Another oil change question

[poncho-mike]

Hi,

I bought my first Saturn, a 2002 Saturn Vue, about a month ago. It's a 4-cyl 5-spd.

I want to change the oil, but my socket won't fit. I called a mechanic I know and he said it requires a special shallow socket. I called the local parts store (Advance and Auto Zone) and they don't have it.

Does anybody have any suggestions? My buddy said he got his off of a Snap-on truck.

Mike

[1saxman]

Are you asking about the oil filter or drain plug?

[fatabbot]

He's probably talking about the filter cap.

You can use a normal filter wrench on it (look at the edges at the bottom of the cap) that's available at every car parts store instead of buying a special, ridiculously large socket for the top of it.

[NOLA-Vue]

Sears is the place for tools in most towns. They have just about anything and everything you could need at a reasonable price for tools. You can buy each socket individually or in sets if you want. You didn't make it clear about what socket wouldn't fit what nut, but assuming you meant the oil filter cap, you need a 32mm or 1-1/4 socket for it, AND an extension about 6 to 8" long to get the socket wrench above/past the plastic intake manifold. BTW, most sockets that big are 1/2" drive, so you need either a 3/8" to 1/2" adapter for your 3/8" tools, or a 1/2" socket wrench driver/extension bar. Most cap type oil filter tools are too shallow to fit over that 32mm nut and grip the body of the oil cap.

If you meant the oil plug on the crankcase, I think that is a 19mm socket. The sockets should be 6pt for the best grip on the nuts as 12pt sockets sometimes tend to round-off the heads of nuts and bolts over time. As a reminder, once you get the oil filter cap ready to put back on, which should be started by hand so it won't crossthread, use the socket wrench to just firm the cap tight. There is no need to crank it down! :)

[1saxman]

If it is the oil filter housing, sometimes a short socket is required to fit under the intake. I found the same situation on our 2000 LW1 w/4 cyl. I picked up a 1 1/4" socket (1/2" drive) at Sears and hacked it off. After leveling with a file and dressing the new nut engagement surfaces to look like the original, I used it until we traded the wagon on a VUE. The shortened socket was about 1 3/16" high. A wrench wasn't practical because there just wasn't any swing room, and a 1 1/4" wrench is a tool I just don't need. Since I have never used this socket again for anything, I guess I could let it go. PM if interested.

[poncho-mike]

I'm talking about the plastic cover that the oil filter is under.

I have a regular short socket, but it's too long and hits the intake. I was told there was a special "shorty" socket made to fit it that will clear the intake.

I was also told by a mechanic friend not to put an oil filter wrench on the plastic housing. He said I would crack it.

Mike

[wolfman]

Shamelessly cut and pasted from a thread called "2.2 oil change" (The SEARCH function of the board is a marvelous tool...)

Indeed, my Craftsman 3/8 in drive 12 point 1 1/4" socket fit perfectly. The trick is to put the socket on the filter cap hex FIRST, then insert a 4~6" extention into the socket drive, and last the wrench onto the extension. Turn it just enough to break it loose and until it turns with very little effort. Then pull out the extension FIRST, and remove the socket and finish unscrewing the cap by hand.

When installing with the new filter, thread the cap down as far as you can by hand, then install the socket, and then the extension. Tighten down CAREFULLY to the right torque, and then pull the extension out of the socket, and then remove the socket from the filter cap.

[fatabbot]

I was also told by a mechanic friend not to put an oil filter wrench on the plastic housing. He said I would crack it.


I seriously wonder where all these people are getting these mechanic friends, they obviously aren't worth having.

Buy a filter wrench in the size called for in the owner's manual and be done with it. Then slap your mechanic friend in the face for being an idiot.

[wolfman]

Ummm... that is actually very sound advise. His "mechanic friend" was obviously referring to the type of oil filter wrench (strap or jaw) that would be used on a conventional canister type oil filter. Use that on the plastic cap/housing of a 2.2/2.4 Ecotec replaceable CARTRIDGE type filter housing and you WILL damage or worse destroy the cap or housing.

[fatabbot]

Ummm... that is actually very sound advise. His "mechanic friend" was obviously referring to the type of oil filter wrench (strap or jaw) that would be used on a conventional canister type oil filter. Use that on the plastic cap/housing of a 2.2/2.4 Ecotec replaceable CARTRIDGE type filter housing and you WILL damage or worse destroy the cap or housing.

You're probably right (about what type of wrench he was referring to). However, who would even think of using such a tool to begin with? There's no body to the cap to even begin to think about using a typical filter "wrench".

[ujm4ever]

I purchased a "Made in USA" Lisle Oil Filer 32 MM socket from pageauto1 on Ebay. This short socket is much easier to use than a standard socket and worth every penny.

[1saxman]

"Originally Posted by wolfman
Indeed, my Craftsman 3/8 in drive 12 point 1 1/4" socket fit perfectly. The trick is to put the socket on the filter cap hex FIRST, then insert a 4~6" extention into the socket drive, and last the wrench onto the extension. Turn it just enough to break it loose and until it turns with very little effort. Then pull out the extension FIRST, and remove the socket and finish unscrewing the cap by hand.

When installing with the new filter, thread the cap down as far as you can by hand, then install the socket, and then the extension. Tighten down CAREFULLY to the right torque, and then pull the extension out of the socket, and then remove the socket from the filter cap"

Excellent advice. Just one little problem - a standard 1/2" drive socket is too long to fit between the intake and the filter housing. You can't just put it on the nut and then insert the drive extension; It's too tall. That's why people are looking for a short socket. Now, there may be some engines where it can be done with a regular socket, or perhaps we're talking about regular sockets of different lengths, but a standard Craftsman 1 1/4" (1/2" drive) socket is too tall to fit between the intake runner and the filter cap. I was so proud of my 'shorty' socket....then we got a V6 VUE. Actually, two of them. Anyway, your 3/8" drive socket for 1 1/4" must be shorter than the 1/2" drive I found - that's the only explanation for why your procedure works.
Tell you one thing, though, that LW1 with 4 cyl was a great car. I still miss it, but SHE had to have a VUE. Then, after driving hers, I had to have one. That wagon was good-looking, fast, got great mileage and handled fine. Somebody got a very nice LW1. The LW2 must have been a monster with the V6!

[Bigdaddy94sc2]

Unless your socket is more than 2.5-3 inches tall, it WILL work. I did it for about a month before I bought "special socket" from the MAC truck. I have a standard craftsman 32mm 1/2 drive that fits fine under any year, any model 2.2L there is. Just cant loosen it too much. Just loosen enough to finish by hand, and you will be fine. If your socket is too big, you may have a deep well, and that just wont work.

IIRC, Sears now carries the "filter socket" from Lisle in the special tools section. I seen it there last time, and should have bought it. I can always use an extra one!

[bigvuefan]

I just bought a tool at Pep Boys in the oil filter wrench section for my Vue. Works perfectly. $9.99, can get it cheaper online but I needed it today. Just do a search for oil filter 32mm socket for GM/Saturn.

[poncho-mike]

Thanks to the person that suggested the Lisle 32mm socket. It fit perfectly.

Mike