Do u always wipe off the oil filter mount area?

[ammolab]

Originally Posted By: AVB



If you never wipe , over time you will have issues.


Mom told me that exact same thing when I was a kid!

 

[goodtimes]

There is usually a ring of dirt on it, so of course yes.

 

[Eddie]

I always wipe and inspect the oil filter mount. Ed

 

[ZZman]

Do people with cartridge filters wipe out the inside of the housing?

 

[OilFilters]

Originally Posted By: Zee09
I see guys dip a fresh filter in the oil pan and use old oil on the gasket. They gum up the fresh filter and make it a mess. I don't like sloppiness.


There was no "dip" but I admit I used the "dirty" oil to wipe on the gasket on my last change, simply because I hadn't cracked open the new oil yet. Once again my thinking is, the engine is already coated with the old oil anyway on the inside, what's a few more drops? And my "used" oil probably has life left anyway, since I don't wait until the very last mile to change it.

I've been thinking lately about only changing the filter at every other oil change. Previous dissections of the oil filter show it not to be even close to used up when I change it.

 

[das_peikko]

I wipe it, but then oil runs out all over it again.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Originally Posted By: AVB
Why are you inspecting the base, is it leaking?


It takes five seconds to wipe and look. You never know if something unusual comes up. IMO having a smooth clean base ensures a proper seal with the freshly oiled gasket on the new filter.

If you never wipe , over time you will have issues.


Tell me about it. Burning and itching...

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: ammolab
Originally Posted By: AVB



If you never wipe , over time you will have issues.


Mom told me that exact same thing when I was a kid!


You had a great Mom. I wish my Mom had told me. I had to learn the hard way..

 

[Stelth]

I don't know if I could say always, but yes, I generally wipe it off.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: OilFilters
... Out of habit, I normally wipe it off. ...
As for "inspecting" it, I couldn't see the gasket surface anyway unless I used a mirror. ...
Likewise, on my Mazda; I could easily feel the mounting surface and wipe it, but could not see it. If one isn't careful to clean the mounting base, contamination is likely whenever the new filter gasket has a larger diameter than the replaced one. The filter should catch any stray grit that makes it through the entry holes.

That whole issue is obsolete now, with cartridge filters.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: ZZman
Do people with cartridge filters wipe out the inside of the housing?
My father did that scrupulously on the '54 Chevy. There was usually some sludge to be wiped up at the bottom of the filter housing after he syringed the old oil out.

I don't do that with the Prius, except at the outer edge, where the O-ring on the cover could push any residual grime into the housing.

 

[AVB]

If you can't see the base how do you know you aren't dragging dirt from the outside in?

 

[Revving2Redline]

Gonna add a sandwich adapter for oil cooler soon but always wipe it off to check for shavings and depris. Can't hurt.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: AVB
If you can't see the base how do you know you aren't dragging dirt from the outside in?
Wipe circumferentially or toward the outside, never toward the center. Then feel carefully. Luckily, even if you do "drag dirt from the outside in," it isn't likely to fall into the filter exit pipe, where it could well cause major trouble.

 

[Bud]

Always

 

[Warstud]

Just like taking a dump...I always wipe afterward.

 

[barkingspider]

I just give it a quick wipe w a rag before installing the new filter

 

[Convert]

Just like going to the bathroom. At some point during the procedure you have to wipe
TOMB

 

[dlundblad]

I do if I know I am using something with a slightly different gasket diameter.

Aside from that, not only am I failing to see a benefit, but I see it as an opportunity for additional crud to fall on something it shouldn't. Dirt falling into the threads or the base of the threads for example.

The gasket's mating surface will have oil dripping on it from the engine for some time anyways. (Unless you have a vertical filter obviously.)

 

[jhellwig]

I never did until the LS motors came around. They like to collect dirt and [censored] up in that inset where the filter sets and I can’t manage to stick the filter straight up in there without bumping something. I never had the problem with an sbc or any other engine.