You need a better (bigger) hammer
General Removing the oil filter?
- Thread starter AnthonyH
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General Removing the oil filter?
You need a better (bigger) hammer
OP
OP
Righto. I do have a bigger one. I'm just about to go get that and give it a try. Fingers crossed.
OP
OP
OK, all i have now is a big groove on the sump plug washer, and no movement, so i give up. The metal on the sump plug is too soft, and the plug rammed on too hard.
Any recommends for a tool to suck out the oil through the dipstick?
Any recommends for a tool to suck out the oil through the dipstick?
OP
OP
I haven't bought the oil yet, according to the manual it needs SAE 0W-30 ACEA C2 with specification 9.55535-DS1 or MS.90047.
What does the specification 9.55535-DS1 mean?
Can i buy the oil below which just says 0W-30 ACEA C2?
What does the specification 9.55535-DS1 mean?
Can i buy the oil below which just says 0W-30 ACEA C2?
The 4:30 is fine, it is just at right angles to the plug the main thing is to make a groove so when you angle the chisel to turn the plug it doesnt slip out of the groove.
Looking at the metal, it is very soft, so a fairly blunt chisel to tap it around will be best once you have the groove.
Possibly try a bit of hot air gun around that area of the sump so it expands the metal, not on the plug it's self though
Your hammer may be OK for carpentry but is not a heavy engineers hammer, when ever I have used that type in earnest the heads fly off.
OP
OP
I'll give it one last go with my metal malletThe 4:30 is fine, it is just at right angles to the plug the main thing is to make a groove so when you angle the chisel to turn the plug it doesnt slip out of the groove.
Looking at the metal, it is very soft, so a fairly blunt chisel to tap it around will be best once you have the groove.
Possibly try a bit of hot air gun around that area of the sump so it expands the metal, not on the plug it's self though
Your hammer may be OK for carpentry but is not a heavy engineers hammer, when ever I have used that type in earnest the heads fly off.
I'm not hopeful though. Imagine putting your whole body into a 750mm breaker bar to release the wheel nuts, thats what the last guy did to the sump plug... I'd be interested in any anecdotes if you have them! lol
Just to let you know how hard I used to swing a hammer, as an apprentice I missed the suspension joint I was trying to release and hit my kneecap and knocked myself out with the pain.I'll give it one last go with my metal mallet
I'd be interested in any anecdotes if you have them! lol
I have also seen people trying to break the taper on a track rod end with a small hammer, beating the sh*t out of it for ages and getting no where, then I have given it one or two blows with a decent hammer and job done.
Strangely enough you can cause more damage tap, tap, taping than one good firm blow with a large hammer in the right place.
Not these days, but in the past at fairgrounds I could swing the mallet and ring the bell fairly regularly to the amusement of my children.
Another thing is using experience rather than brute force, I often see people pulling upwards on a bar trying to undo wheel nuts, almost trying to lift the car off the ground, however experience tells you to push down using your body weight rather than arm muscle and if really tight you can stand on the bar, much easier on your back etc.
OP
OP
That's a win if ever i saw one lol. I imagine you walking away with a grin on your face while they scratch their head confusedly!
9.55535-DS1 is a Fiat specification.
Any quality oil meeting 0W-30 ACEA C2 is OK for the 500X.
Regarding Fiats 9.55535-DS1 specification then one has to realise that initially manufacturers release their specifications for oil. Mercedes, BMW, etc. are no different which is why you will see on oil cans various manufacturer specification compliances.
I have mentioned before that new automotive technologies can raise new challenges for oils etc. Vehicle manufacturers then employ the likes of Shell, Exxon, ..... to formulate a new variation on an oil to, say, improve anti frothing. This is done and later over time the XYZ base standard is improved.
All of this can get very confusing. I still have a question/query for example with Shell. They have an 0W-30 ACEA C2/C3 oil they recommend for the 500X. But there are differences between C2 and C3 so how can an oil be both.
In reality probably the C2 / C3 differences make little difference but we as punters will never really know and we are left with making our own decisions.
OP
OP
I've now found the Castrol Magnatec 0W-30 C2 engine oil which they say is both DS1 and GS1 Fiat compliant and should be fine, its the one below. The problem is the price its £32 for 4 litres. And as i need 5 litres i'm stumping up £64 and leaving 3 litres for another time.
I've also found the oil below from Mannol, its Fiat DS1 compliant, exactly right and 5 litres for £26. The problem there being its delivery date is early next week...nothing like a really really slow car service eh? lol.
I'm going to spend another half hour looking for the right oil which will arrive tomorrow, and if i can't find it then buy the cheap stuff and wait.
well then, why not start with the bigger one.
Also to add to @bugsymike mikes comments above it is not just about the physical size of the hammer but the mass and the bounce as well. You can swing a really big hammer and hit something but if that energy is bounced back into the hammer and subsequently into your hand and arm, not only is not not doing a very good job but can result in injury so sometimes you want a nice lead hammer which will deform slightly with each blow but keeps the energy going into the piece as well as being smaller than a steel/iron hammer for the same weight. and is not going to potentially cause you an injury.
Then you can get dead blow hammers, filled with some medium like sand or lead shot which will hit the piece and then a split second later the internal mass carries more energy into the piece. As the name would imply they are "dead blow" so they do not bounce as a result.
Right hammer for the right job.
What you have in the picture you posted is probably ok for hammering in a small picture hook but not a lot else. Better in the kitchen draw than a tool box or garage.
OP
OP
At your suggestion for my second go at this I used the hammer below, it is around twice as heavy as the one I pictured before, its the heaviest I have, but i imagine there are some that have bigger. I wouldn't say on the ramps I have room for a longer hammer.
Now you've mentioned it I might have another chisel, not hammer, that has a kind of leady end that I could hit and it'd absorb some of the energy rather than causing a bounce. I'll give that a go tomorrow as well.
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Its more the hammer than the chisel you want to deform and have the weight in it. just something to add to your tool box in the future.
You can buy kits where it comes with a hammer and mold. once you have beaten the hamer so out of shape that its no longer recognizable as a hammer you remove the lead, from the handle. Set the handle in the mold, out the lead in the top part of the mold and blast it with a blow torch then as it melts the lead runs down into the mold and forms a nice new hammer head to continue hitting stiff.
I have a hammer which has a solid alloy or steel center, a plastic shock absorbing handle a plastic head that screws in on one side and a lead head that screws in on the other. It is super useful, I have had it years (acquired from my ex father in-law) and is perfect for exactly this purpose. I also have a F-off big hammer similar to the one above that comes out if things are being stubborn.
"gentle, precise application of high intensity percussive force"
You can buy kits where it comes with a hammer and mold. once you have beaten the hamer so out of shape that its no longer recognizable as a hammer you remove the lead, from the handle. Set the handle in the mold, out the lead in the top part of the mold and blast it with a blow torch then as it melts the lead runs down into the mold and forms a nice new hammer head to continue hitting stiff.
I have a hammer which has a solid alloy or steel center, a plastic shock absorbing handle a plastic head that screws in on one side and a lead head that screws in on the other. It is super useful, I have had it years (acquired from my ex father in-law) and is perfect for exactly this purpose. I also have a F-off big hammer similar to the one above that comes out if things are being stubborn.
"gentle, precise application of high intensity percussive force"
OP
OP
I can see there is a skill to hammering that i'd not previously considered. On some youtube vids i've seen the giant hammers used to move boulders etc. or the carpenters tools, but car hammers are currently an unknown quantity that i'll need to research.
Something like this one is getting interesting lol
I've now found some lead head hammers in the USA, possibly they're not on sale new in the UK, so i'd need to find a substitute or get a second hand one off ebay.
Something like this one is getting interesting lol
I've now found some lead head hammers in the USA, possibly they're not on sale new in the UK, so i'd need to find a substitute or get a second hand one off ebay.
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you might not be able to buy lead hammers now, because "lead" and someone couldn't be trusted not to lick it and poisoned themselves.
looking on ebay there are quite a lot for £25ish for a second hand one. (which to be honest is all anyone needs) so I would look there. you might be able to get one on Temu or Ali express, China tends to care less about heavy metal poisoning, but then they probably add a dozen more even more toxic chemicals, so a used one is probably safer.
looking on ebay there are quite a lot for £25ish for a second hand one. (which to be honest is all anyone needs) so I would look there. you might be able to get one on Temu or Ali express, China tends to care less about heavy metal poisoning, but then they probably add a dozen more even more toxic chemicals, so a used one is probably safer.
I have a wide range of hammers, from "toffee" hammers I used, to make gaskets with, all the way through to a 12lb sledge hammer which was needed to drive a seized pin out of a 7 tonne digger arm after a lot of heat was also applied, normal 1-1.5lb engineers hammers (ball end not carpenters claw for nail removal) a number 4 Thor copper hammer which carries a fair bit of weight but being copper fairly dead and doesn't damage the object you are hitting. They have all earned their keep over 50 odd years in the trade.
The weighted/dead hammers were not readily available when I started and to be honest I have never bought or needed them.
The photo earlier is what I call a builders "lump hammer" of which I do have a couple but use for cutting concrete blocks in a straight line using a "bolster chisel" which has a wide fairly blunt blade.
Over the years the more jobs you do, the more tools you acquire specific to that job.
The 12lb sledge hammer that I used to be able to hold at arms length and swing in a full arc over my head and down onto an object, these days I have a job just lifting.
The weighted/dead hammers were not readily available when I started and to be honest I have never bought or needed them.
The photo earlier is what I call a builders "lump hammer" of which I do have a couple but use for cutting concrete blocks in a straight line using a "bolster chisel" which has a wide fairly blunt blade.
Over the years the more jobs you do, the more tools you acquire specific to that job.
The 12lb sledge hammer that I used to be able to hold at arms length and swing in a full arc over my head and down onto an object, these days I have a job just lifting.
OP
OP
The lump hammer appeals to me for its duel use, smashing up concrete AND Puntos lol.
I'm going to get a dead blow hammer of some description, perhaps a copper one or other similar material, because it'll be worth having long term.
It'd be interesting to see your hammers.
Once you have a notch from cold chisel a blunt cold chisel can then be used on notch to knock plug anti clock wise.
Angle the chisel so you are partly turning the sump plug rather than chirping directly at centre of head of plug.
No real point in changing oil filter ahead of oil change.
Sorry just seen this all cove Red by Mike.
Best wishes
J
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icheatatscrabble
Established member
I would recommend an Irwin bolt extractor set. However, I bought my set five or six years ago and it seems to have gone up a bit in price - £96 on Amazon!! I'm sure they're available elsewhere.
I have some of those and very useful, however if that bolt is aluminium it may just chew up.
I would hate to have to buy my tools again at todays prices.
