924Board.org

skemcin · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 1284 Location: Plainfield, IL

Disclaimer - I feel dumb for asking but I can't remember this ever happening to me before . . .

First, the question - isn't the gasket on the oil filter supposed to be fixed to the gasket with some sort of adhesive? Isn't that why it is standard practice to finger some oil on the gasket so when you tighten it, it doesn't break that seal?

Tonight, I'm changing the oil in the Subaru, nothing gets easier except topping of washer fluid. I double check all four orifices: oil cap, dipstick, oil filter, and oil plug - all good. I pull the car out of the driveway to put the toofah back home and a solid streak of oil ALLLL the way down the driveway. I hurriedly pull the suby back in the garage and slide under to see oil leaking from the filter. I give it maybe a 8th turn more with the hand and it seems to stop. So I start the car up again and let it run and then it leaks again. I'm pretty darn certain I didn't over hand tighten initially since I was able to still turn it more after I dumped 3 quarts of oil all over the place.

Luckily, I bought two filters and 10 quarts of oil - stocking up for my next oil change sometime in the middle of winter. I checked that filter and the seal was removed without any effort - and (as I mentioned) I've never "noticed" that before.

So, is it me - did I do something wrong that I am overlooking or do I have faulty oil filters?

I feel like such a freakin noob!

_________________
924.org (no time to complete)
9249206346 - 89k – new shifter bushings, belts, running well.
9249206347 - 8k – waiting its resurrection, no power at the fuel pump and fuse #7 blows w/power

skemcin · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 1284 Location: Plainfield, IL

I'll have to double check to see if the old seal came off. I cleaned the surface like usual but I"ll double check this. Any observations on the original question - are the gaskets sealed on the filter?
_________________
924.org (no time to complete)
9249206346 - 89k – new shifter bushings, belts, running well.
9249206347 - 8k – waiting its resurrection, no power at the fuel pump and fuse #7 blows w/power

968rz · Joined: 21 Aug 2006 Posts: 537 Location: S. E. Wisconsin

The gaskets are not sealed to the filter other than a few indents that "hold" the gasket in place. My guess is that the old one was still on the filter base (been there done that)
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Rick
79 924 coupe Petrol Blue 3spd auto (wife's DD)
93 968 coupe Amazon Green 4spd Tip (my DD)

skemcin · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 1284 Location: Plainfield, IL

968rz · Joined: 21 Aug 2006 Posts: 537 Location: S. E. Wisconsin

Don't feel bad, it's a popular club

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Rick
79 924 coupe Petrol Blue 3spd auto (wife's DD)
93 968 coupe Amazon Green 4spd Tip (my DD)

931Owner · Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 352 Location: Chicago NW Suburbs

At least you noticed the leak before any damage could happen to the engine, esp. since the newer cars do not have oil pressure gauges but only oil idiot lights.
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1980 Turbo
-too many cars and too many motobikes

emoore924 · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 2822

I knew I wasn't the only one.

Years ago I had a VW rabbit on which I'd changed the oil (literally) about a hundred times. Could do the whole job in about 10 min from start to finish. And, just about the time overconfidence takes over, Murphy steps in to serve up a little slice of humble pie.

Drained the oil. Removed the filter. Fitted a new one. Refilled with oil. Started car to check for leaks (never had one before...) Kind of half-heartedly turned around to see a L-A-R-G-E puddle of nice clean new oil spreading rapidly out from underneath the car.

Yaaaiiiieeeee, jumped in, turned off key and set about figuring out what happened.

What a mess. Couldn't get worse you say? Ha.

Then it started to rain. Hard. Really Hard actually. A proverbial del-you-gee. (Said with a true Hobbsian accent as if he was commentating at Spa...) Do you have *any* idea how slippery 4qts of oil is when it starts to rain? Any idea? Any at all? No, of course you don't. Until you've done it yourself, I can tell you, you don't. Its like one of those three stooges shorts where they start falling all over the place. Yep, just like that. So now I'm wet, covered with oil, bruised my a** from falling down, and I'm P*SSED.

So anyway, *finally* after like two 40lb bags of kitty litter built up like little New Orleans dikes strategically placed all over the driveway (worked about as well), I went back to figure out what happened and found the o-ring had stuck to the mount and of course the new filter was screwed down right on top of it.

Frack...Now THAT doesn't seal so good. No, not so good.

So yes, welcome to the club. At least it didn't rain on you.

skemcin · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 1284 Location: Plainfield, IL

Thanks for the posts guys it actually helps me laugh at myself now - but last night and most of the day today I was still in denial, shock, etc. I just hate waste - I wasn't so upset with my mistake (although I'll admit to fishing for some shred of evidence that it wasn't mine) but more upset with the waste it created. The oil and the oil dry. And with the way my driveway looks, I might was well have a sign in my yard that reads, "Oil Filter Gasket Idiot Club - Member Since 2010".

Anyway, it is reassuring to see others have had to suffer this fate. And for those who haven't, it's a lesson I hope their be conscious to avoid.

On another note - once I pulled the Subaru out to clean and then park the Porsche (poor thing had to sleep outside last night) I took the opportunity to rehang the muffler. A two hour rusted bolt shot hanger bushing job I thought would take half the time. But its done.

So thanks again.
_________________
924.org (no time to complete)
9249206346 - 89k – new shifter bushings, belts, running well.
9249206347 - 8k – waiting its resurrection, no power at the fuel pump and fuse #7 blows w/power