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Oil Filters

Beatnik

Beatnik

What's this ?
I had this argument yesterday with a place about tightening filters. They say you spin them until they touch, then hand tight ?

Seems to me this could be bad if a weakling put it on, I've had two loosen and leak from this place.

I was taught you should get them hand tight and then wrench it a quarter turn. In 40 years I've never had one back off.

?
 
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There could be an underlying problem if they're coming loose.
I once had a spin on filter that randomly would come loose.
I put a hose clamp around it to prevent it from coming loose.
It still came loose...wtf?
Long story short, the pressure relief valve was sticking closed on cold start up and the oil pump was putting out so much pressure it was blowing the oil filter off by bending the flange.
I lost at least 3 new oil changes to this before seeing what was happening with my own eyes.
Scary seeing the filter move away from the mounting flange as I carefully brought the rev's up.
This was on a '68 BMW 1600 so I could witness the oil filter movement easily from above.
Loosing oil this way is messy as all get out too. Kind of embarrassing when it happens right in front of the dorms too.
 
Years of maintenance and working industrial supply selling filters.

Spoke to good factory reps. WIX, Nelson.

Hand tight to gasket touch down, 1/4 turn more. Oil on gasket to allow the tighten “feel”.
Never wrench them on. I’ll shoot you myself or make you get them off.

Only one filter ever “leaked”. Oil pump bypass stuck and the “leak” covered the entire engine bay in oil.
 
So you should be able to take it off without a filter wrench after 2k miles ? If you walked out to your vehicle now you could just reach down and turn it either way ?

I've never had one refuse to come off with a wrench, I do oil the gasket. This motor has 80k on it, Ford crate long block.
 
From reading online it seems there is a lot of disagreement on this like everything else on the net.

What if the gasket manufacturer was off spec like so many things are these days coming from far away lands ?
 
Typically, apply oil to the rubber gasket, carefully clean the mating surface, and then tighten by hand, with good force -- not crazy tightening, but not finger force either.

The above said, modern cars are getting more and more complicated :(, so it never hurts to check the owners manual for their specific recommendations. I have one car that has a torque spec for the oil filter, but it's not a typical spin on filter, it's a canister that goes over the replaceable filter.
 
Beatnik said:
So you should be able to take it off without a filter wrench after 2k miles ? If you walked out to your vehicle now you could just reach down and turn it either way ?

I've never had one refuse to come off with a wrench, I do oil the gasket. This motor has 80k on it, Ford crate long block.
Click to expand...

You will still need a wrench to get it off. Now, if your 6' 6", 260 pounds, you may get it off by hand.

FWIW, I do use a wrench to put them on, only because I've now lost quite a bit of grip strength. Oil the gasket, hand tight plus 1/4 turn, to 3/4 turn (depends on the filter).
 
Yeah, my dad taught me to tighten until contact, then about a quarter turn. I've never had a problem with filters I've changed. I do find that some car's filter placement makes it really hard to either put a filter wrench on to remove the filter, or if removing by hand, to get any kind of leverage.

Our current car, an 05 Avalon, has a cartridge filter, which I find kinda nice. The housing has a square drive fitting. Much easier that trying to finagle a filter wrench into an awkward spot. My motorcycle used one too.
 
Some cars it's a mo fo to get your hand on the filter. On those I use a wrench but know the drill- not too tight!
I think lubricating the rubber mating surface is the key. Put 'em on dry and they won't budge come time to change it.
My parents had a 93 Buick Regal with a V6, it's now my youngest daughter's. It's very hard to get to the filter, you can only see a corner of it, and you have to be a contortionist to get to it. First time I did it it took me an hour and a half to figure out how. The shop that did oil changes on it for 25 years seldom got it tight enough that it didn't leak.
 
turn until touchdown + 3/4 turn more wrench or not. Been doing it this way 50+ years'. And use the used oil to lube the gasket. And please use a quality filter such as Wix/ Mobile 1.
 
Ross6860 said:
You will still need a wrench to get it off. Now, if your 6' 6", 260 pounds, you may get it off by hand.

FWIW, I do use a wrench to put them on, only because I've now lost quite a bit of grip strength. Oil the gasket, hand tight plus 1/4 turn, to 3/4 turn (depends on the filter).
Click to expand...

That's what I've done for years. Hand tight plus 1/4.
 
Beatnik said:
So you should be able to take it off without a filter wrench after 2k miles ? If you walked out to your vehicle now you could just reach down and turn it either way ?

I've never had one refuse to come off with a wrench, I do oil the gasket. This motor has 80k on it, Ford crate long block.
Click to expand...

I do all my stuff, 40+ years.
I take them all off by hand.
2K, 3K, 4K, 1 year, 2 years, ???
Old farm boy but doing software for 20+ years so I got girly hands and my grip isn’t anything to brag about, though I do a lot of tinkering hand work.

You don’t need them cranked on.
30-40-50 psi is not that strong.
Lot of water systems in houses run that high or higher. Do you use a wrench to turn your water valves!?!?!

They used to say right on the filter, hand tighten, then 1/4 turn. The “old” guys that taught me years ago said “As tight as you can get it BY HAND”.
 
When I first changed the oil on my new-to-me used car, I could not get the filter off, even with a strap wrench. A filter wrench only dented the can. I finally took a screwdriver to it and almost didn't get the flange off the engine. I swore I would never allow the dealer to change the oil even if it were for free since they obviously didn't know how to put the filter on correctly.
As tight as I can get it by hand has worked fine for me.
 
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