WARNING! Heads Up!

[toolboxchev]

I have heard about this happening before on this site but today I caught a major catastrophe before it happened.

Changing the oil doing my normal thing, prefilled the new oil filter. This is a new to me brand and I do not blame the brand for the issue.

So I normally wipe the oil pan off as I put in the drain plug and my rag is fairly clean so I decide to wipe the area off in and around the oil filter. Low and behold to me the old filter gasket had separated during removal and was stuck to the Oil Filter adapter.

I have both read on here and seen on here when they do this and you put the new filter on it causes a major leak. I most likely saved my engine from complete destruction as I am about to take a road trip for a job interview.

Be Aware!

[ltdmstr]

Yep, it happens. You did the right thing in checking and cleaning the gasket surface before installing the new filter. I would also add that not all filters are the same. You'd be surprised what's inside some, even big name brands. Wix/Napa Gold are consistently the best. If you buy them by the case, they're a lot cheaper.

[tutone]

Years ago, I left one on a Monte Carlo after changing oil. I lost 3 quarts in the length of my driveway. Amazing how fast it can get out of there. I'm glad you caught it in time.

[Stocker]

In 1964 when I was 15 I got a job at a service station. One thing I learned is after an oil & filter change (and after you doublecheck the dipstick and look underneath for leaking oil), start the engine and let it idle for a few minutes. Check oil pressure if there's a gauge, otherwise check that the idiot light is out. Then always, always, look underneath again to make sure no oil is leaking or dripping. Engines cost too much to replace when you make $1 per hour.

[weq92f]

.
Good catch.

Happened to me once too. I had driven several miles to a store for supplies and was leaving the parking lot when I heard a very strange noise ( no A/C so windows down back then ), a squishing sorta sound that I knew my truck made. It was puking oil due to stacked gaskets on the filter ( sb350 ). I was lucky that day.

-klb

[gmc684x4]

I seem to notice it happens more often when you over tighten the oil filter

['68OrangeSunshine]

I've done that. On an L6 to boot. The oil filter screws on the side of the block. Looked fine with engine off, but when oil pressure built up when running it leaked.
BTW, toolboxchevy, do we see yellow paint pen numbers [..429] on the oil filter? Is that a mileage or a date? I thought I was the only one anal enough to tag his oil filters. I encode both, i.e., 398123 [miles] and 200720 [military style date]. Helps determining intervals for oil changes, even if you logged it somewhere else, but can't find the entry.

[special-K]

I've never had it happen with a quality oil filter. It "should" never happen. I use Wix, but I always check. Figure the filter is placed where the pressure is highest, right after the pump, to be most effective and so the oil is "pushed" the hardest rather than meandering through. Yes, it is basically an enclosed pressurized system, but it is also vented. It's best to have the oil pumped directly into the filter than directly onto the road!

I paid a friend's shop to swap 6.5TDs in my '92 K3600. I had the Peninsular Marine HP engine with 15k on it out of my totaled '95 K3500 I wanted to use up installed in January. I road cross town, a few minutes, stopped at a light, took off and the truck went sideways off the line with little throttle (locker rear). I know my trucks and knew that wasn't right. I pulled right over, shut it down, and saw the oil bath I gave the road. I didn't intend to use that motor up THAT FAST!. Called my buddy, rollback, on lift, replaced o-ring in oil cooler line at oil filter mount.

[In The Ten Ring]

Scotty Kilmer from Youtube warns of this happening......glad you caught it and thanks for the reminder.

I have to change dad's oil tomorrow on his "new-2-him" Canyon.

[mrein3]

I've never personally double gasketed (is that a word) an oil filter but I've seen it happen a couple of times.

In my formative years I worked at a small repair shop. 5 bays. Three full service only pumps out front. I did light mechanical work, oil changes, water pumps, alternators, starters, got myself into servicing AC systems. And I covered the full service pumps.

In addition to myself there was another college age guy doing similar except he was better at knowing our customers, seeing one approaching, then disappearing in the back room to find a part or wash his hands so I did a bit more covering of the gas pumps. Especially on those -10 and -20 Fahrenheit days.

He was also pretty good at not following orders regarding you HAVE to make sure the old gasket came off when you pulled the old filter. We all got the same speech on the first day on the job.

I'd be running out the bay waving my arms as oil was gushing out the bottom of the car the other guy just completed an oil change on.

FWIW, we used top shelf Wix filters. I suspect if you gorillaed (is that a word) the old filter on you had a better chance of it sticking to the block upon removal. And my co-worker was good at getting those filters on good and tight too.

[bry593]

I've only had that happen when using crap filters like Fram. Now that I'm old and wise, I buy WIX by the case. No problems, never. But I always check because, geez, why wouldn't you?

Also, be sure you always smear some oil on the gasket before tightening. Failure to do that is just asking for trouble.

[In The Ten Ring]

I always wipe down the gasket mating area but I had this thread in mind today when doing an oil change on my dad's truck.

Biggest problem on that oil change was the oil drain plug was rusted to the truck! SMH....dad bought a real piece of work there.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

I always wipe down the gasket mating area but I had this thread in mind today when doing an oil change on my dad's truck.

Biggest problem on that oil change was the oil drain plug was rusted to the truck! SMH....dad bought a real piece of work there.

Will you have to change the Oil Pan?
BTDT, but a total PITA when the engine is still mounted in the truck.
Commiserations.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by bry593

I've only had that happen when using crap filters like Fram. Now that I'm old and wise, I buy WIX by the case. No problems, never. But I always check because, geez, why wouldn't you?

Also, be sure you always smear some oil on the gasket before tightening. Failure to do that is just asking for trouble.

Not smearing, take a closer look at the pic, its their value line.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

That's never happened to me, but I always check the filter I've pulled off. That said, boy did I mess up once. It wasn't my car, though I had changed the oil in it as a favor before, a 2011 Corolla. It's a canister filter, and there are two spots that appear could take an O-ring. I hadn't seen the car in a while, and for some reason I dumbed put it on the wrong spot. Ran the car everything cool. Five miles later she blew out the oil and the car shut down. No damage, the computer shuts it down as prevention, but......

don't do that