That darned oil filter!

Back in September of 2008 I wrote the most visited blog that I have written.  It was about changing the oil in my Honda Outboard Engine.  When I look at my hit stats, this single blog continues to be searched out more than any other in this site.

So again today I was back changing the oil in my Honda outboard because it is September again, and we never put enough hours on the engine in a single year to change it more often than annually.

But as easily as I explained the change back in the old blog, that didn't happen today.  First of all I had left my collapsing oil filter wrench at home, but I did have the plastic cap style wrench that goes on a socket ratchet here so I started with it.

No dice, the socket just spun on the bottom of the tight filter.  I tried the claw style with the opposing thumb but it wouldn't fit.  I had stopped by the local O Reily auto parts store hoping to find the collapsing claw, but to no avail.

I had purchased the collapsing claw style at Auto Zone, so I looked it up on the internet and found a store in Jefferson City, about 40 miles North of here.  Missouri's Capitol.  So I said what the heck and headed out that way.  I drove right to the store based on its address, and they had exactly what I wanted.

When you put your 3/8ths ratchet into the square center, the arms collapse against the side of the filter and grip it ever tighter as you apply pressure.  40 minutes later I was back home.  But with my prize wrench, I still couldn't get the filter to move.  It kept slipping.......

I went back to the local autoparts store to see what else might work.  But as I was gone, my son Chris came back home and took up the job where I had left off.  Since he is 20 plus years younger than myself, he was able to apply much more gripping pressure around the wrench as he ratcheted and got it to move.

Evidently I used way too much pressure on the filter last year when putting it back on, and the heat from the engine cooked it into place firmly.  And this time Chris badgered me into not tightening it down so much, making sure he could move it by hand when we were finished.  I'll bet it will still be a bear next year too.

The rest of the day was family time and we did go out on a pontoon ride after the oil was done being changed.

The gals made Taco Pie for supper tonight, and that was a big hit.  Tomorrow will be time to head back home, another holiday weekend in the books.

Retired Rod