Oil Filter Access Issue

[Chucksklrst]

I'll add a short story about a trip my wife and I took several years ago. She was on a Honda PC800. In the morning at the motel, there were about a dozen Harley's and our bikes. The only bike with an oil puddle underneath was the PC800. The oil filter was leaking at the base. How embarrassing Well, obviously we didn't pack an oil filter wrench, but I was wearing a leather belt. I remembered an old, old trick I was told about. If you wrap the belt around the filter and run it through the loop and pull, you can put considerable torque on the filter. If you try it, you will figure it out. Just be sure to have things lined up to that you are pulling the filter in a twisting motion. Hope that makes sense. It also works to remove a filter in a pinch. If your filter is wiped dry, you belt will stay clean. Sometimes you need the filter just a TAD tighter than hand tight.

Cliff

A Makeshift Strap Wrench. I use a strap wrench on my V-Strom Filters as they won't fit my Honda Cap wrench.

 

[WVRider]

I've used one identical to this for years. It's a small size for these small filters and works great on the NT. Any wrench will give you problems if the filter is over tightened when installed. I tighten as tight as I can get by "clean" hand and just a very slight turn with the wrench. The only filter I had a problem getting off was the first one a dealer had installed.

 

[ST1100Y]

Dunno...
Got a bundle of these kits on sale



Hence I'm left with about 5 of those filter wrenches, perfectly fitting a 17mm combination wrench...
No need to fumble through the main stand with a socket extension...

 

[CArider]

Just wanted to thank you all for the input. Great info, and I will be coming back to this thread on future oil changes, if need be. I don't think I mentioned in the original post that the filter I purchased was the K&N filter (not for any specific reason other than it was easy to find and purchase online). On next change, I will definitely try the ratcheting box wrench method to remove the K&N, since it has the nub on the end. And for any interested, I compared it to the filter that the bike came with (it was white), and it was the same length, so no worries about the center stand puncturing it. Went for a short but beautiful ride today. Getting to know the bike, and can't wait to do more riding when this intense heat passes through.

 

[Fieroguy]

This is my tried and true oil filer wrench for both of my bikes. Show Chrome Accessories 4-201 Oil Filter Wrench. Currently $13 on Amazon. I find it is perfect for my needs.

 

[DirtFlier]

And it fits the genuine Honda filters? It's a good looking wrench!

 

[ARKNT]

I also have one of those filter wrenches. It grips the filter well.

Arknt

 

[DirtFlier]

It appears that the slipping on/off is much faster than with the Honda Cap Wrench so I'll give it a try.

 

[basketcase]

This is my tried and true oil filer wrench for both of my bikes. Show Chrome Accessories 4-201 Oil Filter Wrench. Currently $13 on Amazon. I find it is perfect for my needs.

Yo Fieroguy - just to make sure before I make a purchase, are you using this wrench on an NT filter, or some other bike?

Of course it will work for filters on other bikes, I just want to be sure it works on the filter on my NT.

Thanks in advance for the clarification,

Rick

 

[ARKNT]

I used that wrench on my NT. They weren't Honda filters, aftermarket.
If I remember correctly (questionable) I bought mine at local Honda dealer.

Arknt

 

[ST1100Y]

It appears that the slipping on/off is much faster than with the Honda Cap Wrench so I'll give it a try.

Dunno, the Honda cap wrenches sit quite tight, need to clean the road grime off the old filter before getting it on, some wiggle & pry to get it off before unscrewing the filter from the base...
Avoiding aftermarket I can't tell compatibility to HighFlow and others though...

 

[Chucksklrst]

Dunno, the Honda cap wrenches sit quite tight, need to clean the road grime off the old filter before getting it on, some wiggle & pry to get it off before unscrewing the filter from the base...
Avoiding aftermarket I can't tell compatibility to HighFlow and others though...

I use Hiflow oil filters and my old Honda cap wrench works great on those filters. No issues ever.

 

[Fieroguy]

I have only used Honda oil filters and the filter wrench I use is a perfect fit. I can't speak for the wrench fitting any aftermarket filters.

 

[DirtFlier]

Larry - Yesterday, I used my 4-201 oil filter wrench for the first time and it worked GREAT! I was changing oil & filter on my CB500F and it only took a few seconds to attach the wrench and get the filter moving and the same with installing the new filter.

Thanks for the heads-up!