Take a close look at the image- if you ask me, the filter housing was squeezed, distorting the entire assembly. This forced the gasket too close to the outside edge of the mounting flange and allowed it to blow out. Take a look at the center of the base plate. It is distorted in the same direction as the gasket damage. I think the filter was squished out of round and that caused it to fail…
If you still have the filter, it might be worth looking at how much face the mounting flange has outside of the diameter of the gasket to see if this is plausible or not.
Also, you could measure the base ring diameter to see if it indeed squished oblong…
Also, look at the gasket right at the bottom of the zoomed in picture. Is that a flat spot? The ridgeline continues again just beyond the edge of the zoomed in picture, and it’s hard to tell from the lighting if the gasket is damaged, or just rolled over a bit in that section.
In that picture a “deformed looking” seal is obvious. However, is it looking deformed because a potion of it pulled out of the channel in the metal of the filter? That could happen just by removing the filter if the seal has partially adhered to the engine (fairly common).
Have you tried reinstalling the funny looking part of the seal in that filter’s channel? I’m wondering if once reinstalled it would look normal, again, and not deformed.
I have to agree. You would also probably have to prove that the oil pressure relief valve in the engine didn’t fail and cause the filter to over-pressurize.
I’ve been following this trying to figure out what could have happened. I have come to the following conclusions.
The oil filter was installed too tight.
When it was removed, it took so much force that the can and the gasket got deformed at that time. I have had filters that were installed at quick lube places look like this or worse by the time I got the filter off.
The oil filter did not leak, the leak was elsewhere but the mechanics saw a little oil around the filter and made that assumption. If the engine is disassembled for repair, someone might find the actual leak.
On some vehicles (like my wifes Accords 4-cylinder), where the filter fits on the engine block there’s a small grove the filter fits into - just like the grove on filter itself. The problem I had with some filter companies (like Purolator), is they will make ONE filter that fits the Accord 4-cylinder, but the same filter also is designed to fit a Mazda. For most other vehicles this wouldn’t be a problem because there isn’t this grove on engine block. In fact the Mazda this Purolator is also a fit for doesn’t have this grove - but the Accord does. The problem is the filter gasket is about 1/32" too big to fit into the grove on the engine block.
Fram and Wix make two different filters for the Accord and Mazda, and the one for the Accord fits perfectly (right into the grove). Seems that Purolator tried to go the cheap route and make one filter that was close. All other specs of the filter was correct…just the gasket was 1/32" difference.
Mike, you could be onto something. That seal appears to be twisted in a couple of spots and probably popped out of it’s channel in the filter. and that’s why I questioned Mr./Ms. Chengpu (left the discussion?) about trying to reinsert the seal in its groove.
I would have to believe that some “technicians” in some “cheapo” “quicko” oil change joints don’t stock every filter available and I’d bet some have even just eye-balled a filter that looks like it would work. As you pointed out some filter brands may not make the filters to spec. Speed and cost is the name of the game.
Of course, I’m not implying anybody at this particular shop would do anything like that, Naw, but…
Most of us here know to use O.E. filters, spark plugs, transmission fluids, etcetera in our own vehicles. In most cases nobody cares more about your car than you do. CSA
I agree. It’s a definite possibility.
Too many times I’ve run into cheap aftermarket parts that, while the banglladesh manufacturer lists them for the application, don’t fit properly. I’ve run into often enough to avoid off-brand parts and parts from a store that I know carries off-brand junk. Quickie lube joints that use super-cheap “white box” filters could easily install ill-fitting filters.
While I like to think of myself as an experienced mechanic I am unfamiliar with “white box filters” and I’m amazed that “one size fits all” filters are legally marketed in the US. But I can see where a filter with a seal ring that barely extends out to the mounting base on the engine could result in some outrageously peculiar and catastrophic failures. Just how low will unscrupulous marketers go to sell a ‘pig in a poke’ to the unwary public?
That makes some sense, especially if the filter was poorly manufactured and egg shaped. If egg shaped, the gasket could have not been in the groove and eventually blown out.
White box filters are for commercial use, with no art work on the box. Our parts department stocks plain box filters for brand X vehicle for the used car department.
It’s not a one size fits all. It’s a one size fits many. If the filter is close enough, then why make another one. It’s usually not a problem, unless you have a situation like my wife’s Accords where there’s a groove on the cylinder block that the gasket sits in.
As for one-size-fits all - ever see the filters for Ford in the 60’s and 70’s. Fram PH-8a no matter what vehicle or engine. They all used the same filter.
That junk is the norm at Jerky Lube and its clones–unfortunately.
Some of them will try to “upsell” customers to a name brand filter, and I would love to hear that sales pitch.
I wonder if they actually say…This product–from an unknown Third-World manufacturer–may, or may not, be the correct specification that your car calls for, and we don’t put much faith in the pressure relief valve, the filtering medium, or the gasket.
No, of course, they don’t say that, but…What do they say when they try to upsell customers to a name-brand filter?
They will say something like the $15 extra “Magic” filter will increase your fuel mileage by 20% or it will cut the necessary engine flush from every 3,000 mile full synthetic oil and filter change to every other one. They prey on the ignorant.
I just can’t help but think that if this was a double gasket issue, or a wrong filter/gasket issue, or even an improper install issue- that this would have popped up WELL before 5,000 miles and several months.
I’m really thinking what @keith said makes the most sense.
I had a bad experience with an oil filter that was cross-referenced for the specified filter. I had an MTD lawn tractor with the hydrostatic transmission. The transmission fluid used was Type F, and the filter specified was a Fram. The Fram filter I needed was out of stock, so I looked in the cross reference chart and bought the Rural King house brand. The problem was that the house brand was a little longer and every time I raised the mower deck, the support hit the filter. Eventually, it knocked a hole in the filter and I lost all the transaxle fluid. I was right in the middle of mowing my two acre lot and had to make a trip to buy the proper filter and the Type F transmission fluid.
Hey all I stopped getting notifications on my phone so I thought the topic had gone cold.
I am just going by what the mechanic said and according to him it was evident that all the oil was lost at the filter. He could be wrong. But if the gasket was damaged upon removal that would indicate it was intact before. What caused the leak? Like I said my mechanic could be wrong.
Not yet, the filter is in the truck at the garage and I haven’t been able to stop in.
I was able to track down the maker of the filter and I am waiting to hear from them. I am hoping I can ship it to them and they can investigate. At this point I am just looking for information/answers.
