Melted oil filter

[wagonman76]

I've always used Fram and have never had any related problems. Not saying everyone else won't. I do know that once in Kmart about 12 years ago I picked up a Fram filter and noticed a rattle. Some metal part on the filter was loose and visibly rattling around. So I put it back and grabbed another. If I had 1/2 hour to waste I'd have taken it to the service desk to save some poor soul.

[Christ]

Last time I took something to the service desk, it was a tool box... they asked me if I wanted it, and I said "No, it's broken." So they told me to "sign here" and "take it home".

I fixed it.

[Frank Lee]

Cool!

I never buy anything so I wouldn't know!

[jesse.rizzo]

Originally Posted by Funny

Back to the subject, the Fram filter in question on this thread was damaged by a strap wrench, and it is from poor filter construction, the can is too thin. The filter was not crushed by the mechanical stresses of the engine, because the "crushed" portions of the filter are in a spiral, hence rotational stress, not differential pressure. I side with ChrisT on this one.

But the first damaged filter was on the car for 4 months and 6000 miles before the damage became apparent. I supposed it could have been damaged much sooner and very slowly leaked. The second filter (not a Fram by the way) was only on for about 6 weeks before I realized what had happened.

I hope you're right, external damage is way more appealing than something crazy wrong with my engine. What you're describing just doesn't seem very likely.

[bgd73]

crazy filter, is it caved in from a wrench?
I serviced many cars at an oil lube, never saw anything like this, unless wrenched that way..

insides can pop, my subaru has done this at around 100 psi (aviator engine, 4 bypass spots).

this thread is familiar...
















I am going back to "slow" computers, my net is torture

[bestclimb]

how tight where they putting that thing on and did they use any lube on the gasket?

[Funny]

That's one thing that I never thought to ask. Is this filter being installed by the owner, by the dealership, or by a third party like Firestone .

I really think that there is no way for a can like that to get sucked to death, though I have seen filters blown to bits. The media inside would (by design) fail, and allow oil to bypass the media to keep the engine lubricated, even if it is unfiltered oil. I just have a hard time believing that this is from anything but mechanical stress. Could you show additional pictures, particularly of the center tube inside the filter? Maybe the inside of the filter deconstructed by a Dremel? If it's possible, that is. If we could see more pictures, we could help diagnose this. I'm sure we are all really concerned with this problem if it occurring with more vehicles.

[wdb]

The poster stated that both filters appeared be misshapen, I have to assume they looked that way before they were taken off or else he wouldn't be here.

I read the article about filters being collapsed, and that sure seems to be what happened here. I would run a Hyundai filter and check it religiously for signs of the same thing happening. If it does, you have something else wrong, possibly an oil pump pressure regulator as mentioned in the article. If not, you dodged a bullet and now know to stick with factory filters on this particular car.

Speaking of oil filters, it really has become more of a religious issue than anything else. That being said, I see nothing wrong with factory filters, in fact in some cases I clearly prefer them -- even after having seen the insides.

Originally Posted by Funny

Because what the manufacturer often recommends is the bare minimum of what the engine requires for filtration. Aftermarket is almost always better at filtration.

Subaru oil filters are excellent, and Honda oil filters also very good. Maybe you're talking about GM?

But I will never, with the exception of the very first oil put in a vehicle's engine, run a vehicle with a stock filter.

I run manufacturer's brand oil filters exclusively, and have for many years, with no problems whatsoever.

[jesse.rizzo]

Originally Posted by bestclimb

how tight where they putting that thing on and did they use any lube on the gasket?

I did put it on myself. I don't have a torque wrench so I just guessed at how tight to do it. I did use a strap wrench to put it on. And I did put some oil on the gasket. I've been changing my own oil for 7 years, 4 on this particular car, and never had this problem before.

[Frank Lee]

AHA! The truth finally comes out!

A torque wrench?!? Don't use ANY wrench to put it on! Hand tight = plenty. I believe there are directions on the box???

Even with just moderate hand tightening, I've had filters become a real bear to get off.