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Loose Oil Filter Housing

The_Big_Weave

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Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
390
Location
Rapid City, SD
Puting the little stuff back on my motor today and found that my oil filter bolt, the bolt you thread the filter to, was finger tight. So i tightened it up with a socket. Will this be ok or do I need to do more to insure that my motor will be ok? and that the filter housing does not come off?
 

Barnes

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Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Messages
6,249
Location
Richland, WA
Auuhhggg! Did you use a torque wrench to tighten that down to the proper spec??

The other thing to do is to put a new o-ring on. There is a large orange squarish o-ring that goes under the oil cooler. It isn't vital, but while you are in there you might as well.
 

prove_it

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Jul 3, 2008
Messages
4,201
Location
Sioux Falls, SD
Back in 03 I had mine come loose on the interstate. I made it to a gas station, added 3 quarts and made it home. I lost 4 quarts in about 5 minutes of run time. I looked it over and thought that the filter had just came loose. I bought a new filter and when I went to change it the whole bolt came out. I took the cooler off and cleaned it all up and reinstalled everything. I'm not sure if it's a great idea or not, but I put red Loc-tite on the bolt threads that go in the housing then torque it on to 15 ft. lbs. So far I've never had an issue with it.

The reason this happens is because every time you take the oil filter off you run the chance of loosening the oil cooler adapter bolt. I always check to make sure it is tight because it only takes one overtighted oil filter to loosen it. Also keep in mind that if you overtighten the bolt you can crush the oil cooler down which can cause a coolant leak into the oil.
 

Barnes

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Feb 9, 2003
Messages
6,249
Location
Richland, WA
The torque value for the oil cooler bolt is 31ft-lbs.
 

The_Big_Weave

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Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
390
Location
Rapid City, SD
Yeah I kinda just torqued it down to what ever I felt was good will pull if off tommarow and look at it. and then retorque it to spec.
 

ktmrider

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Joined
Sep 10, 2007
Messages
3,128
Location
Tempe, AZ
Check the VFAQ for more info on preventing it from coming loose again and/or over-tightening the bolt and crushing the cooler internally.
 

The_Big_Weave

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Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
390
Location
Rapid City, SD
I cant really see from the pic if mine is crushed or not. Just rebuilt my motor, can coolant in the oil damage the breaking in process faster than normal. But I did put it on and torqued it down to 31 pounds with red lock tight.
 

prove_it

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Jul 3, 2008
Messages
4,201
Location
Sioux Falls, SD
Coolant in the oil will break your bearings for good. When you change your oil after initial start-up be sure to check the oil for water. Oil floats on water and if coolant comes out first then your toast. If the oil in milky then you got coolant in it too.

Either way it's not good. If your worried about the housing being crushed, you can swap a 90 oil housing on or just loop the cooler lines and run it dry.
I run without the cooler lines attached and have had no issues for years.
 

AnotherNewb

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Joined
Apr 25, 2010
Messages
1,472
Location
Orlando, FL
Dbossmans 1947 lost all of its oil going up hill underload when the oil filter came loose. Needless to say, that is how our rebuild got started. Not sure I would use red loctite, blue would be fine, especially if you plan on removing it.
 

Wizardawd

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Aug 7, 2007
Messages
1,323
Location
Franklin, NC
Usually when a cooler gets crushed it is far easier to notice the oil in the coolant versus the other way around. Oil pressure at the oil filter is 30-85psi versus coolant pressure is max of 13psi. So naturally the oil will force it's way into the coolant while the engine is running. However, some coolant may seep into the oil after the engine is shut off. But it won't be as much and not nearly as noticeable. And red loctite is preferred especially if have the balance shafts removed.

Torque spec on the cooler retaining bolt is 28-33 ft lbs.

Wiz
 

Barnes

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Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Messages
6,249
Location
Richland, WA
I will submit this tid-bit. When the water pump went in #908 I pulled the whole engine so I could pull the balance shafts while I did all the other stufff (t-belt, water pump, etc). I cleaned up the stock oil cooler and oil filter housing. I used a new o-ring (the big orange one) and torqued it down to the correct torque, no loctite. So even with no b-shafts and no loctite it has been fine for ~6years. I'm not saying you shouldn't use loctite, but that I feel it isn't needed. Do whatever makes you comfortable. As others have said, if you are going to use loctite, use blue. The red is overkill for this application.
 

Boostdtalon

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Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
913
Location
Buckley, Wa.
This happened to me with my TSI after having the oil changed by someone else. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif After torquing the bolt back down i never had a problem again. Though I was paranoid it blowing off on the highway again for quite sometime. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif
 

Wizardawd

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Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
1,323
Location
Franklin, NC
Why is red overkill for this bolt? You probably will never take it off again. And we're not talking about a valve cover or thermostat here. Where a loose bolt causes a seepage or something. This bolt backing off is a major source of many engines dying. Like, ALL your oil gone in less than 20 seconds! According to info, red is acceptable on bolts larger than 12mm in diameter and/or where upto 300degrees can be safely used to melt the loctite. I can see a smaller bolt not using red, but it's a 1-inch head on this thing, easy to remove. And just because someone ran 6 years without theirs coming loose doesn't mean it isn't a good idea to put loctite on them. I have been smoking for 15 years and have yet to get cancer. Does that mean you won't?

BS Elim, pro-thane mounts, light flywheels, etc. We take away the very stuff that cancels out engine vibrations and expect nothing to happen? Sure loctite makes getting it off a pain, but would you rather it come off by your hand or while going down the highway.

Flywheel bolts, transmission bolts, crank pulley bolt, torque convertor bolts, etc. Basically anything that moves or kinda bad if it comes loose.

Wiz
 

Barnes

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Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Messages
6,249
Location
Richland, WA
I'm pretty sure the size distinction is related to the bolt strength vs. the loctite strength. If the loctite is too strong you could break the bolt before it ever unthreads. That's just my guess. But OP can do whatever the f*** he wants. Like I said, whatever makes you feel comfortable. I don't covering fasteners with loctite if I don't have to. Makes for a mess if you have to remove and reinstall for whatever reason. I'll just keep rocking the stock setup like tons of other people.
 
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