Oil filter worked loose

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1999 Dodge Ram 1500 5.9L 156k on the clock.

Went to my dad's yesterday and changed the oil in his truck for him and when I went to unscrew the filter, I noticed there was oil dripping from it. I went to unscrew the filter and immediately noticed that it only took a slight bit of pressure to break free. I changed his oil last about a year and a half ago (drives very few miles anywhere) and I hand tightened that filter pretty good.

Filter was a Bosch 3402. Was the length of the OCI to blame for it to work loose like it did? Never seen that happen before and he doesn't mistreat the truck in anyway.
 
Gremlins. I try to get under and check oil filters after a good warm up or two. Have found more than one filter loose. Might have been a poorly seated gasket giving a false feeling of being tight?
 
Did you check the oil level via dipstick prior to doing the oil change. Seems strange that the filter would be that loose.

Any idead of how much you hand tightened it on the prior oil change? Normally when I do my changes I tighten the filter until it stops turning. Then I go for one more hand tightening which probably isn't even quarter of a turn.

Do you have pics of the filter and gasket for us? Did you check to see if there was anything sticking to the block where the gasket contacts it?
 
Originally Posted By: JC1
Did you check the oil level via dipstick prior to doing the oil change. Seems strange that the filter would be that loose.

Any idead of how much you hand tightened it on the prior oil change? Normally when I do my changes I tighten the filter until it stops turning. Then I go for one more hand tightening which probably isn't even quarter of a turn.

Do you have pics of the filter and gasket for us? Did you check to see if there was anything sticking to the block where the gasket contacts it?


I would say that I tightened about the same as you described that you did with yours. Yes the dipstick was checked prior to drain and it read about a quart low (filter leak I'm sure) and I wasn't able to get any pics of the filter because it had just started to rain pretty good at the moment and it slipped my mind. I wiped clean the block where the filter gasket seats to it and it looked fine but I won't rule out that I could have missed something due to the rain starting to come down and trying to finish up. I started the truck up after the refill and let it set for about 3 to 4 mins to check for a continued leak but did not observe any leak(s).
 
My Dodge Ram filter is almost always wet on the tip with oil.
Purolator Pure One or Fram Gold Filters are the only ones that never leak because of the upgraded gasket. I think Dodge has bad filter surfaces that aren't machined even. It's not enough it even drips. It's just wet with oil and annoying.
 
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
My Dodge Ram filter is almost always wet on the tip with oil.
Purolator Pure One or Fram Gold Filters are the only ones that never leak because of the upgraded gasket. I think Dodge has bad filter surfaces that aren't machined even. It's not enough it even drips. It's just wet with oil and annoying.


This is the 3rd consecutive oil change I've done on his truck in three years and the first time I've observed the leaky/loose filter. First filter was an stp oil special filter at autozone during their deal at the time and then came the Bosch 3402 with the prior change and lastly the Fram TG16 yesterday. I have confidence that the Fram won't exhibit a leak as the Bosch did and I'm not bashing Bosch at all because I've used their filters on prior vehicles with success for years. The wife and I drive down to see my dad about once a month so the next time we go I'll check and see if it is holding up
 
The filter was loose because it wasn't tightened properly in the first place.
 
I doubt it was loose after you finished the last oil change. Chances of him driving a year and a half on a loose filter seem slim to none.
 
Most of the filters I've used recommend 1/2 to 3/4 turn AFTER the seal touches. A comment Hand Tightened suggest it was installed incorrectly as CT8 suggested. Ed
 
I've had it happen on two vehicles. Once on my LR3, not sure what happened. It leaked enough that it followed the skid plates and made it look like a transmission fluid leak. My old 09 Grand Cherokee 3.7 it used to need to be retightened daily for a few days after an oil change. Used to get it very tight and then have to check it again and again. My Liberty with the same engine I've never had to retighten.
 
I always hand tighten filters as much as my bare hands can do. Never any leaks.

However a newly installed Amsoil bypass filter on my pickup worked its way to become wet with oil. Gave it a little tightening with a band wrench.

Maybe with age, my hand tightening strength has decreased.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
The filter was loose because it wasn't tightened properly in the first place.


+1 As already mentioned I recommend doing a 1/4-1/2 turn once the seal touches. Snug.

Off topic but is this why most quickie places tighten the $hit out of them? Wont come loose if there is 14 million ft/lbs of torque on it.
 
Originally Posted By: Eddie
Most of the filters I've used recommend 1/2 to 3/4 turn AFTER the seal touches. A comment Hand Tightened suggest it was installed incorrectly as CT8 suggested. Ed


I find usually 1/2 turn after it touches is sufficient.

I see people twisting them on one full turn... or more... then they're impossible to get off!
 
This a rare problem but I have seen it even where a filter was initially nice and tight.

The problem came down to a "class of fit" between threads on the engine and that of the filter.
The engine threads are seldom the problem, but misformed threads, even by a little bit on a filter
can cause it to back off.

"Class of Fit" can be best described as follows:

Ever notice that cheap hardware store nuts and bolts are sloppy?
That's the clearance between the "thread pitch diameter" of the nut and the bolt
being way off. That's OK for home hardware and kid's wagons, etc.

If you try machine bolts and nuts with a UNF thread, you'll see they
fit together with far less slop.

Finally, anyone with a one inch micrometer with a thimble will
know the thread is super fine, smooth with NO backlash, that is a
precision thread where the "thread pitch diameter" is closely matched!

Mass produced oil filters where the thread rolling tool was too worn and
changed out late would produce some filters that will get loose.

Threading taps and die sets us guys can buy for our tool boxes are
thread cutting tools. Production thread rolling tools that look like
taps require special set up and handling and require much higher torque
to make a thread. In production, the advantage is they generate way less
chips and cuttings that would jam up equipment, produce way less rejects
and have a running life of 10's of thousands of cycles!
 
That's what you get if you only hand tighten.
I think its a macho thing here to say I only hand tighten.
I always use a filter are wrench and give about a 1"turn after hand tight.
Never an issue and it comes off easy for the next time.
I've seen lots of filters with a drip of oil hanging off.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
The filter was loose because it wasn't tightened properly in the first place.


Agree, never had a single one loosen before.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
I always hand tighten filters as much as my bare hands can do. Never any leaks.


Same here. Note that I use devices that crush the filter to remove it, but other than that no big deal. Often the filter is in a hard to reach place anyway so hand tighten as much as I can really isn't THAT bad.
 
could be worn threads on the nipple from use. Some threads are rolled and some are cut. Cheap filters use cut threads and can wear the nipple out on the oil filter adapter.
 
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
As already mentioned I recommend doing a 1/4-1/2 turn once the seal touches. Snug.

I used to tighten the filter as hard as possible by hand, and always had to remove it with a wrench. Never had one come loose.

In recent years I've used a torque wrench. But I think they're on too tight. Sometimes hard to get off even with a wrench. And that's not good either.

I've never been comfortable with the "1/4 to 1/2 turn after the gasket makes contact" approach. I've never felt confident I could tell when the gasket makes contact. It seems I can never get my head in there well enough to see the gap properly, and as I oil the gasket really well I'm not sure I feel the gradual increase in resistance. How do you tell when the gasket contacts the back plate?
 
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