An oil filter is essential in maintaining the overall condition of your car engine, as it cleans your motor oil from contaminants. However, it can also cause some problems when improperly installed.
An over tightened oil filter can break the filter gasket and cause an oil leak, while a loose oil filter could easily let the oil seep out due to poor or lack of proper seal.
So, how tight should an oil filter be? Whether you like to tighten the oil filter by hand or with a tool, there’s a proper procedure and tightness to follow. You should make half to three-quarters of a turn aft ther the gasket touch the engine base.
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Recommended Tightness for Oil Filter
Manufacturers usually advise changing your oil filter every other oil change or an interval of two oil drains. Putting on a new one can be tricky– you may over or under-tighten it.
Whether it’s a car or motorcycle oil filter, the general rule of thumb requires you to further tighten the filter from a half to three-quarters turn past the gasket and base contact, as most service manuals would recommend.
Following such tightening recommendations helps you avoid the classic mistake of an improperly tightened filter. Especially with canister filters with O-ring seals, overtightening can cause these gaskets to break and cause a leak.
Proper Tightening Procedure
While oil filter replacement appears to be a simple and routine task, there’s a procedure you need to follow for effective and mistake-free installation. Properly tightening an oil filter prevents engine problems and allows filters to last as they should.
Here are four easy steps to follow to DIY an oil filter replacement.
1. Clean the contact area
Before you screw on oil filter, cleaning the contact surface is a must to remove any debris and contaminants that could damage the filter gasket or prevent a proper seal.
The old filter gasket would sometimes get stuck on the mounting surface, or a dirt ring would form, so it’s best to wipe or polish the contact area first before you tighten an oil filter.
You can add a thin oil film on the gasket for even seating and to prevent the rubber gasket from creeping. The oil film also keeps the rubber gasket from sticking hard on the block, making it easy to remove on your next replacement.
2. Thread on the filter until gasket contact
Threading on your new oil filter is a step that can be done easily by hand. Once your contact area is clean, slide on your replacement filter and turn it clockwise until the gasket touches the block.
At this point, you mustn’t turn the new filter too much to avoid potentially overtightening it. What you want to achieve here is to simply guarantee that your filter gasket is in contact with the mounting area.
It is advisable that you do it by hand to feel that your new filter isn’t threaded on too loose or too tight. You only need gentle pressure to avoid damaging the threads.
3. Tighten three-quarters turn
This next step is essentially the most critical, and you can either do it by hand or by using a tightening tool.
4. Tighten by hand
Once gasket contact is achieved, you need to grip on the new filter and tighten it no more than three-quarters turn. If you wish to tighten without wrench, just wear work gloves for added grip.
You can refer to the number of turn indicators printed on the canister to do it correctly. But if your oil filter doesn’t have turn markings, you can add four numbers to mark every quarter of a turn for reference.
5. Tighten by a wrench
Some DIYers would recommend that you stick with hand tighten oil filter and never use a wrench when tightening or that you only need to wrench it when removing. They explain that a wrench could dent the filter canister, potentially resulting in a leakage.
However, it is not wrong to use a wrench when tightening for as long as you are using the right wrench for the job. Sometimes, wrenching your filter is necessary if it’s in an area where your hand can’t reach to tighten it properly.
Additionally, since you need to lubricate the gasket with your hand before threading on, you’ll potentially lose grip to hand tighten it. It would be easier to snug the filter tighter using a wrench.
6. Start the engine to check for leaks
Since what you want to guarantee in avoiding an over or under-tightened oil filter is an oil leak, the best you can do after tightening and refilling your motor oil is to run your engine and check whether there are any signs of a leak.
If no leak is present, you’re good to go, but if there is, you can turn the filter a bit more until the leak stops.
Conclusion
While oil filter replacement appears straightforward, it’s best to stick with the proper tightening procedure to avoid classic overtightening mistakes and prolong the component’s service.
Whether hand tightening or wrenching, always tighten your filter from two to three-quarters turn for proper seal. Check the product manual to know exactly how tight should an oil filter be.
If unsure, you can always bring your car to the auto shop; however, doing it yourself keeps you from spending a few more dollars on labor costs. Just make sure you use the right tool for the right procedure.
Working with Vernon and Ryley has been a great experience for me. Together with the rest of the team, I hope to create reliable and useful information for our readers, no matter where they are and their experience with car maintenance.
