F%$Kin oil filter

[jonlax]

Well after about 400 miles of driving on the new oil i was sitting at a red light. It turned green and i had to haul major ass since i was already late to work. Oil pressure needle dropped like a brick. Check engine light comes up and i see a **** load of smoke coming out of the back. I get to work and turn the truck off and jump out (work is 30 feet after the light) the oil filter is gone. Had a buddy take me back up the street where the oil filter is sitting in the middle of the road and about 4 quarts of oil everywhere. The oil filter pipe was NOT stripped nor the block. WHY did it fall off????? I made sure it was tight. Could it be working its way out on its own??? I never had any car or truck do this. Luckly i use fully synthetic (RP) which i think might have saved the motor from seizing up. Also the only reason i could think it would come loose is that i did something wrong. My therory was that i thredded the pipe into the oil filter not the engine block. Could that do it even after driving 400 miles???? It really pisses me off that this happened. I also had to use castrol syntec since i can't get my RP at any stores that are close by.

Thanks for letting me vent

 

[Brandons]

A while ago after the truck sat for a while (the parents were terrible and still are at maintenance) my dad took it to hockey, next thing he knows the oil filter starts peeing out oil. Turns out while it was sitting the oil filter corroded through and the filter kinda of exploded lol. Now that i drive it the usual maintenance is done.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Maybe the filter's thread wasn't the correct type of thread? It might have felt firm when it was tightened, but when it got hot under pressure, it could have slowly pushed its way off. I would suggest testing that filter on a pipe thread, and comparing it with a new one which is the correct type.

 

[jonlax]

It was a fram tough guard. What do you guys use???

 

[5.0L96Exp]

haha.. This is kind of funny but not really. I changed the oil the other day and screwed on a new filter. Done it a 1000 times (literally, I did nothing but oil changes 1 summer for Canadian Tire). Sure enough girlfriend starts the truck and a stream of oil about 5 feet long shot out of the driver’s side wheel well. By the time she turned the truck off I was soaking from head to tow. Turns out a piece of plastic junk got itself between the gasket and block. &*^% happens.

 

[94explorer2x4]

My therory was that i thredded the pipe into the oil filter not the engine block. Could that do it even after driving 400 miles????

Your theory is correct you have to install the "threaded pipe" into the block bottiming it out before installing the filter. I belive you can use a large allen wrench to install it. also did you lube the gasket when installing the filter??? And also the instructions that say to tighten it 1/2 turn past, F$#K that tighten that ***** tight!!

glad the engine is ok

Nate

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I had a similar problem. I put on a taller filter than stock, knocked the o ring off the filter. I didnt notice, but when I started my motor I did. Five quarts of Motorcraft 5w20 on the floor in thirty seconds. I took the filter off reattached the o ring and put the filter back on. A trip to the store and five quarts later, I was back in business. Still dont have an answer for your filter falling off, but maybe next time use a better filter. WIX or Motorcraft filters you can't go wrong with. Hope your motor is ok.

 

[spindlecone]

Your theory is correct you have to install the "threaded pipe" into the block bottiming it out before installing the filter. I belive you can use a large allen wrench to install it. also did you lube the gasket when installing the filter??? And also the instructions that say to tighten it 1/2 turn past, F$#K that tighten that ***** tight!!

glad the engine is ok

Nate

Am missing something here, pls explaine the above, did you remove the fitting?or did it come off with the filter?

 

[chriswells78]

^^^I was trying to figure that out too?

 

[BrooklynBay]

The thought also crossed my mind as well.

 

[IAmTodd]

I'm wondering why you continued to drive with spewing oil and no pressure? Not matter how far it was.

 

[trucku]

Was it a different than stock spec filter.Did you used a thread adapter to increase its size to fit larger threaded filter?

 

[94explorer2x4]

Am missing something here, pls explaine the above, did you remove the fitting?or did it come off with the filter?

Ok the "threaded pipe" that the filter screws onto will sometimes come out with the old filter. he says that he put it into the filter first then threaded it into the the block. he needed to thread it into the block first then tighten it with an alen wrench then install the filter.

 

[jimbo74]

fram tough guard, there is the mistake, fram oil filters = crap


i used to work @ a place that did oil changes and used knockoff fram filters..... 2 in every 10 filters was defective, the threads were jsut garbage on new filters

 

[spindlecone]

Ok the "threaded pipe" that the filter screws onto will sometimes come out with the old filter. he says that he put it into the filter first then threaded it into the the block. he needed to thread it into the block first then tighten it with an alen wrench then install the filter.

Have never seen such a thing, suppose it's possible

 

[trucku]

So maybe if some red locktite is used on that threaded pipe will not come out next time a filter is backed out.

I currently use a mobil1 filter,but have used fram and never experieced a problem. My dual filter setup soon to be installed will have a fram full flow and a fram bypass filter. Hope nothing fails..lol. Maybe after 1k I will swap them for a Full flow Mobil1 and a Amsoil bypass.

 

[aldive]

My dual filter setup soon to be installed will have a fram full flow and a fram bypass filter. Hope nothing fails..lol. Maybe after 1k I will swap them for a Full flow Mobil1 and a Amsoil bypass.

Please explain that filter "system". What is a Fram Bypass filter?

 

[trucku]

Please explain that filter "system". What is a Fram Bypass filter?

Its a perma cool dual remote sytem and I will be using one normal fram full flow and a one fram bypass filter. The bypass filter is same as any bypass filter. I will modify the inlet to the full flow with a restrictor valve so I can "flow" the bypass filter properly ( same as Amsoil restrictor valve and spring assembly)

 

[drake437]

I had this happen to my wife's 95 sport right after an oil change at Valvoline. The oil filter fell off while driving down the highway...blew the 4.0. Still not sure who is to blame, but the stud that the filter screws on was missing..along with the filter. From what we were told the stud is pressed in the block from the factory.

Drake

 

[410Fortune]

No the stud is not pressed into the block from the factory.
IN fact the block has a 90 degree elbow bolted to it that the oil filter then screws onto.
The male end that your filter threads on to is also threaded into the 90 degree elbow, its a double ended male pipe fitting.
This sucker needs to be torqued into the elbow much tighter then the filter is torqued on to. If it comes loose you cannot put it on the filter first and then thread it into the elbow, you will strip the filter threads before the fitting gets tight enough into the engine.

I use a rag and pliers to thread the adapter and torque it down, the 5.0L version has no option for a allen wrench, but it sounds as if the 4.0L does (will have to look) One of those new fangled strap type pipe wrenches might do the trick as well.

The 4.0L elbow can also come loose from the block or the O ring goes bad. the fun part is you have to loosen the pass side exhaust in order to get it in and out and replace the O ring