Hard lessons learned

[Kira]

Hello, Today I finally caught up with my brother at our Mom's house. Changing the oil in his 1998 Ford Windstar 3.8 liter was to be the fun focus of the afternoon. I drained the oil and unscrewed the no-name filter, no problem. I installed a WIX 51516 and poured in the new QS 5-20 dino. While I backed the van down our Mom's driveway-a snowy white concrete driveway I've been keeping clean for over 25 years-I noticed that the oil pressure light was on. I looked out to see a jagged 18" wide stripe of oil following me out into the street. You don't want to read a description of how I felt or what I said.
I unscrewed the filter and found-YOU GUESSED IT-the old gasket stuck onto the engine. "I guess the guys at the monkey lube I went to before didn't oil that gasket", my brother said. I said, "yeah".
I take the blame for this one since I didn't check. My only explanation is that it was darn cold outside and my brother had a catch bag ready for the old filter so I didn't have it in my hand for any length of time.
Don't let this happen to you. I feel like an aboral orifice. Kira

 

[1999cutiger]

That's gonna leave a mark....

 

[aquariuscsm]

That happens every time I use a Wix filter,the gasket always sticks to the oil filter tree. It never happens with Fram TG`s or Nissan oem`s.

 

[jrenkas]

This always happens to me on Mopar minivans with a vertically mounted filter. Does not matter which brand of filter used.

 

[Kira]

To aquariuscsm: It wasn't the WIX gasket which stuck. It was the no-name"s. I never experienced this before. Kira

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
That happens every time I use a Wix filter,the gasket always sticks to the oil filter tree. It never happens with Fram TG`s or Nissan oem`s.


No kidding eh?
No matter how long the filter has been in place, I have never had this problem once in my life. Then again I do my own oil changes, and even back when I didn't, I still knew enough to not use iffy lubes.

 

[Lumberg]

When I used to work at the service station we called that a "Dual O-Ring Application" and it only takes it happening once (and it happens to everyone once) to have it never happen again!

This is also why, immediately after starting it, before backing it out or anything you a) wait for the OP light to turn off and b) you get out and give a quick glance under the car to make sure it's not hemorrhaging oil.

 

[Hallmark]

Originally Posted By: Lumberg


This is also why, immediately after starting it, before backing it out or anything you a) wait for the OP light to turn off and b) you get out and give a quick glance under the car to make sure it's not hemorrhaging oil.


Hmmm! I've always believed this was SOP for any & all DIY oil changes. It appears that some may not be taking such precautions.

 

[mcrn]

Originally Posted By: Hallmark
Originally Posted By: Lumberg


This is also why, immediately after starting it, before backing it out or anything you a) wait for the OP light to turn off and b) you get out and give a quick glance under the car to make sure it's not hemorrhaging oil.


Hmmm! I've always believed this was SOP for any & all DIY oil changes. It appears that some may not be taking such precautions.


Agreed. I do this with every oil change. To the OP I have left the drain plug out while I dumped in new oil. A little bit of oil goes a long long way and seems like way more than it actually is. I spilled about a half quart and it seemed like half a gallon. How much did you lose?

 

[widman]

Proper procedure for oil changes is put in what is supposed to go, start engine, run for a minute or so at varied speeds, turn off, check for leaks and check oil level. Add more if necessary. I'll fire anyone who doesn't follow that procedure twice. The first time I just let them pay for the customer's next oil change.

 

[hate2work]

Kira, don't feel bad, years ago I left the new filter off my truck and started it up without the filter, yikes, what a mess that was

Everybody makes a mistake now and then, ain't no big thing. I suspect the worst part was doing it in front of someone.

 

[electrolover]

very common problem.
always make sure you dont have stacked gaskets and look under the car after you start it.

working in a lube shop i did around 40 cars a day and always had at least one stuck gasket. but the morons i worked with over torqued everything so... maybe thats why idk

 

[electrolover]

Originally Posted By: widman
Proper procedure for oil changes is put in what is supposed to go, start engine, run for a minute or so at varied speeds, turn off, check for leaks and check oil level. Add more if necessary. I'll fire anyone who doesn't follow that procedure twice. The first time I just let them pay for the customer's next oil change.



thats good but why not have the pit man watching at start up?

 

[doitmyself]

Lesson learned is exactly what it was. Beat yourself up just a bit, but then move. I ask professional trades people about their screw ups and they all have stories to tell.

And, Widmam, I'm calling out. You must have a few stories to tell also!

 

[sunfire]

I usually like to give the filter base plate a wipe down before putting on the new filter. So minimizing the chance I will ever double gasket.

 

[JDD]

Even the great ones do the double gasket once. I worked at the quickie lube place in high school (30 yrs ago) and I---yes, me, did a double gasket. Note---it held for 100+ miles before it blew!!

 

[sunfire]

Quick lubes will never lube the gasket. They unscrew the old filter from below then spin on the new one. They aren't going to dip their hands into dirty motor oil. And the fresh oil is usually filled from up top.

Now that I think about it. They don't even prefill the oil filter because the oil fill gun is up top.

 

[jrenkas]

We have an oil bottle with the side cut open with an oil soaked rag that we use to oil gaskets. Also, I always wipe the base-plate.

 

[donz26]

My dad was a mechanic for years, and he told the story about how it happened to him once on a customer car. I think I heard it about 179 times. So, I always check.

 

[cp3]

Originally Posted By: sunfire
I usually like to give the filter base plate a wipe down before putting on the new filter. So minimizing the chance I will ever double gasket.


+1

Had a gasket stick on the base of my buddy's Civic a few weeks ago, it was a Fram however, I was putting on a Wix.