ive been changing my oil since i got the car about 9 times now and havent really figured out "tightening" vs "overtightening."
Just now when I was on my 9th oil change and as i got under my car to begin work, i notice oil all over the oil filter door (drain plug area was ok) and when i opened the door the filter was covered in oil run marks. i assume this is due to overtightening?
so how do you do "snug" but not "tight" these are very intangible words when friends have instructed me how to tighten these things. i assume they will still be intangible explained over the internet on a forum but im just giving it a shot. is it alright to loosen the filter a bit once tightened and screwed on? or should i just wait till the next oil change? or maybe this leak has nothing to do with tightness. seeking your expert advice! thanks!
In a vertical filter mount such as yours I fill the filter half way with motor oil, lightly lube the oil filter gasket then hand tighten usually half to three-quarters after the gasket makes contact with the engine....never seen a leak. Make sure the mount surface on the engine is wiped clean and no residue gasket pieces are present that can cause leaks.
Mine also has leaked like that, but, come to find out, I think it is coming from the valve cover and running and blowing all around, making it appear to be dripping off the filter.
I have tried every tightness imaginable on my oil filter, and the thing still leaks. The contact flange for the rubber filter gasket is shiny and new, no scratches, and the threads seem to be deep enough that the filter, does, in fact tighten on the gasket. I also put oil on the rubber as one should, no matter what I do, after a day or two the car is dripping oil in that area and off the filter.
The turbo engine has an oil cooler between the spin-on filter and the engine block.
There's an o-ring on the oil cooler that fails, leading to oil leaks that seem to be coming from above the spin-on filter, but not down from the engine block itself. Here's one example of threads (there are a few) on this topic (this one has links to others):
ive been changing my oil since i got the car about 9 times now and havent really figured out "tightening" vs "overtightening."
Just now when I was on my 9th oil change and as i got under my car to begin work, i notice oil all over the oil filter door (drain plug area was ok) and when i opened the door the filter was covered in oil run marks. i assume this is due to overtightening?
................
so how do you do "snug" but not "tight" these are very intangible words when friends have instructed me how to tighten these things. i assume they will still be intangible explained over the internet on a forum but im just giving it a shot. is it alright to loosen the filter a bit once tightened and screwed on? or should i just wait till the next oil change? or maybe this leak has nothing to do with tightness. seeking your expert advice! thanks!
I bet that filter is too loose. I have never seen a filter leak from being too tight and that includes filters that were put on so tight by idiot grease monkeys that it required destroying the filter to get the old filter off. The only filters that I've seen leak like that were too loose.
Try tightening the filter 1/4-1/3 turn and I bet the leak will stop.
I always tighten my filters by hand and stop when I'm at the point that I'm just starting to put light muscle power into snugging it up. If you don't have to use noticeable muscle power taking the filter off, you probably had it on a little loose. They sell filter wrenches for a reason if you get it a little too tight. I personally would rather have a filter that is on a little too tight than one that is loose and leaking. NOTE: I'm not saying to use every muscle in your body to tighten the filter.
If it helps my credibility at all, I was a decent quality grease monkey at a quick lube about 10-15 years ago. I still have the feel to make an oil filter tightened "just right". I again suggest tightening that oil filter some. The only way to really over tighten an oil filter is if you use an oil filter wrench to tighten it.
Finally, that is a PureOne oil filter with a teflon gasket. You won't harm it by spinning it on tighter.
Edited to Add: If the filter is already on so tight that you can't turn it in either direction by hand, you probably have an oil cooler leak or another leak. If the filter is still fairly easy to turn by hand, definitely tighten it up a little more.
All oil filters and most other filters fuel etc have instructions about how to tighten them. Not sure about the Subaru OEM but one poster indicated it also has instructions. I have never had an oil filter installed per instructions leak in over 40 years of changing my own oil. I have a Duramax where it was very difficult to remove the old factory installed filter. But everything factory installed on my Duramax has been difficult to remove.
No need for a torque wrench or any wrench for that matter. I was taught to put the filter on with my hand and nothing else. Turn it on til your hand slips on the filter then you are done. Been doing it that way for more than 30 years and have never had a loose filter. I have also never had to use more than a cup wrench to get one off with this methode.
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