I’m trying to get the oil filter off and am unable.  I have a 1986 Samurai with aircon so space is limited between the compressor mount and the engine motor mount.  I’ve tried a 74mm 15 flute and a 76/74mm fire and can’t get the old one off.  Filter wrench pliers can grip it but there’s no room to turn and grabbing further up the only way to grip it would cause it to dent the filter. 

My search skills aren’t returning valid results.  Any advice would be much appreciated.  I want to change the oil and am trying not to refill and drive to an oil change place just to have them drain the fresh oil.

This can be a tough one without actual "eyes on" - even your choice of filter brand changes the situation as some aftermarket filters have different dimensions to the ones they replace.  Some after market units have a nut welded to the case, maybe try one of those, or a three jaw universal wrench.

If all else fails, jam a screw driver through the old filter and use that.

or a three jaw universal wrench.

Three jaw wrench worked.  Just grabbed it from Autozone and was able to get it off with a significant amount of force.  Dented the old filter, but that doesn’t matter.  Thanks for the tip.

Pics aren’t uploading. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I guess one at a time then?

Filter location.  About 1cm either side of the filter and the axle housing is in the way for normal length filter wrenches. 

Dented filter.  The wrench crumpled the can about .5cm before any movement.  Maybe another .5cm after that until I could get it loose enough to turn by hand.

I can't help but wonder if you're "over tightening" the filter - the recommendation is usually a smear of clean oil on the sealing ring and 3/4 turn past the point of first contact - for me that is hand tight, and I can usually grab my filters and spin them off by hand (without a wrench),  at least I would be able to if they weren't too hot to grab.

I can't help but wonder if you're "over tightening" the filter - the recommendation is usually a smear of clean oil on the sealing ring and 3/4 turn past the point of first contact - for me that is hand tight, and I can usually grab my filters and spin them off by hand (without a wrench),  at least I would be able to if they weren't too hot to grab.

Was not my doing.  I hand tighten oil filters.

One thing I have used in the past, not specifically for a Samurai, is to drive a phillips screw driver or awl through the filter, the handle hen gives enough leverage to turn it.

..... "over tightening" the filter .....

That was one of the most common problems we ran into when I was a mechanic. We had a German
 built 3 finger filter wrench(Hazet) that the finger serrations paralleled the fingers so there was never
a filter it would not remove. We had filters that were installed by "one armed wheel chair racers",  the
 tool would crush the canister and tear it off the base, leaving it stuck to the flange.
As stated most filter manufacturers recommend 1/2 - 3/4 turn after the gasket contacts the mating surface.
When installing a Fleet Guard filter on my truck(3/4 turn after contact) most of the time I can remove it after
I wipe the dust off of the filter. On my wife's car and my Zuk, 1/2 turn and it can be removed by hand.