Ok I give up. What causes an oil filter to leak at the o-ring?
- Thread starter Rot Box
- Start date
How tight are you tightening the filter?
Are you lubing the gasket prior to installing filter?
Are there any nicks on the filter mounting surface of oil cooler?
In all my years of auto work I've had one filter leak so far.
A technique Bill taught me....tighten filter as per instructions 3/4 - 1 full turn past contact, the crack the filter back about 1/32 turn or so...you'll feel it when you have done it right a few times...
Basically that causes the oring to re-engauge at a different angle, this makes removal easier too.
Think of it this way....turning filter makes the gasket //////// force in one directiion
cracking it back a bit makes the rubber go \\\\\\ does that make sense??
Are you lubing the gasket prior to installing filter?
Are there any nicks on the filter mounting surface of oil cooler?
In all my years of auto work I've had one filter leak so far.
A technique Bill taught me....tighten filter as per instructions 3/4 - 1 full turn past contact, the crack the filter back about 1/32 turn or so...you'll feel it when you have done it right a few times...
Basically that causes the oring to re-engauge at a different angle, this makes removal easier too.
Think of it this way....turning filter makes the gasket //////// force in one directiion
cracking it back a bit makes the rubber go \\\\\\ does that make sense??
Devon Harley
Full Access Member
You need to clean the filter head rub it dry. I take the seal off the filter an rub completly with fresh oil an stick oring back on filter inside of the grooves an screw it on. That's the best way I use to only rub the top an screw on but found out this way is a thousand times better. I use the Motorcraft FL-1995 powerstroke filter as well.
Thanks that makes sense I'll give it a try 
This is probably the eleventy billionth oil filter I've installed though out my life I wonder If I screwed something up with the relieve valves inside of the housing when I was cleaning it 
This is probably the eleventy billionth oil filter I've installed though out my life I wonder If I screwed something up with the relieve valves inside of the housing when I was cleaning it 
gandalf
Senior Member
That makes perfect sense to me. What you're doing is taking the tension off the rubber O ring, and leaving only the compression. I never would have thought of the idea, but it sounds real good.
Which Bill told you about this? We have OMB and OB8. I can easily see where either one of them could have understood to do this.
SparkandFire
We're drinking beer
Surfaces are very clean and smooth and o-ring well oiled. Ugh this could only happen to me
It's not just you...
The 6.9 I put in my truck does this too...
I figure there must be a small scuff or somesuch on the header surface causing it. Oil filter always has a small dribble.
I will try the filter install idea where you back turn the filter just a smidge, see if that helps...
Devon Harley
Full Access Member
If you have a mini grinder an a green scuff pad wheel wipe the head clean an lightly grind with that pad an it clears up light scratches an imperfections.
Could it be anything else besides the seal surface? I don't think its possible to get it any smoother than it is now
Its a big leak almost a stream of oil coming out. Something major is wrong and I can't help but think I screwed something up internally in the oil cooler.
Its a big leak almost a stream of oil coming out. Something major is wrong and I can't help but think I screwed something up internally in the oil cooler.
gandalf
Senior Member
I've seen reference in this thread to both the oil cooler and to the oil filter. Which one are you having trouble with? Which one is leaking so badly?
Its leaking from the the o-ring between the filter and the housing (the one that comes with the new filter when you buy it).
I'm just blown away by how bad this is leaking. Drip----Drip----Drip----Drip. I lightly buffed the surface and it looks perfect--no cracks or anything. I've tried threading the filter on from loose to very tight with zero difference. I've brought the engine up to temp a few times still nothing. I really don't want to but I'm debating pulling the cooler off again and inspecting it. Something major is going on here
You guys are great thanks for all the help so far
I'm just blown away by how bad this is leaking. Drip----Drip----Drip----Drip. I lightly buffed the surface and it looks perfect--no cracks or anything. I've tried threading the filter on from loose to very tight with zero difference. I've brought the engine up to temp a few times still nothing. I really don't want to but I'm debating pulling the cooler off again and inspecting it. Something major is going on here
You guys are great thanks for all the help so far
SparkandFire
We're drinking beer
Could the seal lip have gotten dinged or damaged when you had the header out? Not so much as a crack or a scuff, but something to make it have a high or low spot?
I rebuilt the oil cooler and flushed it out in a solvent tank before re-assembly. I flushed it out with clean oil and everything came out looking great. I don't think there is a wrong way to put these together and everything went really smooth.
I'm wondering if maybe I screwed up the relief vents/ports in the cooler housing somehow? If the system was over pressurizing somehow I could see this happening--is that even possible?
I'm wondering if maybe I screwed up the relief vents/ports in the cooler housing somehow? If the system was over pressurizing somehow I could see this happening--is that even possible?
I dont think so because one filter leaked so I threw on another new filter and it has the same problem.
SparkandFire
We're drinking beer
I was thinking perhaps the seal lip on the header itself might be out of true?
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