HELLLLLPP!! Oil filter disaster 440/1.9 TD

[rustyold440]

Update from after a couple of hours knuckle grazing.

Those clips on the water cooler pipes... they are not normal jubilee clips with screws are they?? Oh, no that would be too easy. Nope they are the fit-once-and-forget type. Great, so that didn't go so well. After trying to get the damn things off by keyhole surgery through the grill, they mangled. I tried to hacksaw but, again with keyhole surgery, it is nigh on impossible. Eventually after two hours fruitless fighting with these stupid clips, I sliced straight through both pipes with a stanley knife, I can always join new ones on if I ever get to the re-assembly stage.

I made my wooden filterbase extraction tool, which worked very well. Unfortunately it does get a good grip on whats left of the filter. Enough to twist the whole lot, oil cooler as well until it hit the sensor at 11' oclock and would turn no more.

So sprayed in some WD40 and broke out the sockets to remove the sensor. I have two long reach sockets, neither of which fit.

Is nothing straightforward on this garlic-ruined heap of an engine ? If I get the sensor out will it just hit the bracket at 7'o clock and give me more work to do? I've given up for now, as I would like to be left with some weekend.

Seriously considering having the whole thing towed away and out of my sight. NOT pleased with how my small service is turning out!!

[rustyold440]

Does anyone happen to know what the sensor is or what size deep reach socket I'm likely to have to go out and buy perchance?

[Chris1Roll]

You should be able to get it off with a ring spanner - I know I have before - although it does depend on the positions of the points in the spanner!
Even if you can't turn it, it will tell you what size it is. I cant remember now as I've changed them all for oil pressure sensors (rather than the switch) and fitted guages and a normal socket will work.

ETA the sensor is the oil pressure switch - for the warning light on the dash.

[Chris1Roll]

Hmm, now that the cooler is butted up against the sensor thus stopping that from turning, can't you try heaving on your removal tool to undo just the filter? If the filter will come undone like that you can then just screw the cooler back up again.

With regard to the single use clips, small screwdriver in through the loop, lever it out as far as possible (this will mangle it up) then get a pair of pliers on it and twist it back and forth until it snaps. the catch hold one end with your pliers and yank it off. Replace with real ones.

[rustyold440]

yeah, I did try to get the filter off of the cooler unit, but no amount of heaving could shift it. the screws began to bend out, and the veins in my forhead were nearing rupture. There just seems to be no way its coming off without the vice/grinder combo.

Does the fact the oil cooler is unscrewing from the block mean that a gasket behind it is likely to be damaged? I assumed if I'd been twisting it around then I'd probably shot the gasket so it needs to come off.

IMO its a really dumb design to have an oil filter which removes by unscrewing anticlockwise mounted on a cooler which also removes by unscrewing anticlockwise, but then se la vie, cest merde, non?

My theory is PO saw oil leaks there which are probably the gasket between the oil cooler and block, every time oil was seen seeping out he did it up some more.

[Timbo_1975]

Can you not remove the oil cooler unit from the engine with remnants of filter attached, and then either attack it in a vice after, or replace the cooler with a used / new one?? (plus new oil filter hand tightened)

tim..

[Chris1Roll]

Grinder, trim the cooler all around till it will turn freely, get a second hand one.
The mating faces of the cooler and bloack are the same diameter as the oil filter/cooler (as you can get them without the oil cooler) do yuo've got less chance of accidentally cutting into that.

Desperate times - desperate measures!



You might well need a new gasket/seal - hadn't thought of that.

[rustyold440]

Chris, just also saw your other post about the ring spanner. I did look at the situation for getting a ring spanner in, surfice it to say I'm not even sure I could get one on it, let alone turn it. I will try waving some spanners at it, just for sizeing, but I'm fairly certain that I'm going to need a long reach socket with access as it is, its rusty so it will need some welly.

There is a hoooge mas of complicated wirey cabley pipey nonsense on top of the block, annoyingly overhanging the bit I need to get at. I'm not sure what this is as I only really have worked on petrol cars until this. Is it the turbo? looks v. involved to remove.

[Chris1Roll]

Ahh, that'll all be for the fuel pump and wiring for the immobiliser if you have one.

(the turbo is on the exhaust-looks like a snail.)

Its not too bad to remove, but if your not confident...

If you label exaclty where everything comes from and perhaps take some pics to remind you.


ETA don't remove any unions on the pump, I can't think it would benefit you if you did, but if you do you've got to prime the system when you put it back together before the car will run.. Not the end of the world but another job to deal with!

[rustyold440]

yes, this one does have an imobiliser, and just about every other toy, there are a couple of cables which I assume to be related to the throttle, a mass of pipework, a bracket retaining something boxy, and various hoses, plus some non-flexy hoses. It looks hidiously complicated

It MUST screw off when I've got the sensor out surely... my plan is to get the sensor off, and try to turn it with my wooden tool again. Hopefully it will clear other obstacles around it and screw out the cooler and remnants of the filter, so I can look at it properly out of the car.