'97 Cavalier Oil filter

I pull the front right wheel on my 96 cavalier.

It sounds like you have the 2.2L OHV engine. Reach up behind the block from under the car (to the right of the exhaust) , and you'll have enough room to maneuver. That's an inconvenient place for the filter, because it's placed directly over the pipe. Oil gets all over it, and you have to wipe it up. That model has a real lack of space between the engine and firewall. I've received many bruises and scrapes from working back there.

Woody probably has the 2.4L, which is placed conveniently on the front of the motor, down nice and low.

I do have the 2.2. I've rolled around under the car and tried every angle I can find to get my hands on the filter and can't do it. Is your's an automatic or standard?

As I said, I can do it from above, but I can't get a wrench on it and can't get more than a third of a turn on it from that angle. The old one had been oozing oil but not leaking badly. I pulled the front wheel tonight and found the filter with a flash light. It's way back there, but I could reach it, but there wasn't room to turn it with a wrench. I have a nice-quality strap wrench that fits it, and the handle is held on with a small screw and nut. I took the handle off leaving a small one-inch long nub, and I was able to use it to get another quarter turn on it. I'm satisfied.

Many thanks for the feedback. It's been most helpful.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

There are socket wrench driven oil filter removers out there... Sounds like a good investment if you change your oil often.

I've got a few of these 3/8" drive filter wrenches, but I'm using Amsoil filters with a round top. At any rate, I'm not sure there's room in there to swing any kind of handle other than the little 1-inch nub I wound up with. At any rate, it works.

Im still looking for one good enough to deal with the filter on our 3800 Buick Gen II engine. (Doesnt seem to make much difference which filter brand I use, either)

Im sure they exist, but the ones the local parts houses stock will not engage the filter end tightly enough to remove it. (even when the filter is not overtightened).

Luckily, this filter is not very hard to access and I can use a jaw type wrench, sometimes aided by a screwdriver driven through the filter body. But I WOULD like to find an appropriate wrench for this type filter.

NAPA has one that looks interesting. Click

tosee the one I'm talking about. I didn't like the 3/8 drive cap-type removers. The metal ones tended to wedge themselves onto the filter and were difficult to get back off. The plastic ones just slip.

There used to be a filter with a hex nut welded to the top; I don't remember who made it or if it's still available. I never used one, but it looked handy for locations were it was difficult to get a standard strap around it.

I actually seldom use a wrench on my Tundra or Montera Sport. I hand tighten them 3/4 of a turn and can take them back off by hand. I just can't get a grip on the Cavalier filter because of its location.

The "filter with hex nut" was standard on some VW models.

nate

For me the metal ones slip too, for this particular filter series. I suspect it is just the cheap construction of most of these filter wrenches, and I would be willing to pay more to get a good tool.

I think we will get rid of that Buick soon, and then I will retool for whatever we buy next (most likely a rice-rocket)

Actually, I picked one up at Autozone yesterday that worked just fine on the Bosch filter I bought. It would not remove the Pennzoil filter that was on the car however.

Now all I have to do is stick with Bosch filters or find another of similar craftsmanship.

Dont know if Bosch suffers the same reputation as Fram.