Oil cap ...Wth

how about a strap wrench?

 

try pm'ing mendel leisk. he's the oil change king.

 

From what I can see, that tool would still work?

As long as the flats can grip the corresponding flats on the oil filter housing. Maybe put a single layer of masking tape on the filter housing to fill out any looseness between tool and housing?

 

Try the strap wrench again, but first clean the cap real good, then wet it, then dust it with pumice, and then put the strap on and give it a go. Hopefully will budge.

I'd give the service department a blast too. I'm the only one (besides factory) to install ours, always torqued to specd value (18 ft/lb), never any problem with the subsequent removal. I'm using a simple Honda filter socket, happens to be same size.

 

I keep thinking of this:

 

love it. i'll try that next time. unless you have the other end of the 'bat phone'.

 

You need this, with a 24mm socket and a 1/2 breaker bar. The strap wrench won't do crap to that over torque oil filter housing. Breaker bar is the best thing you will ever have, the more leverage you have, the better the torque you have in removing that filter housing.

 

You need the same 800 pound gorilla who tightened it in the first place, to take it off!

 

Likely a regular guy with a motorized wrench, under the gun to finish fast.

 

From the title of this thread, I initially assumed it referred to the oil cap on the fill hole on top of the engine. That oil cap evidently had been installed by the proverbial 800-pound gorilla before I bought my "certified" Prius. I had to use pliers to loosen it.

At a subsequent visit to the dealership, the parts guy (How would he know?) told me they don't overtighten oil filter caps. I'll soon find out whether he was telling the truth, as I plan to change the oil myself for the first time on this car by next weekend.

 

I'm using a 1/2" drive ratchet wrench with a handle around 17"~18" long, with a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter, then a 6" extension, then the (aforementioned) Honda stamped-steel oil filter socket, which happens to be the same dimensions. Never any problems, since it's never over-torqued, but still I wonder: if it's that over-torqued, is it gonna just round the faces and/or jam? Hopefully not.

I wonder if a sudden jolt with an impact wrench would help? Not sure.

The oil filter cap has a flange on the barrel that cinches against the flange on the engine, that's what's locking, and even once broken loose it's kinda slow going, because it's actually an O-ring further along the length of the barrel, inside a cavity on the engine, that does the sealing. Until that O-ring is backed right out of the cavity, there's some resistance.

There's also a little clip on the side, supposedly to retain? In practice it does nothing, and doesn't really get in the way either.

 

Any opinions/evidence which works best...... hot engine - cold engine?? .......

 

Cold works best to avoid burning fingers.
Hot, preferably as soon as possible after the engine stops turning, may be best to flush out any insoluble junk that's mixed up in the oil.

 

Thanks, I agree........I was thinking more about any hot / cold advantage in regards to breaking the filter canister loose.......

 

If you're going off-spec, stick to 5W20. The engine's designed for a 20 hot weight, and a 5W is tolerable under shorter oil change intervals for top-off, IIRC, in warmer weather.

 

FWIW, If you are low on oil now or need topping off I would take the car back to the dealer and force them to make good on their error. While it is there they can change the oil and filter and kill two birds with one stone.