Deformed/Bulging Oil Filter

[IntegraVT]

This was posted over on Reddit's CarTalk forum, thought I'd share it with you guys since I've never seen a filter balloon like this before.

Originally Posted By: yehyatt
Few months ago, my engine started spitting a small drop of oil right after cranking it, I thought it was the head gasket, but the problem disappeared after changing the oil filter, few days ago the car leaked all the oil out of the oil filter seal after I started it, when I took the oil filter out it was deformed, [1] http://i.imgur.com/D9ySi.jpg , my engine is old and it burns oil, but I don't know why oil filters keep exploding, is it the oil filter's quality, or there is something wrong with the engine.

The engine is a Mitsubishi 4g93 DOHC with 150,000 miles on it

 

[Donald]

Obviously they vehicle has a problem with the oil pump and its overpressure regulator that dumps oil back to the pan. Would be nice to know the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge.

Or could be someone yanking your chain by deforming the filter with high pressure air.

I only trust original posts by BITOG members, they are all good guys.

 

[tig1]

What about the filter being deformed before it was installed? Did you put it on??

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: tig1
What about the filter being deformed before it was installed? Did you put it on??


OP's quote: "This was posted over on Reddit's CarTalk forum, thought I'd share it with you guys". Sounds like he just reposted a photo with some of the posting and it wasn't done on the OP's car.
My brother used to have an external oil filter on an Oliver tractor that did this on several different brands of filters. I knew that it was building up too much pressure and needed internal repairs, but I special ordered a high pressure-rated racing oil filter, I believe it was made by Fram. We knew we would only keep the tractor for less than a year and it worked perfectly until it was sold. However, for a car I would recommend that the problem would get fixed.

 

[Cristobal]

If the engine has an internal oil pressure relief valve, I bet it is sticking shut. If it does not, maybe he is using oil that is really thick when cold, and the filter has no bypass valve. It might be really thick oil, and maybe he is revving it too much.

These things need checking out.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Oil pump's pressure regulator is toast. Not other way for oil pressure to go sky high and balloon out an oil filter.

 

[sky7]

I would think that the gasket would blow long before a can would balloon out. I vote that it is the result of a "bored in the shop" experiment.

 

[MinamiKotaro]

Originally Posted By: sky7
I would think that the gasket would blow long before a can would balloon out. I vote that it is the result of a "bored in the shop" experiment.


I've seen a can swell nearly to bursting without even the slightest leak at the gasket.

 

[Cristobal]

I am not an engineer, but the filter is very stretched out near the gasket, caused by metal bending. If something like 300 PSI would be carried by the gasket, and since its surface area facing the pressure might be less than 1/2 of a square inch, it would therefore have say, 150 pounds pressure on it, which it could carry. Sorry but I will not convert this to metric but you know what I mean.

On the other hand, 300 PSI might mean 1200 pounds of pressure on the grand total of the filter head, so the metal at the side will bend. That explains how this filter came to look like it does. There is more surface area for the pressure to bear on, so the energy released can do more work. If you want to see how pressure will bend flat or certain curved surfaces, but not cylindrical ones as easily, put a can of Diet Coke in your freezer. Put it inside a plastic bag, so you do not have crud all over the place if it pops. Look at it 48 hours later. Keep it then in the bag until it is totally thawed as it still might pop.

 

[flstffxe]

Three things typically cause this IME.

Stuck oil pressure relief valve.

Too thick of oil.

Spun main bearing stopping oil flow other mains/rods depending on the lubrication path.

Filter media collapsing into/onto the outlet from too thick of oil or clogged media would also cut off flow.