Can't even get the oil filter adapter T60 wrench onto the bolt.

[xcm]

A forum member is mailing me his T60 bit. 1000x easier and cheaper than fabricating hand made tools.

For you, sure, you just gotta sit and wait for the mail man.

More evidence you really should to be a professional tradesman to work on Jeeps.

Gotta dissagree, you just gotta develop certain skills. Keep at it, you'll be a master shade tree mechanic in no time. Did you not have a bike or skateboard growing up?

 

[Rush Power Systems]

stay tuned for the discussion on the postal events and a question on if the bit is the correct color, and the follow up "do i use KY or elmer's glue on the O ring?"

 

[Vanimal]

Did you not have a bike or skateboard growing up?

I'm not a real man and have delicate hands.

Barbies.

 

[Matthew Currie]

RECIPE FOR DISASTER... vice grips MAYBE. But a pipe wrench will be all over the place, youve got 1 or 2 shots, might as well use vice grips so it securely locks down.

A grinder with a cut off wheel will easily cut that Allen wrench. You may be able to cut off the autozone torx socket too, depending on how much sticks out from the factory.

BE CAREFULL with that angle grinder mr two left thumbs, that thing has ****ed up men with 10 times your experience. Use the guard, dont side load the blade, no loose clothing, never use the trigger lock, and check the condition of cut off wheels before every cut.

If yours is as tight as my 95 was, vise grips will just slip no matter how tightly they are attached. The bolt is very hard, too hard for the pliers to bite into.

I was also unable to use Dr. Moab's and others' solution of taking a socket apart and using a 12 mm. box wrench, because mine was so tight. I broke the box wrench. What I finally did was to take a 1/2 inch drive two piece T60 socket, and a cheap large bore box wrench from a Yamaha motorcycle, which fit around the outside of the socket. I welded the wrench to the socket and bent it so that it would point straight up. Then I took a wedge, and wedged between the back side of the socket and the frame, then took a three foot cheater bar to the wrench. It took most of my strength to get the bolt to crack loose. Once loose, I knocked the insert out and used a 12 mm. wrench to finish the job.

 

[88trailcrawler]

Did mine today. It had a 5/8" hex head on it, reached from the top with a regular socket wrench.

Only problem I had was the seal kit I bought from the dealer was WRONG! Glad I did it on a Saturday, they were still open.

 

[Ecomike]

If yours is as tight as my 95 was, vise grips will just slip no matter how tightly they are attached. The bolt is very hard, too hard for the pliers to bite into.

I was also unable to use Dr. Moab's and others' solution of taking a socket apart and using a 12 mm. box wrench, because mine was so tight. I broke the box wrench. What I finally did was to take a 1/2 inch drive two piece T60 socket, and a cheap large bore box wrench from a Yamaha motorcycle, which fit around the outside of the socket. I welded the wrench to the socket and bent it so that it would point straight up. Then I took a wedge, and wedged between the back side of the socket and the frame, then took a three foot cheater bar to the wrench. It took most of my strength to get the bolt to crack loose. Once loose, I knocked the insert out and used a 12 mm. wrench to finish the job.

WOW, I got off easy then, LOL! I used PB blaster several times, the two bit 90 degree tool that is too short, and 3 foot of pipe on it. Change-o-presto it was loose.

Only to have to do the same sort of thing you went through fighting for 2 days with a lug nut that Wally World grunts over tightened!!!:rattle:Bent a 3/4 solid steel cross, tire tool with a 4 foot cheater pipe on it, and it still said NO!!!

 

[Talyn]

I have a T60 1/2" socket with flats cut into it for a large adjustable wrench for clearance issues. I don't recall clearance being a problem in the XJ, but on the ZJ it was.

 

[bimmerjeeper]

Update: SUCCESS! This job took me about 2-3 hours.

To recap, the L-wrench was a dead end. I used a sawed-off T60 bit another poster mailed to me.
The T60 bit was "beveled" and seated very deeply into the star. It fit much better than that flat T60 L-wrench. See photo:

I was able to do everything from above in the engine bay. 12mm wrench on long pipe. For clearance, I did remove the coolant overflow tank. Good tip.

I was worried about stripping to star hole, so I drew a little line across the bolt with anti-seize to be able to see if I was stripping the T60, or if it was turning.
With the long pipe, it wasn't hard to move the bolt at all. I really didn't have to push very hard on the 3-4 foot bar.
I was so psyched to see that the bolt had moved, and not just stripping the star.

I never detached the oil filter, but maybe this would have made it easier. It would also have resulted in less of a mess.

A ratcheting wrench would have been awesome here because it was a total pain to keep detaching the wrench after every turn WHILE pushing the T60 to stay in. Some masking tape/gum may have helped in keeping the T60 in place. What I could have done was to push the OFA towards the block and popped the T60 shaft off the o-ring, and then just turned the entire thing by hand. Instead, I left the shaft seated, turned the entire thing using the T60, and then popped the shaft free once it was detached.

The 2 shaft o-rings did not feel stiff. The large o-ring did seem a big stiff. It was hardly brittle plastic, however. But, maybe it got a little flat. Wasn't sure it was enough to make a leak, but who knows. The new o-rings were definitely softer.

I used engine degreaser to clean all the gunk off the OFA. I will keep an eye on it for new leaks. When replacing the o-rings and degreasing, work with the OFA in a pan, tub, or bin. It will keep spilling oil and soak through towels. I made a mess, but I didn't really lose much oil. When I checked the dipstick, it still said full, so I didn't even top it off. I will check again tomorrow.

It was a real pain to get the shaft rethreaded back onto the block. Instead of fully re-seating the o-rings/shaft onto the adapter, leave it loose, but seat the OFA fully against the block. That way the play is in the shaft, and you can re-thread the shaft by hand (it would be a nightmare to catch the re-thread that shaft using the T60/wrench combo. Even by hand, loose, it still took me 15 mins to get that shaft to re-thread. Once it caught, I was able to spin it 90% back by hand. Use paper towels to maintain grip on the oily screw.

Thanks to everyone who advised.
It feels really good to have this under my belt.
My next train wreck will be the VC gasket!

 

[DrMoab]

Lol. Train wreck? Seriously??? It's a half hour job.

 

[xjtrailrider]

The valve cover gasket is easy on the XJ. There will be one or two bolts at the back that a mirror helps you see the bolt to get a socket on them. When you take the CCV hoses off of the air box and intake just rotate both hoses inward above the valve cover. Do not remove the elbows unless you have some new ones ready to install, they will be brittle and snap easily.

 

[Ecomike]

This must be a record length for a thread on getting one jeep machine screw loose.

 

[Rush Power Systems]

:roflmao:

 

[xjtrailrider]

This must be a record length for a thread on getting one jeep machine screw loose.

I agree Mike. I will say this from my experience being a master tech at work and being the head trainer for our shop. I see all kinds of natural mechanics
that require little training and others that need a lot of training to do simple mechanical repairs. I guess thats why I try to stay patient with posters on here. you don't know what kind of background/skill level you are dealing with. I just try to help

 

[gradon]

In all fairness that T60 is a PITA(right up there with the e12s on top of the bellhousing). On one OFA I changed seals on, I broke the first 12mm Craftsman wrench with the 3' cheater and then bent the second before it broke loose.

 

[HappyDog]

Personally, I congratulate bimmerjeeper on successfully completing the job, and also informing at least me to be aware of the difference in construction of TORX wrench ends. Up until now I really hadn't paid much attention to whether the end was cut off flat or was beveled.

 

[Ecomike]

I agree Mike. I will say this from my experience being a master tech at work and being the head trainer for our shop. I see all kinds of natural mechanics
that require little training and others that need a lot of training to do simple mechanical repairs. I guess thats why I try to stay patient with posters on here. you don't know what kind of background/skill level you are dealing with. I just try to help

Same here, when I have time. I have seen Ph.Ds that could not use a screw driver, but could do quantum mechanics that is still over my pay grade, LOL

I had my first tool set when I was about 4, and chemistry set at about 7 or 8. Older brother had 5 degrees, PhD and MD, father was an Engineer, Pilot, inventor, WWII ham rigs all over the bed room, Ham radio guys.... and so on. Makes me sick some times just how little people know coming out of high school. It was so bad at U of H in the BS Chemical engineering degree program that the Dean added two practices classes to teach the youngins some hands on mechanics. That was Fun to watch for me!!! I got to help teach that class!!!:laugh3:

I blame the disposable stuff generation and big business and lawyer's with their "No customer serviceable parts ethics" for most of it. In another 30 years we are going to be in deep trouble.

 

[Matthew Currie]

Congratulations on getting it done without breaking anything or throwing it across the room. When I did mine the O-rings did not show any signs of age, stiffness or failure, but they certainly were the problem. Hours to get there, ten minutes to fix.

 

[Ecomike]

Personally, I congratulate bimmerjeeper on successfully completing the job, and also informing at least me to be aware of the difference in construction of TORX wrench ends. Up until now I really hadn't paid much attention to whether the end was cut off flat or was beveled.

I tried to give him a big hint about that when I mentioned the course finish cast one he had versus the smooth polished ones I switched to. I think the course-cast unplated ones also break too easy. The expensive polished chrome vanadium ones are way better. I have yet to break one of them.

 

[kastein]

They are not cast... you should stop saying they are :spin1:

Any cast tool of that size would crumble instantly upon torque application. They are either forged or machined and likely heat treated afterwards.

 

[Ecomike]

They are not cast... you should stop saying they are :spin1:

Any cast tool of that size would crumble instantly upon torque application. They are either forged or machined and likely heat treated afterwards.

The China POS I used first WAS CAST JUNK!!!! Read MY LIPS!!!! :wave1:

And it did "crumble instantly upon torque application" I was shocked!!! But the last 2-3 years it seems the import stuff is getting worse, not better. For a while there Mainland China junk was getting better. Now it is getting harder to find any good parts or tools anywhere.

It looked exactly like cast iron on the inside when it broke. And it took very little force to break it too.