Oil Leak-Please help!

[DEZLPWR]

I changed my oil for the first time since I bought my '99 Quad cab 4X4 with 73,000 mi. Everything went fine, or so I thought... .....

I now seem to have an annoying oil leak coming from the oil filter. I can't really pinpoint exactly the source of the leak, but it appears to be coming from where the filter screws into the engine. I made sure to tighten the filter tight as well. I can't even tighten it anymore by hand!

This is really frustrating for me because I am very anal about oil spots on my driveway, and the little drops are adding up quickly.



Please help!

 

[JR2]

Look at the filter you just took off, is the rubber seal on it?

I am betting that what happend is when you took off your filter the rubber seal stuck to the truck. Then when you put the new filter on you doubled up on the rubbers and that is what is causing the leak. I have read several post about this happening.



Good luck.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Scooke,



Are you using a good high quality oil filter like a Fleetguard - Stratapore LF3894? These have a taller sealing O-ring. This is the revised, stronger oil filter for your truck.

 

[DEZLPWR]

Yeah, I used a Fleetguard Stratapore LF3894 with Delvac1. The oil seems to be pooling up on the top of the filter and then running down the side. I am almost positive that the old filter's gasket came off with the old filter!

 

[HEMI®Dart]

SCooke,



I remember reading in the forums where guys said they needed a oil filter wrench to tighten the filter on a 24 valve where it wouldn't leak. I guess hand tight is not enough. Maybe a 1/8 turn more with a wrench will stop the leak.

 

[Happy Camper]

Don't tweek it more than 1/8 of a turn with the wrench as it will take some beef to get it loose next time at least that is what I ran into. Hand tight worked ok with gloves and a good grip. Have never had a drip. (knock on wood)

 

[John Berger]

Second the 1/8 turn advice

I had a b!tch of a time getting my filter off last oil change. It took 45 minutes and I accidently made contact with the alternator and fried the 140 amp fuse The sparks sure were spectacular

 

[EMDDIESEL]

When i used to have the engine mounted filter i never tightend the filter with anything other then my hand and never had a leak. Maybe the filter you installed had a defective gasket??. Either way, you may as well take the filter off and check.

 

[rogerblind]

I always tighten mine about 1/4 to 1/2 turn with the wrench. I find I can't get a good grip on the thing, buried down where it is, particularly with oily hands. Geting it back off is a little bit of a challenge, but the trusty strap wrench has never failed me yet.

 

[Alan Reagan]

Did you oil the new gasket with a thin film? I'm sure you did. You may have a defective filter. Expecially if the previous one was not leaking. One way or the other, the new one has got to come off.

 

[Amianthus]

SCooke,



I'm with HEMI®Dart on this one. The same thing happened to me when I changed my oil. Slap a wrench on it and giv'er a tweak. But don't over-do it or you'll hate yourself next oil change.

 

[zimman20]

Just make sure you don't OVERTIGHTEN it because that can also cause a leak! The gasket becomes compressed and can allow seepage. These filters should only require a hand tighten, that's all mine required, not a drop out of it. I agree with all that if you don't have the original gasket on it (if it didn't come off when you changed the filter) then you may have a defective filter.

 

[Shooter]

You might try loosining the filter, make sure there is oil on the 0 ring and retighten. I had one that the 0 ring distorted and seeped oil. I backed it off and retightened, all was ok. I now remove 0 ring and lube top and bottom before installation.