I recently changed my oil & filter and now it's leaking out of the filter housing. Pretty significant leak, about a quart every 50 miles. I've changed the oil before on this car and didn't have any issues. I used the new O rings that came with the filter.

What do you think it could be?

Thanks

Curt

 

You put the large O-ring in the wrong groove.

The location of the five O-rings as per bluecoupes post.

 

Shazzam! Yes I did. That would explain why the O-ring wanted to squish out the side when I tightened it. I thought I was tightening it too much.

I probably buggered this one up too much now. I still have the old one. I can see if that seals.

Thanks

Curt

 

I have often wondered, but never asked. Why are there 5 o-rings when only 4 are used?

 

On another model car all five are used or more likely the O-ring we do not use is used along with some of the other O-rings.
This filter is used on a lot of other cars.

 

The fifth o-ring is located on the filter shaft inside the cap.

 

I forgot that one, getting old.
I have a photo of it, so I'll add it to my previous post here.

 

Now I'm paranoid about putting this thing on right. When properly tightened is there supposed to be a small gap between the edge of the metal housing and the lip of the plastic cap? I can actually see the o-ring through this gap.

 

If you can see the 'O' ring, it is not installed correctly. The 'O' ring must be in the second groove from the top of the cap 'lip'. You also should check and make sure the others are correctly installed along the shaft. If that cap does not seat against the rim of the housing, it is not right. Recheck all your work, and don't forget to torque it to the correct setting.

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What exactly is a small gap? I might think it is a large gap.that large O-ring has to be compressed to go down the bore, oil the O-ring first to make it a bit easier and prevent damage to it.
There is no gap.
I torque my cap down with just my hands, not too tight or you will do some damage. Use some common sense and it will be OK.

 

The first time I changed the oil filter I didn't have these problems. I think it's because I reused all the old O-rings except for the large one on the cap. I think that's how the book said to do it.

This time I replaced all of them (well, 4. I didn't know about the one under the cap). The large one is correctly installed in the 2nd groove now. But I can't get it to seat. The O-ring is compressed into the housing OK, but it won't go much further than that. The cap becomes very hard to turn by hand and I don't want to break it.

 

Clean the housing inside real good, then smear a thin film of oil around the top.

 

I don't see me mentioning any size 'gap'. Did you mean to reference the post I commented on? Yes, it is a good idea always to pre-lube the rings with new oil.

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Well I finally got it seated all the way (I hope). Thanks for the tips. It just seemed a lot fussier this time than what I remember.

 

Sorry, I started reiterating your post but then slid into answering his post.

 

If you can reiterate and slide at the same time, you gotta be the most flexible old guy I've ever known.