Warning : Over vs. Under Tighten Oil Filters !

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During an oil change yesterday I was surprised to see a fresh leak of oil running down my Pure One oil filter from the engine ...Upon closer inspection the oil filter had backed off quite a bit and could easily be turned with just a few fingers . The instructions say to : " Pre-oil gasket then hand tighten until rubber gasket makes contact with the engine oil filter base plate - then hand tighten an additional 3/4th of turn " ** Note to the wise : Hand tighten a good turn and a half to two turns until HAND TIGHT !! the new "easy off" rubber gasket material used on oil filters today can back off on you if your not careful ! ...I would rather have to possibly use a oil filter wrench to remove an oil filter than to risk a oil filter backing off and running the sump dry on a remote stretch of highway .
 
Used many P1's (and others) over the years following the ~2/3-3/4 turns after gasket contact and never had a leak and never had one, back off. In my experience with said P1, turn and half to two turns after gasket contact would be too tight, if I could even do it by hand and that's with the P1 texture.

And if a sump is going to run dry, ie., anything other than a slow drip/leak, something else must be going on imo. Seems that big a leak should show up on post oil change leak inspection. My.02
 
When I do oil changes, I hand tighten it as much as I can without overdoing it. It usually turns further than 3/4 of a turn
 
I don't use P1's, but I tighten filters exactly 3/4 turn. My cup wrench is marked (I also usually mark the filter) and tighten them 3/4 turn.

I've never had one back off in oh 30 or so years of oil changes...
 
I have had a couple rare occasions of the filter leaking after installing hand tight. Both times it was due to the filter being installed when the ambient temps was warm (over 60F) and then later when ambient temps got into or below the freezing range, it caused the gasket to contract just enough and had a slow seep or drip. Most times it was with import filters that use a half moon o-ring type gasket and not the flat ring gasket.

Like others have mentioned, just gorilla grip them hand tight and just use a removal tool if needed when you have to take them off.
 
So tricky. I have never had a problem, and think that most amateur wrenches get a good sense of what is correct. For me, I tighten by hand and occasionally need to loosen by wrench. I will agree that too loose is a major problem. Too tight, not so big a deal.
 
I almost lost a spark plug in the Tracker following the instructions on X turns after contact. Now I tighten them so they won't fall out, how ever many turns it may be.
Same with oil filters, I tighten by hand enough that it will stay on, but I can still get it off for the next oil change, not what the the box says.
 
I am very good about "over tightening" filters. Id rather them be snug than come off down the road. As stated, using a wrench isn't a big deal.

I just dislike how my dads Ford has one of the most terrible filter locations ever. A small panel needed to be removed on the skid plate.. then you have to remove the filter in an even smaller location filled with hoses etc. Took me longer to remove the filter than to do the oil change.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
I have had a couple rare occasions of the filter leaking after installing hand tight. Both times it was due to the filter being installed when the ambient temps was warm (over 60F) and then later when ambient temps got into or below the freezing range, it caused the gasket to contract just enough and had a slow seep or drip....

Good point, and I should amend my previous post. ONCE, when I installed a filter in the heat of summer hand tight to ~3/4 turn after contact, when the temps dropped below freezing in winter, I developed a slow drip, but nothing like the OP described. I just took a cap wrench and gave it short turn, and all was good. Turn and half to two after contact seems like a lot in my experience. But, as long as it works for the OP and the filter can still be removed easily enough (no crushed can) with a wrench, then I guess it's ok.
 
Originally Posted By: Rolla07
As tight as I can turn it without going crazy. Really firm in other words.


+1 Given that I am 60 and not "The Man of Steel" my hand tighten seems to be proper. I usually need to use a wrench to remove. Now when I am 80 I may need to re-think the hand tighten.
 
Just follow the instructions, and hand tighten a good half to three-quarter turn when the oil filter feels snug.

Plenty of oil changes, including PureOnes, and have never had the oil filter loosen.
 
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Used many P1's (and others) over the years following the ~2/3-3/4 turns after gasket contact and never had a leak and never had one back off.


This.

Most filters for our vehicles I can't turn much more than 3/4 of a turn by hand, unless they have grippy exteriors or I use a wrench.

I actually did an oil change last night on the Sonata and the tightest I could get it without straining too hard was just under 1 turn.

There's no way I would tighten a filter to 1.5 or 2 turns after gasket contact. That's too much for any vehicle I've owned.
 
Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
** Note to the wise : Hand tighten a good turn and a half to two turns until HAND TIGHT !! the new "easy off" rubber gasket material used on oil filters today can back off on you if your not careful !


I hand tighten to 2/3 - 3/4 turn after initial base gasket contact and have never had an oil filter loosen up. In fact, they seem to be tighter than that when removing. Maybe this one didn't get tightened right in the first place (?).
 
Hand tight snug has always worked for me. I ignore that 3/4 turn stuff. I would think you could squeeze out the gasket on some filters if you over tighten - especially if you use a wrench to put it on. I've never witnessed any mechanic ever doing that - and I've seen quite a few of them.
 
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