Thanks again,
I will be ordering the part from fastlanes today.!!

It is not the use of your hand or the use of a wrench, but how much you tighten the filter past the point where the oiled gasket touches the filter housing. I always use a tool (to save my knuckles) and NEVER tighten more than 3/4 turn. With a tool, it is easier to keep track of the rotation. Never had a problem getting it off either.

However, having had a couple of terrible experiences with some greasemonkey over, way over tightening things, I always do it myself. MBZ oilpan drain access bolts are frequently nightmares to remove if some idiot tightened them too much.

__________________
'76 240D-Sold
'78 240D-Sold
'85 300 SD, 165K-Sold
'88 300 TE, 165K-Sold
'64 Porsche 356C Cabriolet- under restoration
'86 560SL 124K Miles-Sold
'94 320E Wagon, 74K Miles-128K Miles JUNKED
'06 E350 Wagon, 84K Miles
07 SL550, 14K Miles

Another item you dont want overtighten are lug nuts. I owned a VW Scirocco once upon a time and had new tires put in. The shop that put it on used pnuematic wrench. I sprain my neck and shoulder muscle when I tried to take it off when I had a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. After that incident I've always hand tighten lug nuts and especially oil filters. Especially if you are a DIY kinda guy (person)

Although my 107 Model with a 5.0 Euro motor has a replaceable element with a bolt that has a torque spec, my other car has a spin-on filter. My buddies and I always laugh when a filter won’t come off because it’s kind of a standing joke. We all just drive a screwdriver through (across the section) and spin it off with that. After contact with the (oiled) rubber seal, it’s ¾ turn. Always works for me. Drain bolts have a torque spec too and I believe it’s based on the brass crush washers.

When my brother was 13 he over tightened a drain plug in his CR125 and cracked the case. It leaked ‘til the day he sold it. Be careful with these things.

Steve
’85 500SL Euro

is if a loved one (wife) is stuck out by the interstate with a flat - you want her to be able to remove the wheel. Based on the way she is dressed out there she may or may not be able to get some help.
Jim
'85 300D (the wife don't drive it)
'95 E320 (the wife don't drive it)
'97 CRV (wifes car)

Longston,
So you must be one of those cartridge guys
Hmmm, reminds me when I put one of these things in
my Chevy Impala and no o-ring was supplied. What a leak!
Will never use old block gasket again. This was 25+ years
ago when Chevys were the rage.

Two oil changes ago, I went to local Lube place for an
oil change. The next change, my filter wrench would not
get filter off. Had to borrow neighbors belt drive
wrench from his Reneault, it got filter off but it
was badly crushed when removed. I will only use
German filters now. Their cases seem to be thicker.
Lube place has been fired!!!!!

Gary

I got 2 new tires and the guy putting them on looked like he fell asleep while using the air wrench. So I got out the lug wrench and asked him to loosen the lug bolts. He couldn't loosen one. So I asked him how he expected me to loosen them in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. The answer was: DUUHH. So he loosened them with the air wrench and I torqued them with the lug wrench.

When I complained to management I was told that the air tools were set to the correct torque. So I guess management was as stupid as the tire changer guy if they expected me to believe that.

The only place I ever saw them use a torque wrench to tighten the lug bolts was in Canada, but I can't remember where it was. They also checked the tire for leaks in a water tank. How often do you see that?

P E H

Costco in Canada uses torque wrench to tighten lug nuts.However,they are so cheap that its always fully booked as soon as they open esp during tire changeover seasons.

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Tom 2010 C250 4-matic Sport (Canada)