[aa909]

thanks for all the suggestions guys, keep them coming

I'm heading to a service station this morning to borrow some equipment (large long flat head screw driver, channel locks, strap wrench, atomic bomb)

I'm going to try the strap wrench first and then chiseling with a large screw driver. I've also read that in the worse case some folks have ripped the filter off exposing the base and then using a screw driver and hammer to loosen or sticking a pair of needle nose pliers in the holes in the base and turning from there. thoughts on that as a final option?