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1997 Explorer Oil Filter Remote Mount

trawlings

Member
Joined
July 19, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
1
City, State
Olympia, WA
Year, Model & Trim Level
97 XLT
The stock oil filter on my Explorer is right up against a a brake line and is very difficult to put on. Today when I had the oil changed I was told that the current mount is stripped and would not take a new filter. Fortunately, the mechanic was able to put the old filter back on with no leaks which left me in a quandry. Do I put a new mount on or do I go with a remote and finally decided to go with the remote.

I've check with all the usual parts suppliers (NAPA, O'Reilly's, Autozone, etc) with no success and have turned to the web, but their seems to be a lot of remote kits with very little description about what they fit. Can anyone recommend a remote kit that will fit a 4.0L SOHC engine or give me the dimensions that need to look for? Summit Racing has a Trans-Dapt kit with the following specs:

Thread Size 20mm x 1.5
Hoses Included Yes
Hose Length (in) 30 in.
2.500 inch ID, 2.750 inch OD O-ring included. Use Ford style oil filter with 3/4 inch 16 thread

I know that it says Ford style filter, but would like to confirm that it will fit my engine.

TIA

Tom
 



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I can't help you with your current search but I can send you a good used stock filter mount if you so desire!

My 97 filter has a clear path!
 






This won't answer your question, but I've got to wonder about the quality of that mechanic. If the mount was stripped, how was he able to reattach the old filter with less trouble than fitting a new filter? Seems more likely that the new filter he tried to install was the wrong one with a different thread (i.e. Jeep).
 






two different configurations

I don't know about the other engines but the SOHC V6 engine was produced with two different oil filter adapters. The U.S. version has 3/4 inch diameter, 16 threads per inch. The export version has metric threads. I suspect your "mechanic" pulled the export compatible filter by mistake.
 






If the mount was stripped, the old filter would not have gone back on and sealed. Guaranteed. One of two possibilities comes immediately to mind: Either the new filter was the wrong thread size (wrong part in the wrong box), or the filter was built incorrect.

I have personally experienced thread issues twice in 12 years of doing the oil on my Explorer. Both filters were genuine Motorcraft parts off the shelf of the local auto parts chain. One had the wrong size threads and would not thread onto the mount properly. It took me 15 minutes of spinning the old one on, then trying to spin the new one on and fighting it, only to have it not seal properly. On closer inspection, it was clear there was an issue with the threads on the new one. (and no, it wasn't cross-threaded...)

The second one simply had no threads at all. I noticed it when I went to pre-fill it before installing it.

In both cases, the parts store exchanged them, no questions asked.

Enough rambling... I suspect the guy either had a defective part and never bothered to take the time to cross-check it with another one off the shelf, or he's just an idiot and grabbed the wrong part, and was too proud (or just too dumb) to look into it any further.
 






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