Hello everyone. I was doing the usual oil change on my 03 SS, but it seems that no matter what I do, I cannot get my oil filter off. I first tried loosening it by hand under the car, nothing. I then tried my oil filter wrench, also nothing. I finally tried poking a hole into the filter with a flatblade and turning it that way, but it still didn't budge. I've done two oil changes before and didn't have any problems between the first and second oil change, and I've lubed up the rubber seal on the top of the filter that's currently on, making it seem weird that it isn't coming off. I'm turning the filter counterclockwise (from the point of view where I'm looking straight ahead via the wheelwell), could I possibly be turning it the wrong way? Let me know of some solutions, thank you guys.

 

What type/style of oil filter wrench did you use? (photo)
[There's the socket type, the band type, and one that kinda works like a pair of pliers]

 

If you remember it going on easy, then its just really stuck on there.

Ive used the tourniquet method with a thick metal wire and piece of 1/4" pipe before with good success. I turned it until it stated compressing the filter then used the pipe for leverage.

 

I used one of these wrenches to try and get the filter off.


After that failed, I nailed a large flathead through the whole filter and tried turning it that way, but it still didn’t budge. Do you guys know if the filter on the 3800 is possibly a left hand thread? I don’t want to mess with it anymore until I’m 100% sure.

 

According to this video (go to time 7:30 where the filter is loosened, then @ 10:19, it's removed):


It's conventional right-hand thread.

 

As the video points out, its normal right hand thread. Ive had plenty of REALLY stuck on filters before. Youre going to have about a half turn before it starts to get any easier. Stick that flat head thru it again and put a pipe on the end of it for leverage. -Or get one of them filter wrenchs with the teeth on them.

 

Call me crazy, but it seems like he's turning the filter in a clockwise direction to loosen it up?? Or is this because of how the camera is?

I went outside with my biggest flatblade and a nice piece of exhuast pipe to try and take it off, but even that didn't budge it. I'm not too sure what to try beyond this.

 

So, assuming you have the tire removed, the fender well liner removed and there is the oil filter tucked back in there, being a bear to get off. For sure it DOES come off counterclockwise... It sounds like its time to get serious, I have used a heat gun in the past on a oil filter, old chev pickup. I just gunned it till it was quite hot, then channel locks, chisel & hammer to get it ripped apart and moving. Used pointed angled chisel on filter base once the body was all but removed, but I won. Obviously when dealing with a flammable like oil you dont want to get it hot to the point of ignition, but I got it pretty close to red hot as I dared. Be patient, dont melt adjacent components, just gun it, wack it, gun it wack it, grab with channel locks etc. You got this...

 

Well, I think it’s over. Pretty much the entire filter broke off after I put in a long tire jack for more leverage and it only got loosened a quarter turn before it broke and now it’s just the ripped top portion. That also won’t twist off and is completely seized. I’ve tried PB blaster on the top and nothing. Here are a few pictures. Is it possible to remove the oil filter adapter housing off of the block? Let me know, this car is frustrating me.

 

Last thing you can try is stick a flat head into the edge of one of those holes and tap it with a hammer, see it it will start to rotate... Obviously be careful to not damage the adapter.