Horrible oil change

[Ihatetochangeoil]

I really HATE simple mysteries like this. My two cents worth is that the service tech isn't going to tell you anything worthwhile; but there's a simple answer to troubleshoot what's wrong: Repeat it. Put the filter back on just as you did the bad time (provided you can't see anything visually apparent like a torn gasket). Have your wife, significant other, buddy, neighbor, old enough to drive responsible teenager, etc., help you.
With the car on ramps, YOU lay under it with a bright flashlight and a watchful eyeball (Safety Glasses) while someone else STARTS it. A leak of this magnitude should be IMMEDIATELY apparent upon startup, you just need someone else in the driver's seat to turn it off when you holler uncle.
Mystery solved. I'd love to hear the outcome.

 

[Frank D]

Originally Posted by NormanBuntz
Originally Posted by carviewsonic
Filter cross threaded and/or threads on the filter not manufactured properly?

This is my bet unless the OP visually confirmed that the filter gasket was snugged up.

I can't confirm if the gasket was snugged up as you can't see it with the type filter housing around the filter. 14612 is the spec'd filter in the Purolator catalog and online also. The filter was snugged up tight all the way. Can't say if the gasket was making contact. The gasket is still firmly attached to the filter. Spoke to a neighbor who is a Ford dealer mechanic. Told him the story and that everything was fine after taking off the Purolator filter and installing the Nissan filter. He looked over the Puro filter and he couldn't see anything visibly wrong with it. He said mounted and under pressure could be a different story. He also said the filter could possibly have been mismarked when it was made.

 

[Frank D]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Check the filter you threw out and see if the gasket is still there. It's possible that two gaskets exist now and the old one that remained shifted a little and that stopped the initial massive leak.

If you have two gaskets on there now and it's not leaking, I still wouldn't trust it to last.


The gasket is still on the old filter that came off and I cleaned the mounting base before putting on the new filter. I've been doing this since 1971. Never had any issue until today.

 

[Frank D]

Originally Posted by Ihatetochangeoil
I really HATE simple mysteries like this. My two cents worth is that the service tech isn't going to tell you anything worthwhile; but there's a simple answer to troubleshoot what's wrong: Repeat it. Put the filter back on just as you did the bad time (provided you can't see anything visually apparent like a torn gasket). Have your wife, significant other, buddy, neighbor, old enough to drive responsible teenager, etc., help you.
With the car on ramps, YOU lay under it with a bright flashlight and a watchful eyeball (Safety Glasses) while someone else STARTS it. A leak of this magnitude should be IMMEDIATELY apparent upon startup, you just need someone else in the driver's seat to turn it off when you holler uncle.
Mystery solved. I'd love to hear the outcome.

I don't want to repeat it. Cleaning up a 4 quart spill was a pain in the a$$. I don't want that pain again...…..lol.

 

[DuckRyder]

Check the tapping plate near the threads, any sign of contact there? Does this filter have a tapping plate that is convex or concave?

 

[andyd]

Did the oil pressure sender pop? When Chrysler bought AMC. one of the few changes to the V8s was a filter mount with metrics threads instead of SAE. Threads were close but not tight.

 

[incognito_2u]

Just throwing this out there........is it possible that the gasket on the Puro kinda "twisted" or kinked while it was being installed and once enough pressure passed through on start up, it "untwisted" itself and correctly sealed.........Just saying!

 

[JeffKeryk]

Nissans hate the taste of PP.
That's all I can think of.

 

[talest]

Sounds a lot like you did not put the oil filter back on tight enough.

This happened to me last month. Thought I snugged it on tight enough. Started engine. Immediately noticed huge leak, huge huge leak, oil dripping twice a second or more. Thought either new oil was too thin and leaking out, or something put a hole somewhere. Pancking, checked the filter.

Somehow, was able to tighten the filter between another half turn to 3/4 turn. Leak immediately stopped and not another drop went on the ground.

Not sure what happened, no no, however, am now legitimately scared of taking said filter off. Probably for no reason.

 

[dbias]

Was the oil filter exterior covered in oil ?

 

[Lou_Boyle]

There is an old thread on a Triumph motorcycle forum about this very purolator filter that was manufactured with both concave and convex base plates while other brands had flat base plates. I've encountered the different base plate problem on other filters (Fram 3593A) where the cross referenced filters had a convex base plate rather than the Fram's concave base plate. The convex base plate bottomed out on the mounting stud before the gasket sealed but in my case is was very obvious. Check your purolator's base plate against the filter that worked (guess you would have to buy another one) to see if the base plate is different.

 

[bbhero]

^^^^^^^^

Could possibly be the case.

 

[geeman789]

Honda's had a similar base plate issue. At some point the engine oil filter flange design changed, with a mounting nut sticking out 1/4 inch or so more than the old design. Some after market filters had a flat base and would bottom out on the nut, but not clamp the gasket. The filter felt tight when installed, but on start up oil POURED out at the filter base. Removing the filter showed nothing. WIX changed the recommended filter from 1356 to a revised filter with a different base plate design with more clearance, the 7356. Other filter brands revised their designs as well.

ALWAYS check for leaks and let the engine run for a few minutes after any filter change. Weird stuff happens sometimes ...

 

[krismoriah72]

Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by krismoriah72
You said you snugged the filter on hand tight.. it wasnt on tight enough for the gasket to mate to the base.


I only ever tighten by hand.... I never use anything other than "hand-tightened"


Yes same here.. but i was using the Champion filters from RockAuto for the first time. I snugged it by hand then again with a rag as i always do. I then looked underneath after a 10 second startup and saw oil pouring from oil filter. I put my filter strap wrench on filter and turned it at least 1 full turn.. problem solved.

Perhaps a burr in the filter threads

 

[Ihatetochangeoil]

Originally Posted by Frank D
Originally Posted by Ihatetochangeoil
I really HATE simple mysteries like this. My two cents worth is that the service tech isn't going to tell you anything worthwhile; but there's a simple answer to troubleshoot what's wrong: Repeat it. Put the filter back on just as you did the bad time (provided you can't see anything visually apparent like a torn gasket). Have your wife, significant other, buddy, neighbor, old enough to drive responsible teenager, etc., help you.
With the car on ramps, YOU lay under it with a bright flashlight and a watchful eyeball (Safety Glasses) while someone else STARTS it. A leak of this magnitude should be IMMEDIATELY apparent upon startup, you just need someone else in the driver's seat to turn it off when you holler uncle.
Mystery solved. I'd love to hear the outcome.

I don't want to repeat it. Cleaning up a 4 quart spill was a pain in the a$$. I don't want that pain again...…..lol.


Well come on, duh..you repeat it but add a large drain pan. DON'T repeat the mess obviously. One of my favorite garage tools is a plastic 16 quart rectangular shallow "salad bowl" I got at a flea market for cheap. I use it when draining antifreeze, tranny fluid or washing small parts. My garage floor is also clean. I thought anyone who would change their own oil would have such thing. Heck, go to Walmart and buy a clear under bed storage box. Solve the mystery before BITOG goes spastic.

 

[Hall]

Saw a video where one guy uses the 'catch basin' that you put underneath your laundry washing machine. You don't use this for an oil change or transmission fluid drain although you could then put your regular drain pan inside of this larger pan. You can catch any fluid splatter or stuff that deflects off of bracing, suspension pieces, etc.

 

[AZjeff]

Compare the construction of the suspect filter with one like you put on.