From the first looks of things, you wouldn’t think that a standard issue oil filter strap wrench—the kind that’s ubiquitous in oil change shops and repair centers everywhere—could be used to decapitate someone. But things get kinda crazy when one of the wrenches is being used to try to remove an oil filter. One that seems like it’s held in place with a mixture of cement and industrial epoxy.
In a clip from TikTok creator @s-tire, we learn quickly. When the strap that’s intended to loosen the stubborn oil filter from a GMC pickup truck experiences too much torque it will snap.
“It broke the metal strap on the oil filter wrench, and it almost took my head off. Yeah, I’d say it’s pretty tight,” he voices over. We see a slow-motion replay of the wrench succumbing to the stress.
The unnamed oil filter wrench attack survivor, who appears to work for City Tire & Auto in Batesville, Mississippi, then lets one of his repair tech cohorts have a try at taking off the filter.
The first few turns with what we assume was a more sturdy wrench don’t do much but crush and twist the metal outer casing of the filter, which doesn’t budge one bit. Our narrator then asks viewers what they think could cause a normally easy-to-replace part to become so impossibly affixed to the vehicle.
Why do oil filters get stuck in place? And how do you get them loose?
A little bit of research yielded the following possible causes for an oil filter to become stuck in place:
Overtightening. Using too much force when tightening the filter. This can put too much pressure on the gasket and threads, making it difficult to remove.
Heat and time. The heat from the engine can cause the gasket material to harden and bond with the engine block or filter housing.
Corrosion. Rust on the filter’s threads or mounting base can cause it to seize.
O-ring sticking. If you don’t apply a thin layer of fresh oil around the O-ring when removing the filter, it can stick.
The struggle concludes thankfully. The wrench turner fits the tool as high against the threaded portion of the filter as possible. This increases the direct force on the threading holding it in place instead of on the external casing. While the whole vehicle responds and shifts against the force at first, with a couple more turns the part comes free, causing our narrator to remark sarcastically, “Easy money.”
Stuck oil filters are apparently more common than we’d at first thank, based on comments on the clip. More than one advised some equivalent of “Hammer a screwdriver into it and turn it.” It seems like that method could go really bad if it weren’t successful.
Another seemed a little bit of a know-it-all: “drives me nuts watching people trying to strap wrench it from the bottom,” exhibiting not one bit of empathy or concern for another person put in harm’s way.
@shittytire #cars #trucks #carsoftiktok #trucksoftiktok #trucktok #cartok #oilchange #mechanic #mechaniclife #shop #shoplife #tireshop #cartroubles #gmc ♬ original sound – shittytire
And in a cultural time stamp another wrote: “No hawk tua when it went on!!!”
The Daily Dot reached out to City Tire & Auto by phone.
