Oil Filter Grenades

S N 3 A K Y · tinkerer Joined: 18 Jul 2003 Posts: 153

What would cause an engine that has only JUST been started to lunch oil filter gaskets ??????

My mate over-filled his sump by approx 1 litre, he asked me to change his dizzy cap and rotor button after i cautioned him that they were both in need of replacing. I changed them, fired the car up and it blew the oil filter gasket after approx 3 sec.
I laughed, told him it was most likely due to too much oil, as i noticed it was too full while taking his dip-stick reading during an under bonnet inspection. I dropped the rest of the oil from the sump, filled it with new oil to proper level, fitted a new filter, fired it up, and within 5 sec - POP!! the new one blew.
I got a little frustrated yet concerned, went down and got a new filter and bottle of oil, put it all back together, after 5 sec of starting it - POP!! it blew the 3rd filter gasket. Frustration is gone, now i'm just plain out-right concerned. What the hell would cause an engine to keep spitting out oil filter gaskets ???
First impression is high oil pressure, but theoretically there should be stuff all pressure after initially kicking over.
Like i said, it does it virtually straight after the engine fires, not when it's been sitting to warm up or has been driven for a few minutes - it wont idle for long enough before it spits out another filter gasket.
And yes, i do know how to do a general service - i have done more than i can remember, by that i'm estimating that i've probably done over 200 services to various cars over a few years. Yet i have nevewr encountered this problem before.
Fair enough if the engine was just thrashed, and pressure had built up, but this is at idle !?!?!!??

Confused...

S N 3 A K Y

Frederick Stienheld · petrol head Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 2719

Possibly the oil pressure regulator is shagged

fazz · tinkerer Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 87

there could be a blockedge in the oil line that is all i could think of that is the first time i have heard of that happening

Ben Wight · backyard mechanic Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 946

You will get the highest oil pressure when your engine is cold, so its possible the sudden slug of high pressure is enough to cause a leak, although that should only be possible due to either a blockage in the oil gallery, or the pressure releif valve not openning.

I assume by the third gasket, you put it on pretty tightly?

are you sure its not coming from somewhere just near the gasket, like a small crack in the timing cover, etc.??

Ben

Mooch · backyard mechanic Joined: 17 Oct 2001 Posts: 573

I had the same problem. Start the car, oil pressure just dropped straight down., Shut her off straight away and find a massive pool of oil all over our nice black driveway!

At first i thought it was spinning filters, so my mechanic and i made up a braket like he does with his nascar. That didn't do anything. So i then thought maybe the face where the filter seals onto was scored causing an avenue for the oil to escape, or that maybe it was warped etc. None of these, as without fail no matter how tight u nipped it, it would blow the seal out the side.

Then, we realised that it had never done this before, as it gets an oil and filter every 1000kays. Then it clicked we were using genuine holden filters for the first time on the car. switched back to a ryco, i think the pn is z32b. Pretty sure anyway, and haven't had one single problem since.

So my guess would be maybe a bad batch of filters, or switch to a ryco if using a holden one. I'm guessing the car has never done this before?

cheers
mooch

Racegem · backyard mechanic Joined: 30 Jan 2002 Posts: 987

Double check that the old seal is still not on the oil filter holder. Sometimes the seal sticks to where the filter goes, and no matter how many new filters you put on, it will blow the seal.

Mooch · backyard mechanic Joined: 17 Oct 2001 Posts: 573

yes so it is, haha, dealing with imports everyday i think i got confused with a z32 300 lol. Thanx for clearing that up for us man.

cheers
mooch

Poida · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2003 6:06 pm Post subject: Re: Oil Filter Grenades

I once had the same problem with a x-flow Kent engine. It turned out the pressure regulator valve in the oil pump had jammed and the oil pressure was not limited.

Check your oil pump and if the regulator valve is stuck I'd replace the pump. By repairing your current pump the problem could resurface when you are driving and you can be sure it will do damage if it does at highway speed. It will very quickly empty the whole sump. Apart from having a car stuck on the roadside and no oil in the sump....
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