81corolla

I am trying to find a good universal oil filter wrench for my RX300 and it's proving to be difficult.
This is my first oil change on my 2000 rx300 and I want the right tool for the job.

I found the typical #4 end wrench that fits over the top of the filter. It's fine for Mobil 1, Bosch or any filter with 16 "hex" edges (hex is a misnomer, I know.) Yet some filters don't have the "hex" edges so a loop wrench will do better with those.

Granted, I hope to do all future oil changes myself (this will be my first) yet if some shop does use a filter w/o the hex edges I don't want to have to run out for another wrench. Hence the "universal" adjective in my search.

I did find a wrench that loops around the filter and has the 3/8" socket in the end. Perfect, except it only loosens - arg! On my old car I just hand tightened the new filter. But because this filter is such a PIA to reach, I'm not sure how much grip I'll get on it and want to be able to cinch it up a *little* with the wrench.

I could buy both wrenches ($5 & $6) but do I really need to/two?

If you can post ideas on where to shop or what wrench will do the job I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Sam

salimshah

IMHO the filter should not need a wrench to tighten and it should come off without a wrench. But I do have to reach for one to undo it. I have a metal band that goes around the filter and use couple of wraps of mesh sand-paper used for smoothening out sheet-rock. To tighten face the filter and then 3/4 turn. If you think it needs more, then study the O ring on the oem filter ... it is very thin and needs very little squeeze.

Tip: drain the oil when engine is warm. Let the exhaust cool down before attempting to reach the filter.

Salim

shawnst

Agreed. I never use filter wrench when I change oil for my RX300. Actually I was trying to buy one and couldn't find the right size. So I just tried using my bare hands. As long as you have good grip on the filter, you should be able to loosen it (if it's installed correctly) and tighten it.