Oil filter leaking

[SFVdave]

My 2015 Ford E450 V10 is having issues with the oil filter. I am on my second oil change doing it myself. Both times I used Mobil 1 synthetic oil and filter. I followed the procedures for filter change (removed old gasket, wiped clean added new oil on new filter gasket and threads) only tightening 3/4 of a turn once contact is made. But it leaks and so I have to give it almost a 1/4 turn more to get it to stop. Now a week after the oil change and a few hours of driving, , I see it has more drip marks at the bottom of the filter. It can't be residue from the oil change at this point.
Any suggestions.

[SFVdave]

Thanks for all the responses. Hand tightening is the way to go. I originally had spun the filter on and put a scratch on the bottom of the filter and hand tightened. Then continued with a wrench until it was 3/4 of a turn on. That's when it started to leak so I tightened it some more and more. Like many of you, it's now hand tighten and use the wrench if necessary to remove it.

[Bobbo]

I always do 2 things when installing an oil filter.

1. Take a paper towel and wipe all of the old oil off of the engine mounting surface. If the rubber seal stuck to the engine, I will find it then.

2. Coat the rubber seal on the new oil filter with a coating of new oil before installing.

I then tighten it as tight as I can by hand. I know I will have to use an oil filter wrench to remove it anyway.

[sandblast]

klutchdust wrote:
I always fill my filter with oil before installation then rub some of the clean oil on the gasket, don't see any oil dripping afterwards. Oozing is not normal. Hand tighten only, it's difficult enough at times to remove just a hand tightened filter I can't imagine one that's been tweaked with a filter wrench.

X2 I`m with ya`

E.P.

[ron_dittmer]

SFVdave wrote:
Removed the filter and wiped clean and reinstalled.Hand tightened 1/2 turn after contact. No leak. Going to buy another quart. Down 1/2 quart.

Glad you resolved it. If you find it leaking again, just tighten it more by hand. Never use any kind of tool.

[ron_dittmer]

Hemi RT wrote:
Did the seal from the first filter stay stuck to the block? If this happens you'll get a leak as the 2 seals don't seal together very well, take the filter off and check before something serious happens. You can reinstall the filter or just replace it and top up the oil level.

This was my thought....double gasket-ing which is an extremely bad condition. Two gaskets stacked won't hold for the life of the oil change. When oil pressure and heat is high for extended periods, the gaskets will blow out and you will have a catastrophic loss of oil under the worst of circumstances. You could loose the engine if that happens.

As far as tightening an oil filter is concerned, I wipe clean the metal surface that the gasket seals against, then smear a film of oil on the new gasket, and hand tighten the filter as tight as possible. I am not that strong of a guy and have never been able to over-tighten an oil filter by hand.

Ruling out oil that had originally been on the outside of the filter, if you have done everything right and still get a drip now and then, I would replace the filter. With the filter off, I would inspect the metal mating surface for anything that may cause an improper seal. Make sure that surface is 100% clean. Bad metal corrosion might also be the culprit. But it is more likely the gasket originally good, but had been damaged or deformed during storage or handling, either by you or the store that sold it to you. I say this because in all my years with oil filters (I volunteer as a mechanic) I have never seen a filter that was made wrong, just handled wrong somewhere along the way. And even then it is extremely rare.

[jfkmk]

SFVdave wrote:
Removed the filter and wiped clean and reinstalled.Hand tightened 1/2 turn after contact. No leak. Going to buy another quart. Down 1/2 quart.

Usually it's 3/4 - 1 turn after the filter contacts the engine.

[tpi]

Personally I'd skip that hand tighten half turn after contact-at least if it gives a looser result than tightening as hard as you can by hand. You won't be over tightening it. If I ever think my hand strength is getting weaker, I very may well go to the school of hand tighten as hard as I can plus an eighth turn with a wrench.

I'd also suggest to drive it a day then crawl under it again and tighten it some more by hand if you can.

Although many shops install these filters too tightly, I've had a few alarming examples of filters which were much too loose when I removed them from service.

[SFVdave]

Removed the filter and wiped clean and reinstalled.Hand tightened 1/2 turn after contact. No leak. Going to buy another quart. Down 1/2 quart.

[Bordercollie]

I took our '90 Camry Wagon to an oil change place where the guy didn't tighten the oil filter enough. Filter came off, engine lost oil and seized. I like to tighten filters a little more than hand tight. If the mating surface is smooth and flat, filter should not leak if gasket is undamaged and filter is installed with a little oil on gasket.

[tpi]

One thing that could be happening here-look at the oil filter before you install. There is a channel which could trap oil between the rubber seal and the outside circumference of the filter. This could drip out over time if oil gets in there. How would it get in there? Notice how much oil drains out from the cooler and oil gallery when you first remove filter. It will eventually stop dripping but if you're in a hurry to get the new filter in place, some may drip into the channel I mentioned when you're installing new filter. Also if you have drips on the machined sealing area of the mounting plate, that will get squeezed out into this channel. This would account for a few drips from the new filter.

But as I mentioned I can think of two over the years I had to replace due to defects in the metal can. They seeped and dripped.

[time2roll]

I just bought a Mobil 1 filter for my next change. I hope it works.
Have only used OEM FL-820S up until now...

[CharlesinGA]

I haven't had an engine on which I could get a good grip on the filter, since Dad's '67 Falcon (still have it). I almost always tighten with the filter wrench, but I don't get crazy with it either. Been doing it most of 45 years now (never have ever paid to have an oil change) and have NEVER had a leak or a badly stuck filter. ALWAYS lube the gasket, either with oil, or better, with Dow 4 Silicone grease, which is recommended by the aircraft engine manufacturers for spin on filters on small aircraft. I've used the Dow 4 for years.

Charles

[klutchdust]

I always fill my filter with oil before installation then rub some of the clean oil on the gasket, don't see any oil dripping afterwards. Oozing is not normal. Hand tighten only, it's difficult enough at times to remove just a hand tightened filter I can't imagine one that's been tweaked with a filter wrench.

[j-d]

Bobbo wrote:
My oil filter gaskets usually stay on the filter. USUALLY! I have had them stay on the engine on occasion.

And if you ever miss that it's there... a Significant Emotional Experience follows engine startup!

I check every time, very thoroughly. Look at the filter and the sealing surface. Just caught a stuck gasket staying on the BOAT engine. Oil in the Bilge... worse than on the asphalt...