Oil Filter

[dipstick]

Upon changing the oil in my 97 540 i I found that I cannot get the plastic filter canister cap loose. I have used a torque wrench with a backup on the canister and cannot budge it. I found that the mounts on the canister had been broken as well, so I suspect the BMW shop that was servicing this had the same problem and may not have been changing the fliter. I was wondering to loosen the cap is it the standard counter clockwise? Any other suggestions appreciated before I buy an new assembly.

[Kalevera]

Upon changing the oil in my 97 540 i I found that I cannot get the plastic filter canister cap loose. I have used a torque wrench with a backup on the canister and cannot budge it. I found that the mounts on the canister had been broken as well, so I suspect the BMW shop that was servicing this had the same problem and may not have been changing the fliter. I was wondering to loosen the cap is it the standard counter clockwise? Any other suggestions appreciated before I buy an new assembly.

Torque wrench to remove the cap?! Aye.

Alrighty. Well, that's a MAX 25nm cap. It doesn't need much of anything to get it firmly in place; no doubt I'd be suspecting the monkey who last changed your oil, as well.

The mounts breaking is a relatively common M62 issue. Sure, you can replace them or leave them broken (the filter's not going anywhere). They break because people exert a lot of effort on the cap...usually in undoing it.

Get a decent 36mm wrench on it and see what can be done. Using a torque wrench to remove something isn't really that efficient.

best, whit

[SRR2]

You might try another trick I sometimes use: a small impact wrench (something like 100 lb-ft max) can be just the ticket for stubborn, hard to hold fasteners. Good example is the nut that holds the fan on alternator shafts. They're usually pretty tight/stuck on, and even though you can get a wrench on them, holding the sheetmetal fan is problematic because it is pretty easy to bend as you're applying the necessary force to the nut. Well, with the impact wrench you can use one hand for the wrench and easily hold the fan with the other. The torque impacts quickly dislodge the recalcitrant nuts, and the fan is never in any danger of being bent. I wouldn't hesitate to use the same approach on the oil filter lid.