2.2.L 5SFE engine sudden oil leak 1999 Camry 4-cyl

[yonyon]

Originally Posted By: The Critic

That sounds like a load of baloney. I've yet to see a single car that has "crud" built-up on that base. Sure, I do a quick wipe, but all I get is dirty oil. In fact, most techs I know just leave the base wet so they can screw a new filter on (without having to lube the gasket).


Considering the car in question it might not be so much highly processed luncheon meat as it sounds. The filter faces forward with the dome leaning up. There's plenty of room for dirt to accumulate on the block atop the filter while driving. This does happen. Maybe there was enough there that unscrewing the filter allowed some dirt to "fall in" as such and the oil could have trapped some dirt on the mating surface.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: yonyon

Considering the car in question it might not be so much highly processed luncheon meat as it sounds. The filter faces forward with the dome leaning up. There's plenty of room for dirt to accumulate on the block atop the filter while driving. This does happen. Maybe there was enough there that unscrewing the filter allowed some dirt to "fall in" as such and the oil could have trapped some dirt on the mating surface.

That's a good point - I guess for a car of this vintage, it may have some oil leaks which could cause dirt to accumulate and possibly fall down into that area. Personally, and perhaps it's a characteristic of this area, have never seen more than a light layer of dust on the bottom of leak-free engines.

 

[andyd]

If you lube the filter seal, You can hand tighten them and not have them leak. In my experience, filters tend to tighten over time. If I have to resort to a wrench to take a filter off, I've over tightened it.

Its so easy, a Kwiki-Lube guy can do it.

 

[Vikas]

The filter was tight as I could not tighten it any more and needed the wrench to take it off. I will try to take the picture of the gasket but I am not sure if the camera can capture it.