Jeep Oil Fill Stuck

[ellersk]

I have an '04 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 45K miles. A simple holiday project of changing the oil has become complicated. When I try to remove the oil fill cap, it will not turn. When I turn it clockwise, it ratchets. Is there some trick to removing this cap or is it just stuck? Thanks

[HotinOKC]

Have a friend with bigger muscles? Just kidding... never really heard of them ever sticking like this. Could you stick a butt end of a screwdriver into one of the finger grips of the cap and tap it with a hammer to try and turn it?

[ecman51`]

It's also possible to have an extremly powerful grip and not apparently be musclebound. I'm that way. My musclebound work partner had me do the stuff requiring hand strength. But he'd be the one to pick up girders (that sort of thing).

[Unclediezel]

Ahhh...Mopars wonderful "Ratchet-tight" oil cap....

2 Solutions..... 1) Get an old serpnetine belt and a pair of pliers. loop the belt around the cap , and grasp it with the pliers as close to the cap as possible....Sorta looks like an Oil filter wrench now, doesnt it....Turn it off....
2) pry the top off of the cap, ...you will find a small Spring. remove the spring and set it aside.....Take two flat blade screwdrivers, one into the cap hole, the other at a 90 degree angle to the first, and pry on the Teeth of the cap.....If this makes no sense, it will once you see it... once the cap is removed ,reassemble it, and put a finger full of oil on the seal....And reinstall...Just not so darn tight this time

[ecman51`]

Originally Posted by Unclediezel

Get an old serpnetine belt and a pair of pliers. loop the belt around the cap , and grasp it with the pliers as close to the cap as possible....Sorta looks like an Oil filter wrench now, doesnt it....

They actually make such a tool as you describe. I bought 2 sizes years ago from my home center, to remove tub spouts and other stuff, without scratching the metal.

[nightowlpunk]

I bought one and chucked it after it wouldn't get into the space allowed for my oil filter.

[HotinOKC]

What's that, a strap wrench? That was my favorite tool to loosen the fuel manifold couplings on aircraft.

[Unclediezel]

Actually, There was a "AS SEEN ON TV" product many years ago, called the "Topper Popper"....it was basically just a rubber strap on a stick, used to open the "Twist tops" on glass Jars.....My mom had one, and when she finally tossed it, I grabbed it , and it has been in my tool box ever since.

[nightowlpunk]

Don'tcha just hate it when you unscrew the hollow bolt from the engine that the oil filter goes onto? Only happened to me once, then I learned not to tighten the oil filter so much that I couldn't loosen it even with the best cuss words I know.

[Unclediezel]

Believe it or not, that comes from NOT TIGHTENING IT ENOUGH. We had a whole long classroom discussion regarding this, when our Oil filter Manufacturer went to what they called "E-Core" filters...The gaskets are thinner and are supposed to resist "Compressing under heat", but they expect you to "CRANK Them ON....

ANY gap allows the filter base to swell and deform, so it grabs the output stud on the way out.

[nightowlpunk]

Are those bolts reverse threaded? I am asking because I had a bit of difficulty getting the bolt off of the oil filter when I got them both off at the same time. The filter wouldn't move easily either way that time.

[Unclediezel]

usually not...................