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Leaking Oil Filter

10K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  IGWright 
#1 ·
Second oil change.
Both with Mobile 1 5W-30 and a Mobile 1 Filter.

When I went to do the second,
I found oil all over the engine components adjacent the filter.

Searched around for oil filter torque specs on the internet,
but got nothing except to tighten by hand.

Just checked today and found oil all over the engine again.

I'm now at a point where I think I might start using my clicker wrench and seeing at what point it stops leaking.
At least that way, we have a reference point for people to go off of in the future.

The only other thing that occurred to me was the possibility that the Mobile 1 are prone to leaking.

Over to you gentlemen,

Ian
 
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#3 ·
should be "contact plus some fraction of a turn" ..
Make sure you don't have pieces of an old gasket or other crud on the mating face of the filter mount..

I don't recall ever seeing a torque recommendation for a spin-on oil filter..
 
#4 ·
That's probably the way to roll.
If nobody else is having problems,
then logic dictates that the seal is the problem.

I'm gonna get her up on the ramps and have good look again.
I only drive 4300 miles a year, so I only change the oil once a year,
which I just did in December.
I guess I could drain the oil,
have a look at the seating for the filter,
and put the oil back in.

Thank-you for the replies,
have a great Sunday,

Ian:cool:
 
#5 ·
I would check the Mobil1 website to ensure you have the correct filter part number for your year and engine. When I experienced this issue on another vehicle, it turned out the idiot that changed the fluid and filter put on the wrong filter part number which didn't seal.
 
#6 ·
There is a known issue with some Hemi's...leak from oil filter/oil filter housing. It happened to me.
Factory filter was on super tight..after changing oil leak started, did not matter which filter I used, Mopar, K&N, Mobil 1, they all had a small leak from that area and I could not get it to stop and could not tighten the filter enough for it to stop.
But I do not know if it was indeed the filter leaking or the oil filter housing though it sure seemed to be coming from that area.
Dealer fixed it after talking to FCA, but I found lots of Ram owners on line with the same issue.
I believe they replaced the oil filter housing and associated parts...can't remember as it was 3 yrs ago, but have not had an issue since.
 
#8 ·
The thing that negates this explanation is the fact that this area of the engine was pristine when I bought it.
I bought from a mom and pop, so there were and still are a number of "economy measures" in place,
including some cheap *ss oil filter with no branding on it.
However, it didn't leak.

So the mystery continues . . .
 
#9 ·
JG:
Remove the filter, and make sure that the snout it screws onto is firmly attached or screwed into the block. On my 04, I had to put some loctite on the part that threads into the block as it wanted to unscrew with the filter during changes. If you have some type of housing that the filter attaches to, possibly it is cracked or a gasket between it and the block has failed.

Don
 
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#10 ·
Aaaah.
Interesting.
So that threaded pipe is in turn, threaded into the engine block?
That could be it.

'Cause it was clean when I did my first change.
I did quite a bit a research on torquing the filter on,
and I'm pretty sure I got it right.
But then oil must have been spraying out of the filter based upon the splatter pattern.

If the filter was tight to the pipe, but the pipe was not tight,
then that could account for the splatter.

It seems that I'm gonna have to drain 'er and have a look.

I have the dreaded Takata Recall to deal with,
so I'm kind of thinking of getting that done first to see what the dealership breaks in the process. :wall:
Then fix all of it at once.

Ian
 
#11 ·
So I'm gonna change the oil,
and try and trouble shoot the leaking filter.

I'll clean up the oil that has leaked, and drive it for a few days with a few punches to the accelerator,
then inspect to see if new oil has leaked.
If everything's clean, then I'll go ahead and do the oil change.

I'm thinking of ways of tightening the post that the oil filter screws onto.
What I've come up with, is buying a cap nut with thread that corresponds to the thread of the oil filter,
putting it on the end of the rod and giving her a little torque to see if it screws in any more.
And inspecting everything to make sure there are not failed components.:cool:
 
#12 ·
I just noticed some oil drops this week on my 18rt. I tightened up the filter a bit yesterday but still had a small drip today. I have to take it in anyway for something else so will have the dealer look at it. Between this and a new waterpump on a truck with 3000 miles, this may be my first and last american car.
 
#14 ·
My 07 leaked at filter also

just bought it in November from a buy here pay here place 205k on body supposedly 57k on motor. The mechanic that did motor was worthless Pan gasket leak with 4 of 17 bolts broken... Oil filter leak.... Rad leak.... list goes on and on.

After replacing pan gasket (What a chit show to do.... ) the new gasket was leaking still. Had cleaned everything best we could but without a bunch more hours put into trying to get the darn thing out.... we finally got everything sealed up.... then noticed the filter leaking.. changed filter as had just bought the vehicle. The exhisting filter was so damn tight we couldnt hardly get if off. Replaced and tightened just over hand tight as I have done on every vehicle in the past. Still leaked. Tried another filter thinking maybe just a bad filter... Didnt see any debis around the houseing. filter still leaked... throughly scrubbed the whole filter housing and so far no leaks!! woohoo 2 of us looked at that darn housing and both agreed looked good.... but untill physically scrubbed it up clean enough to eat off and way more area then we thought....
 
#15 ·
I know tomk alluded to it long ago (and it's not a new thread too), but sometimes the rubber gasket from the old filter stays on the block when the filter is removed. Unless you look for it it can be hard to see, and realize that gasket is not supposed to be there. Installing a new filter with the old gasket still there will undoubtedly lead to leaks too.
 
#17 ·
So this turned out to the the Oil Pressure Sending Unit.
I replaced it last night along with the oil filter and fresh oil,
and today the leak is gone.:clap:

It appeared to be the filter because the sender is just above the filter,
and was dripping down on it.

The sender I put is is an OEM,
and the threads fit,
but the connector is a 3 wire,
and much bigger than the one that I took off.
Also, the one I took off had only 1 wire.

So I've got a new puzzle to solve.

Now I have to figure out what to put in my pressure washer to get the oil off the driveway.
LOL

Ian
 
#19 ·
Hey,

I would have taken the short way around it I knew about it!
:cool:

I did one oil change, but I couldn't get the filter to budge 'cause it was too tight.
I tried my wrench (pressed sheet metal) but it just slipped.
Bought a new wrench made of forged aluminum,
put my impact on with little, light and short bursts,
and that budged it.
From there I was able to get it with the ratchet.

Alas, I am but a modest shade tree mechanic,
with the heart of a master mechanic! LOL

Have a great day,

Ian
 
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