Recently purchased a 1994 civic lx went to do a oil change only to find the filter was stuck there isn’t enough room for my oil filter wrench to get a good grip and no room for the hammer and screw driver method anyone have and tips.

 

Check whether one of these oil filter wrenches fits. If not, return.

https://www.harborfreight.com/oil-fi...RoC76IQAvD_BwE

 

I personally hate those cap oil filter wrenches, I find them to be mostly useless.

My favorite is the two jaw utilizing a 3/8" ratchet driver. I've used it exclusively after working in the lube shops for a few years. It works even on dry gasket filters when all others fail. The screwdriver hammer trick is usually a bad idea as the canister gets tore up and then you are in an even worse predicament to get the filter off. Or should I say, the remains of the filter.

This one in particular for our smaller oil filters, they make a larger version for the bigger V8 filters etc:

 

The caps work great when they fit the filter. When they don't fit, they don't work.

I have the wrench at your amazon link. In my experience, it's weakness is a tendency to slip.

 

I found the weakness you mention be for the cap version while the clamp just bites in more and more the more pressure you have to use to get the filter off.

Interesting indeed. I like it because it doesn't slip, but you found it slips for you. Definitely not the same experiences.

 

Very true.

 

I use this and it removes ANY OIL FILTER. Just don't use it during install.

 

I find this amusing, as this is common experience for many of us. I literally have all of the above wrenches, as each time one would work better in some situations (or even some types of filters), than others.

 

If you're in a pinch with the car off the ground, oil drained out, and none of the above tools, a leather belt makes a great strap wrench. I've yanked mine off and used it without even climbing out from under the car.

Then go publicly chastise the person who put the too-tight filter on. Never use a tool to install.

 

The Lisle 63600 works great. Can get it on Amazon or EBay.

 

If you don't put a little oil on the rubber gasket, the filter is a real pita to remove.
Sometimes it wasn't because it was put on too tight instead, a novice didn't know to rub a little oil on the o-ring of the filter.

I absolutely HATE dry gasket filters from novices... OMG I can't express enough exasperation for those!