Had the Surf about three months now, so decided to change the air, fuel, & oil filters, as well as the oil today.
Drained the oil, then went to undo the oil filter, wouldn't budge.
Got the oil strap out, wouldn't budge.
Gradually worked my way down my list of carefully honed "next bodge method" acquired over the years:
- screwdriver through top of filter used as Tommy bar
- blunt wood chisel on rim of filter
- screwdriver on same
- waterpump pliers, mole grips, etc
...Eventually had to tear the outer metal from can piece by piece with pliers & cutters (I didn't use a hacksaw as i didn't want any swarf getting into the engine), so as to be left with mostly the base of the filter, so I could put a pair of long nose pliers through the base, oversleeve the handles with 2 x 2ft lengths of dexion (the square section stuff), then use a 4ft length of dexion as a lever to twist the whole lot off, and it still broke my pliers.
All in all, 5 1/2 hours for what is normally a 1/2 hour job. In 30 years of servicing my own bikes, cars, and boats, I have never had such a hard time with a filter.
As I was in a bad mood by then, I just carried on with the fuel filter, a bit better, but not much: still spent 30 mins on my hands and knees with 2 pairs of stillsons chasing the unit round my garage floor.
Judging by the corrosion on the fuel filter, and the way the paper in the oil filter element turned to dust in my hands, I'd almost say that neither of these had ever been changed.
But filled up with semi-synth, and all the startup rattles have gone!
Drained the oil, then went to undo the oil filter, wouldn't budge.
Got the oil strap out, wouldn't budge.
Gradually worked my way down my list of carefully honed "next bodge method" acquired over the years:
- screwdriver through top of filter used as Tommy bar
- blunt wood chisel on rim of filter
- screwdriver on same
- waterpump pliers, mole grips, etc
...Eventually had to tear the outer metal from can piece by piece with pliers & cutters (I didn't use a hacksaw as i didn't want any swarf getting into the engine), so as to be left with mostly the base of the filter, so I could put a pair of long nose pliers through the base, oversleeve the handles with 2 x 2ft lengths of dexion (the square section stuff), then use a 4ft length of dexion as a lever to twist the whole lot off, and it still broke my pliers.
All in all, 5 1/2 hours for what is normally a 1/2 hour job. In 30 years of servicing my own bikes, cars, and boats, I have never had such a hard time with a filter.
As I was in a bad mood by then, I just carried on with the fuel filter, a bit better, but not much: still spent 30 mins on my hands and knees with 2 pairs of stillsons chasing the unit round my garage floor.
Judging by the corrosion on the fuel filter, and the way the paper in the oil filter element turned to dust in my hands, I'd almost say that neither of these had ever been changed.
But filled up with semi-synth, and all the startup rattles have gone!
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