inches to v/8 inches. These pliers are suitable for dissimilar oil filter sizes from two inches-15/sixteen or 3-5/8 inches. If the oil filters are large up to 4-1/two or v-3/4 inches, yous tin can get larger pliers for them.

How to Choose the Correct Oil Filter Wrench

In that location are three things to consider when y'all want to cull the correct size of an oil filter wrench.

The model of your car
The size of the filter
The space effectually it in the car engine
How tight the oil filter is in its position

Some cars take a specific model of wrench that works for its oil filter. Information technology is simpler to look for that model, especially if you need a wrench for one particular car. Simply if you take many cars and you lot want a wrench for all, you might need to get a universal wrench.

Some of the wrenches in that category include the strap wrench, swivel-grip wrench, or pliers. Also, don't forget to get an adjustable wrench because you tin can set it to fit every size of the oil filter.

When information technology comes to size, information technology's easy to decide the right size if yous're using a socket or cup wrench. The simplest method is to get the oil filter specification and look for the right size for it. In one case you lot become the information, you can buy the size to match it. Merely if you lot tin can't discover the specifications, do the following:

Count the number of flutes on the cap of your oil filter
Mensurate your oil filter from i border to the other edge
Become the oil filter cap wrench that has the aforementioned number of flutes but let the inner bore of the cap exist bigger than the oil filter cap.

That's for determining the size of the wrench if you lot're using a socket wrench blazon. Equally for oil filters in cramped spaces, use a socket wrench too or a spider-type of a wrench. But if infinite is not a problem, get any wrench you have and get the job done.

Simple tips to getting the correct sizes

Try different types of oil filter wrenches to determine the best fit.
Choose a universal oil filter wrench if you lot have more than one vehicle.
Adaptable wrenches are suitable for most types of oil filters.

Determination

If you want your vehicle to function all the time, the engine must be in perfect condition. One of the means to be certain of that is by keeping the engine oil gratis from impurities.

Since your oil filter does that for you, brand certain that you alter it from time to time to avoid problems. With the right oil filter wrench, yous can do it without a mechanic.

We've shown you the types available and how to get the right size for your oil filter. Make sure yous always modify your oil filter to keep your vehicle fully operational.