Melted oil filter

[wdb]

Back on topic! Unless you got a rash of bad filters it is unlikely that your habit of overtightening them did any damage to their internals. Since you experienced this problem with filters from two different vendors, it goes from being unlikely to darn near impossible.

What is possible is that overtightening damaged the first one, which subsequently caused internal engine damage of some kind (see aforementioned web article), which is now affecting all subsequent filters.

My advice stands: put a factory filter on there -- HAND TIGHTENED TYMV -- and watch it religiously. If the problem recurs, you have internal engine issues, possibly as easy to fix as dropping the oil pan, possibly not that easy. If the problem does not recur, stick with factory filters and add this one to the blessings you'll count come Thanksgiving.