LMM Air Filter Removal

[richp]

Hi,

Is it just the cold weather making everything stiff and inflexible, or is there some trick to removing the air filter canister on an '09 Dmax?

I can't seem to get it to lift up over the small molded tab in the bottom of the enclosure, so it will slide over and lift up.

Thank for the help.

Rich Phillips

[richp]

Hi,

I guess I'm the only guy to ever have this problem then....

[Kennedy]

All of the round filters can be a pain but usually installation is the toughest. They fit and seal tight so there is no leakage. I would try to do on a warm engine and it should work better.

[Mark Rinker]

I have had a few filters get stuck, where the soft rubber ring adhered to the plastic filter box.

Might not be the most mechanically correct, but I grabbed the top of the filter and rocked back and forth, using the tab the bottom as a lever, then reached around sides and pulled. That usually did it.

As for re-installing, I think a warm filter that sat inside overnight would be the key. If it sat in the truck overnight here, I doubt you'd get it installed - too stiff too cold.

[richp]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. Gonna wait until it gets a bit warmer (no usable garage) and see what I can do.

Have good one.

[richp]

Hi,

Final chapter in the story might contain a tip for someone else....

I managed to twist enough the proper way and get the old filter out OK. When I inserted the new filter element, the top went in all right. But there didn't seem to be any way to get a good angle on the bottom of the element/mating gasket assembly, to get it evenly seated in the housing. Despite the gasket being warm, it still didn't want to seat completely.

So I looked at the setup for a minute, went back in the garage and came back with a 1x3 about 24" long. Inserted it in the space between the filter and the left side of the housing, and gently pried the bottom of the filter into place, with the top left side of the housing as the fulcrum.

Thanks again for the pointers.