my strap wrench I use on my eg and ef, is apparently too big for my 2009 civic si.

so I just tightened as much as I could with my hand. You cant get your hand in there as well as I'd like for leverage...but I couldnt untighten it after with my hand, and I'm a big strong guy.

Driving on a 3 hr trip this afternoon, and am a little worried about it.

Do I need to go to the auto parts store for a smaller strap wrench?

 

Completely fine. I've been putting mine on and off by hand for every vehicle I've owned....there actually supposed to be only hand tight as well.

 

Hand tight only.

 

Been hand tightening filter since 05, no leaks or filters falling off ever. Plus they always come off pretty easy, never need a tool.

 

if you need a tool to loosen or tighten, its already too tight. hand tight

 

thx guys,
drove it for the 3 hours and no leaks, so it is fine.
weird thing is, I put in 5 quarts, and it still reads only halfway on dipstick.

I thought these things only took 4.5 quarts?

 

Turn the dipstick over.

 

Bro most oil filter are hand tighten no need to wrech it on.

 

no, I know about turning the dipstick over to see both sides...still read the same though.
no biggie, I'll just keep and eye on it.

loving this car so far.
auto x'd it a few weeks back for the first time, and it is the most tossable and controllable car I've ever driven...with the 2.6 turns lock to lock, the steering is tight, direct, and communicative.
the stock michelin pilots gave pretty good grip, and not only did I get fast time of the day for street tires, I smoked lots of evo's and STI's with monster hoosiers and 500hp.

cant wait to get it out for a track day...
thx everyone for the help

 

I'm a tech at a honda dealership been here for a few years. I have never used a wrench of any kind to put a filter on. No worries man you'll be fine.

 

Honda does provide one for the techs though, blue handled torque wrench preset to 8.7 fl lbs IIRC. From what I was told when I worked there, aftermarket filter with a flat gasket is to be hand tightened. The honda filters use more of an O-ring style gasket though and need to tightened with a wrench. That said I've hand tightened lots of Honda filters and never had one leak yet.

Also as far as the Si's go when I used to do them at work I'd take the passenger's side front wheel off since you can get at the filter quite easily then. Of course I had a good impact gun and a hoist so it actually saved me time to do it that way.

 

My high school auto shop teacher taught us to never use any tool to tighten an oil filter. He said to use one dry hand, or two oily hands. That was almost 30 years ago and it's still good advice i give to the noobs in the shop.

 

Yeah we do have a torque wrench but I never use it. and yes Honda OEM filters do use an o-ring instead of the square cut seal on most aftermarket filters.
But I have never had an Issue with the filter leaking. Ps. SI's do indead suck to change the filters.

 

It is going to read lower if the motor was just running. It is all up in the rods/head of the engine.

Also a caution. Always check to make sure the old oil filter gasket came off when you take the old filter off. Having two gaskets does not make a seal. Found this out the hard way and blew oil all over my drive way.