Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: rollacorolla on 10 January 2015, 14:28:26

Title: Saturday oil change...
Post by: rollacorolla on 10 January 2015, 14:28:26
Drained the old oil no problem on my Omega 3.0 V6. I'm now trying to get the metal housing off to change the paper oil filter. It was really tight to shift but now seems to be taking ages to loosen. Should the whole housing be turning when I loosen the 24mm nut at the top of it?  ???
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: Webby the Bear on 10 January 2015, 14:32:39
It should just be the upper most part that spins (i.e. the 'lid')

it sounds like the whole housing is spinning/
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: rollacorolla on 10 January 2015, 14:35:13
I wondered whether the housing was made up of 2 parts and like you said I thought only the lid should turn when I loosen the nut. But the whole housing is spinning. What now?   :(
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: Webby the Bear on 10 January 2015, 14:43:15
I've never had it happen to me but I would guess you try and get an oil filter wrench on the housing and holding it tight spin off the lid.  :-\
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: Andy H on 10 January 2015, 14:50:41
You need to hold the outer housing with something (chain wrench? stilsons?) so that you can get the cap to unscrew.

Once the cap is off you than use a big allen key (or it might be a 27mm socket depending on what was in the parts bin that year) to undo the centre bolt to remove the outer housing. (if you can't get the cap off then you might end up having to cut the outer casing so you can get to the bolt to undo it)

There should be a lug on the outer housing that engages with a hole in the engine block to stop it spinning. You will probably find that the lug has snapped off.

You have 3 choices
1. refit your outer housing and be careful to hold it at the next filter change to prevent it spinning.
2. fit a new outer housing
3. fit an adapter that allows you to use the old style spin on filter
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: rollacorolla on 10 January 2015, 15:18:49
Just my luck  :(
Thanks for the suggestions but unfortunately I don't have a chain wrench or a stilsons. Tried using a spare fanbelt but no luck. If I fill up the engine oil now and just leave the filter for JamesV6CDX to sort out (when he does the cam cover gaskets) - do you think the oil will leak out of the filter housing or should it be safe to drive the car?
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: Shackeng on 10 January 2015, 15:54:26
Not if it leaks from the filter with engine warm and running. :y
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: joff on 10 January 2015, 15:56:14
Had this happen to me, had to cut the old housing off. Fit another and then refil. Try and top it back up and then check for leaks. Some of the old ones did not have the lug on the back as was the case with mine.
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: Webby the Bear on 10 January 2015, 16:03:19
if you decide to screw it back on / check for leaks..... remove the N/S front wheel, get great view and access to the filter  :y
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: TheBoy on 10 January 2015, 16:07:00
Not all have the lugs from what I can see.

There are 2 things that cause this on this type of housing - some mongrel going it up too tight, or too long between oil changes.

Only solution is to remove it all, and then refix shell to block correctly (replacing if necessary), then put cap back on. 15nM only.
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: 05omegav6 on 10 January 2015, 16:21:03
If the housing is loose enough to turn, it will leak. That be the car off the road until it's fixed :'(
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: rollacorolla on 10 January 2015, 16:26:13
Ok well I'll put the old oil back in the morning, warm her up and check for leaks. If I can make the 18 mile round trip to Halfords to buy a chain wrench, then I can have a go at trying to sort it out properly.
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: powerslinky on 10 January 2015, 16:32:38
Ok well I'll put the old oil back in the morning, warm her up and check for leaks. If I can make the 18 mile round trip to Halfords to buy a chain wrench, then I can have a go at trying to sort it out properly.

Do you not have a friendly neighbour who may    1. Have a chain wrench you could have a quick borrow of  ?

                                                                  2. Run you to halfolds & back  for the fuel cost ?   :-\ :-\

Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: 05omegav6 on 10 January 2015, 16:33:39
Ok well I'll put the old oil back in the morning, warm her up and check for leaks. If I can make the 18 mile round trip to Halfords to buy a chain wrench, then I can have a go at trying to sort it out properly.
Sounds like a plan to kill it :-\
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: Shackeng on 10 January 2015, 16:33:47
If you have a sheet of coarse emery paper, you may be able to get a strip round the case to hold it in place while you re-tighten the nut. :y
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: 05omegav6 on 10 January 2015, 16:34:54
If you have a sheet of coarse emery paper, you may be able to get a strip round the case to hold it in place while you re-tighten the nut. :y
Does rather suggest the cap can be removed...
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: rollacorolla on 10 January 2015, 16:48:21
Do you not have a friendly neighbour who may    1. Have a chain wrench you could have a quick borrow of  ?

                                                                  2. Run you to halfolds & back  for the fuel cost ?   :-\ :-\

Sounds like a plan to kill it :-\

Ok I won't risk it. I'll make another plan to get the chain wrench  :y
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: robson on 11 January 2015, 12:52:35
A post too late? You may find that James will have a  problem with your cannister laying under the car doing this job is not easy , on a lift at the garage not so bad. Do you have a local garage that could loosen the cannister for you. If you are doing cam covers and breathers it is better to do the oil change after this. There are lots of opinions on cannister and spin on but I found the spin on  my previous Omega a lot less hassle than the cannister
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: Temetsy on 11 January 2015, 15:06:49
I definately suggest you do the spin on-conversion. Easier to fit than new housing and much, much more reliable!
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 11 January 2015, 15:09:35
A post too late? You may find that James will have a  problem with your cannister laying under the car doing this job is not easy

Pffffffft, I have great ramps and one hasn't beaten me yet ;) :D :y
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: rollacorolla on 11 January 2015, 15:35:33
Well I haven't managed to get the housing off so I will leave it until after James helps me with the cam covers and breathers and hopefully we can do the conversion at the same time.
Omega's off the road so I'll be getting around by bus for a while  :(
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: robson on 11 January 2015, 15:39:58
You need to get some bits and pieces for the filter change  before James comes see "how to"
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: TheBoy on 11 January 2015, 18:07:15
I definately suggest you do the spin on-conversion. Easier to fit than new housing and much, much more reliable!
I disagree. The spin on type are a PITA, and messy.
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 11 January 2015, 19:21:38
I definately suggest you do the spin on-conversion. Easier to fit than new housing and much, much more reliable!
I disagree. The spin on type are a PITA, and messy.

I'm neutral either way with the oil filter type, I'm happy to have the spin on or the paper type, but I do maintain that as long as the newer type filter housing and cap are at the correct torques, and the oil is changed regularly enough - there is no advantage to the spin on conversion - the newer filter housings only cause trouble when they have been butchered up too tight, or neglected :y
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: TheBoy on 12 January 2015, 09:28:10
I'd almost agree with that JamesV6, as I haven't been bothered to change the spin on on the Bullet to cartridge type
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: Diamond Black Geezer on 12 January 2015, 10:15:13
No personal experience of the newer type, very used to and comfy with the 'good old' VOF93 (ie screw on type)  :)
Title: Re: Saturday oil change...
Post by: rollacorolla on 13 January 2015, 16:48:09
James saved the day yesterday  :y
Replaced old, brittle cam cover gaskets, got the cap off the oil filter housing and changed the filter (which had been fitted upside down by the last person  :o ), changed the oil, changed the fuel filter (also mangled by the last person to service it).
Feeling much happier now. Thanks James  :y  :y  :y