Harley Davidson Forums

General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

DIY oil filter wrench you can (probably) make for free!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 19, 2014 | 01:37 PM
Share
  #1  
supermanotorious's Avatar
supermanotorious
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ
Default DIY oil filter wrench you can (probably) make for free!
I've been putting off "our" first oil change for some time, daughter was sick today so I got her from school and started toolin'. I watched a couple quick 'how to' videos, got my oil and filter and got home only to realize I had no wrench. After some searching this forum for a DIY wrench I found none but was inspired by a wrench avail for retail. I made my own version with some old square tube metal, 2 screws, and a busted ratchet strap I cut to size, didn't cost me a penny and did excellent, FOR HD's SAKE, STICKY THIS ONE!!
 
Attached Thumbnails DIY oil filter wrench you can (probably) make for free!-007.jpg  
Old Feb 19, 2014 | 01:55 PM
Share
  #2  
aces25's Avatar
aces25
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 785
Likes: 2
From: SE TN
Default
Cool to see you made your own, but a strap wrench is cheap and does the same thing. And a strap wrench doesn't make life easy if the filter is overtightened.
 
Old Feb 19, 2014 | 03:12 PM
Share
  #3  
Rdgray's Avatar
Rdgray
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 756
Likes: 2
From: Virginia
Default
I agree nice that you improvised, but strap wrenches are only good for light duty. I've removed 100's of oil filters and have had some that are really rough to get off with the proper tool. I'm sure it will help someone in a pinch though.
 
Old Feb 19, 2014 | 05:36 PM
Share
  #4  
wwiiavfan's Avatar
wwiiavfan
Stellar HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,441
Likes: 1,654
From: Wisconsin
Default
Originally Posted by Rdgray
some that are really rough to get off with the proper tool.
Yup. Even had to go to the "last resort" a time or two --driving a screwdriver through the filter to turn it off. Messy bugger, though.
 
Old Feb 19, 2014 | 05:55 PM
Share
  #5  
supermanotorious's Avatar
supermanotorious
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ
Default
Well this is still a great idea for many people, most of those threads I came across indicated almost everyone's filter was installed too tightly, destroying the old one (with screwdriver) is fine since its dumpster bound and down lol. This setup will help all install and remove the next one since they'll give it a better range of "tight"
 
Old Feb 19, 2014 | 09:08 PM
Share
  #6  
lowend73's Avatar
lowend73
Tourer
Veteran: Navy
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 455
Likes: 38
From: San Diego
Default
Did my oil change a couple weeks ago when I hit the 5000 mile mark(well, a little over). 1000 mile was done at the Dealership. Why in the hell do they feel the need to crank the oil filter down?
 
Old Feb 20, 2014 | 09:11 AM
Share
  #7  
acunn1's Avatar
acunn1
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 659
Likes: 1
From: Marlton NJ
Default
Instead of a nylon web strap strap wrench... I would use a rubber strap one. The rubber seems to grip tighter.
 

Trending Topics

Old Feb 20, 2014 | 12:37 PM
Share
  #8  
supermanotorious's Avatar
supermanotorious
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ
Default
maybe that could be made from an old serpentine belt, and if I were to modify my design, I would use round stock or pipe, and flatten the end to get a wrench or socket on, in my design however, my large adjustable wrench did the trick
 
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

10 Most Awkward-Looking Motorcycles Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-8

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Feb 21, 2014 | 11:44 AM
Share
  #9  
jsvt184's Avatar
jsvt184
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 0
From: Vermont
Default
Get a K & N. It has a nut on the end.
 
Old Feb 21, 2014 | 12:00 PM
Share
  #10  
Misbehaven's Avatar
Misbehaven
Elite HDF Member
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Liked
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,501
Likes: 26
From: Sheboygan,Wi
Default
+1 on the K&N filters. Never had an issue getting one off.
 



Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:01 AM.

story-0
10 Most Awkward-Looking Motorcycles Ever Built

Slideshow: Not every motorcycle can be a design icon, and these machines prove that bold styling doesn't always age gracefully.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-12 11:58:41


VIEW MORE
story-1
Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-10 17:18:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 18:28:05


VIEW MORE
story-3
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-4
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-5
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-8
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-9
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE