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HELP! Cannot remove oil filter nipple!


BlueStag

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OK, now I am screwed.

 

For those following my little saga, I swapped a Z drivetrain into my Stag some many years ago.

 

When I bought my house, the stag went up on stands for near-on a decade.    When I tried to remove my oil filter it was frozen to the nipple; it had gauled itself to the nipple.

 

When I removed it it left all sorts of metal in the threads, and running a die over it accomplished nothing.

 

I recently bought a new nipple for a swap out.

 

Now I cannot budge the dratted original one out of the block, and of course have thrashed the threads: there will be no running a filter back on that one.

 

I have some pretty big tools to grab the damned thing, but it is not budging.

 

Thoughts?

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First give it a hard tap with a hamer to strech the thred ,  one good hit should do it ,, then heat it and quench it with water then it should undo  , i have 2 nuts i lock together on them to get them out but if there is no thred , you can cut a slot in it with a grinder and use a flat peace of steal to drive it

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If I don't have it out by Monday I'll take it to a shop and they can weld a bolt to it.....

 

Stuff it down the bore and weld it but good and then get an air wrench on the blasted thing.

 

My shop is good about those sorts of things.    They tend to charge less the more interesting the problem is.

 

Anyone near Burbank CA would be well advised to know them: Tyerman's on Magnolia.

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First give it a hard tap with a hamer to strech the thred ,  one good hit should do it ,, then heat it and quench it with water then it should undo  , i have 2 nuts i lock together on them to get them out but if there is no thred , you can cut a slot in it with a grinder and use a flat peace of steal to drive it

 

And do you think there is any chance the oil residue will ignite if a torch is presented to it?

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I probably would have suggested the welding a nut thing. Or go buy  a huge pair of locking pliers from harbor freight.

Still not a lot of room.    I had to fabricate a pair of engine to mount adapters back in the day.   The one just ahead of the oil filter also has a big lug to assist in hoisting the engine in and out.

 

I'm pretty sure this is going to come down to stuffing a bolt down the center of the existing nipple and welding it in place....

 

Although I will be applying some heat from my heat gun and whacking it.

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Rather than welding, can you drill a bolt for a set screw or shear pin and then drill the nipple for a corresponding hole? That would allow you to pin the bolt in place and get a socket on the end.

Edited by ctc
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The pipe wrench you've used did it slip?  I would think that would be your saving grace here.  A good pipe wrench should bite on that enough to wring it off given enough force is applied.  If not maybe drill a hole through the nipple and insert a punch or something through the hole and hit it with a hammer.

Edited by motomanmike
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Rather than welding, can you drill a bolt for a set screw or shear pin and then drill the nipple for a corresponding hole? That would allow you to pin the bolt in place and get a socket on the end.

 

A good idea but there is not a very good angle of attack.

 

And I don't want to be creating lots of metal shavings, this engine is installed and I don't want to take it out and hot tank it!

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The pipe wrench you've used did it slip?  I would think that would be your saving grace here.  A good pipe wrench should bite on that enough to wring it off given enough force is applied.  If not maybe drill a hole through the nipple and insert a punch or something through the hole and hit it with a hammer.

 

Yes, the pipe wrench did not bite.    I'm an electrician but I have done enough plumbing to be able to work a pipe wrench, I'm gonna say the blasted thing in in there but tight.

 

I'm sure that anything like a punch would just snap.

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HEAT.

 

HEAT.

 

and more

 

HEAT.

 

I am inclined to agree, but open flames concern me, and the block is one enormous heat sink, I don't think even the largest heat gun is going to deliver heat as fast as the block can draw it away.

Edited by BlueStag
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Extractor.

They make extractors that will do this job. Harbor freight has a cheap set. I would suggest a high quality one. Maybe hit ACE hardware and find the Irwin brand. Its called "pipe extractor".

Smash it into the threaded pipe opening where the oil flows. Use a ratchet to get it out.  No threads required.

 

I think a good extractor will cost a whopping $20 at a hardware store. They have really expensive ones too.

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I am inclined to agree, but open flames concern me, and the block is one enormous heat sink, I don't think even the largest heat gun is going to deliver heat as fast as the block can draw it away.

 

 

Get a MAPP torch from Home Depot, and while your there, grab a small fire extinguisher! The real trick is quenching the nipple with cold water once you get it hot. Your right in thinking that the block will act as a huge heat sink, but with the surrounding metal hot, and then quenching the nipple, you should get some action. 

 

I totally understand your fear of the flammable, but any residual oil will burn off quickly. Just keep the flame away from gasoline! The fire extinguisher is always a useful piece of mind when dealing with open flames too. 

 

Alternatively, if you can easily weld a nut on there, that is a pro way to get it out!

 

Good luck!

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Get a MAPP torch from Home Depot, and while your there, grab a small fire extinguisher! The real trick is quenching the nipple with cold water once you get it hot. Your right in thinking that the block will act as a huge heat sink, but with the surrounding metal hot, and then quenching the nipple, you should get some action. 

 

I totally understand your fear of the flammable, but any residual oil will burn off quickly. Just keep the flame away from gasoline! The fire extinguisher is always a useful piece of mind when dealing with open flames too. 

 

Alternatively, if you can easily weld a nut on there, that is a pro way to get it out!

 

Good luck!

 

Yeah, my MAPP torch was not going to get the job done, I am nearly sure an experienced welder with an OxyAct rig would be required to get enough heat going.

 

I'll have it at the shop soon enough.    I would not be surprised to see them pull out an 18" vice grip and wrench it right off.

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$110 later, Tyermans has extracted my oil filter nipple.

 

With an enormous extractor.    I have a standard set, I can pull broken bolts and studs, but nothing like this.

 

And it took LOTS of torque.    Valentine (the mechanic) busted his knuckles and bled on the project.

 

The automotive gods were slaked.

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