Motorcraft Oil Filter Catastrophic Seam Failure

[MaximumMini]

Is there a date code on the dome of the filter? Those fake alibaba Motorcraft filters don't have any date code on them from the ad photos.

 

[ZeeOSix]

The base plate is too thick to bend by oil pump pressure like the bad one you pictured.

Yeah, the actual base plate didn't "bend" in the OPs filter failure. The seam around the perimeter stretched and blew open. The pressure trying to blow the can off the end plate caused the base seam let go. If the seam was defective and weak due to bad manufacturing, even normal maximum engine oil pressure could have caused the failure.

 

[MaximumMini]

Good you found the video. The can is a little thinner but imo it was a defective base plate. The base plate is too thick to bend by oil pump pressure like the bad one you pictured. That the new filter works fine means the engine is ok. The new bypass valve is ok, been used for many years. Motorcraft is lucky.

My gut feeling agrees with this. This motor has a new oil pump, pressure relief valve and spring and new rod bearings (plus a good bit of other new parts). I've been through it carefully. That doesn't guarantee that the engines pressure relief valve didn't get stuck, but I'm doubting that. My gut feeling is it was the Oil Filter. If it happens again with a different brand filter then I'll have to take the oil pan off and re examine the pressure relief piston and spring and cylinder.

In all my years I've never had this happen or even seen it happen to anyone else.

 

[MaximumMini]

The actual base plate didn't "bend" in the OPs filter failure. The seam around the perimeter stretched and blew open. The pressure caused the base plate to can seam let go.

Still, I'm more inclined to believe the Oil Filter caused this than the relief valve in the engine itself.
If it happens again with a different oil filter then I'll know for certain.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Still, I'm more inclined to believe the Oil Filter caused this than the relief valve in the engine itself.
If it happens again with a different oil filter then I'll know for certain.

Yes, I'd be watching any other filter after this one just to make sure the oil pump isn't acting up. I edited my previous post to say if the base seam was weak and defective from a bad crimp job during manufacturing, then even maximum normal oil pressure could cause this failure.

How long was that filter on before it failed? Was it installed right before the trip?

 

[MaximumMini]

More likely the pump pressure relief. But if the filter bypass valve failed to open it wouldn't blow the end off the filter, it would instead implode the center tube and media. The end cap blowing off like shown in your photos is from the can not able to withstand the pressure from the oil pump.

What new filter did you install after this one?

You mentioned earlier that the car's oil pressure gauge seems to read normally. What kind of oil pressure gauge is it ... one with actual numbers on the gauge or just a Low to High range type?

New Pressure relief Valve and spring. Mahle.
When I Google it, some experts say the oil filter can cause this...others not.

I installed a Purolator Boss filter to replace the blown filter.
I have a VDO Oil Pressure gauge and sender. I wasn't looking at it when this happened. It was fast and unexpected. I had not noticed any oil pressure oddities. After replacing the filter and the oil and starting the engine, the oil pressure is right where I expect it to be.
70psi cold then gradually drops as it warms up. It ends up around 20 psi fully warmed up at idle.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I have a VDO Oil Pressure gauge and sender. I wasn't looking at it when this happened. It was fast and unexpected. I had not noticed any oil pressure oddities. After replacing the filter and the oil and starting the engine, the oil pressure is right where I expect it to be.
70psi cold then gradually drops as it warms up. It ends up around 20 psi fully warmed up at idle.

What's the oil pressure at higher RPM when the oil is still pretty cold? Is it a stock oil pump, or higher volume, higher max pressure aftermarket pump? What's the oil pump pressure relief spring supposed to be set for?

 

[MaximumMini]

Yes, I'd be watching any other filter after this one just to make sure the oil pump isn't acting up. I edited my previous post to say if the base seam was weak and defective from a bad crimp job during manufacturing, then even maximum normal oil pressure could cause this failure.

How long was that filter on before it failed? Was it installed right before the trip?

IIRC the filter only had about 200 miles on it. But, and this could be important....This filter was originally installed when I first got the vehicle and since it had not been used more than a few hundred miles (at most), I set aside in my shop while I did the piston replacement which I believe took about 3 weeks working on it off and on mostly waiting for parts to arrive. So this filter had been previously used in the same vehicle, sat for nearly a month in my shop, then went back on the vehicle. I should have discarded it but it really hadn't been used. But, it could have been affected by moisture during that 3 weeks. I should have at least stored it in a sealed sandwich bag or something. My fault. Penny pinching....pound foolishness. won't do that again. Once off...in the garbage.

Here is most of my maintenance history for the vehicle in question to date. Like I've said before, I'm OCD about maintenance. I treat my vehicles like it's an aircraft. I acquired this vehicle March 19th of this year.

 

[MaximumMini]

What's the oil pressure at higher RPM when the oil is still pretty cold? Is it a stock oil pump, or higher volume, higher max pressure aftermarket pump? What's the oil pump pressure relief spring supposed to be set for?

Cold at idle.....70psi
I don't usually bring the rpms up when it's cold. The gauge is 0 - 80psi and it can peg that when cold if I bring the rpms up.
Stock oil pump. Melling/Mahle.

The FSM only specifies that the oil pressure should be at least between 30-80psi when hot at 3K rpm.

 

[MaximumMini]

ZeeOSix,

Did the date code tell you anything?
For the time being, I'm going to carry 5 quarts of 5W-30 oil and a filter in that vehicle if I go anywhere. (And a bag of clay Cat litter)

I used clay cat litter to clean up the huge oil spill mess and that stuff works wonders to clean up a mess like that.

 

[mr_boring]

Yeah, the actual base plate didn't "bend" in the OPs filter failure. The seam around the perimeter stretched and blew open. The pressure trying to blow the can off the end plate caused the base seam let go. If the seam was defective and weak due to bad manufacturing, even normal maximum engine oil pressure could have caused the failure.

And over here in the manufacturing world we honestly have a fail every once in a while. It happens. You could hire Tibetian Level 60 Psionic Monks to hand inspect every filter that the machines spit out and just as sure as God made little green apples you'll miss a defective one once in a while.

That being said, I get all trust issuey me ownself, and I'd probably pass on Motorcraft filters for a while (and I really like Motorcraft filters)

They probably measure defects in DPMO and I would bet that number is very very low.

 

[Chris142]

They are faking oil filters now?

I bought 6 Autolite spark plugs for $10. They had to be fake because the electrodes burned off in 2000 miles. Must be worth it to someone to make fakes.

 

[mr_boring]

ZeeOSix,

Did the date code tell you anything?
For the time being, I'm going to carry 5 quarts of 5W-30 oil and a filter in that vehicle if I go anywhere. (And a bag of clay Cat litter)

I used clay cat litter to clean up the huge oil spill mess and that stuff works wonders to clean up a mess like that.

If I might suggest - let it idle a while when you have some spare time. Watch for pressure spikes. It goes without saying watch for filter blowouts.....

Give it a little gas once in a while to up the RPMS for 30 seconds or so.

As far as letting it sit in the shop - would doubt that moisture had an effect on it. It was oily.... but stranger things have happened.

You've really only got 2 root cause possibilities here - bad filter or some insane pressure spike. My bet is on a bad filter (see my reply to Zee above)

 

[4WD]

I dunno - a fake Motorcraft reminds me of the fake Swatch thread …
As for Amazon - quit them years ago but still hard to see how a company with a stunning amount of resources is letting things go downhill …

 

[MaximumMini]

If I might suggest - let it idle a while when you have some spare time. Watch for pressure spikes. It goes without saying watch for filter blowouts.....

Give it a little gas once in a while to up the RPMS for 30 seconds or so.

As far as letting it sit in the shop - would doubt that moisture had an effect on it. It was oily.... but stranger things have happened.

You've really only got 2 root cause possibilities here - bad filter or some insane pressure spike. My bet is on a bad filter (see my reply to Zee above)

I wish there was some expert that could analyze this filter just to see for sure.
I do intend to open it and post good crisp closeups of everything inside.

 

[MaximumMini]

Looking at the code on top of the oil filter....
I'll bet this was made december of 2024

 

[MParr]

That thing exploded!

 

[ZeeOSix]

Looking at the code on top of the oil filter....
I'll bet this was made december of 2024

Motorcraft date code uses the 2nd through 7th digit. So in this case it's 10/02/24 which is Oct 2, 2024. See the sticky thread at the top of the Oil Filter forum for date code reading hints.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I wish there was some expert that could analyze this filter just to see for sure.
I do intend to open it and post good crisp closeups of everything inside.

Yes, it needs to be opened up for inspection ... just guesses until that happens. If the center tube or media is damaged, then that would also be a sign of over pressure from the pump. In the mean time, if you look down through the base plate center hole and look at the center tube, does it look pushed in at all?

 

[MaximumMini]

Yes, it needs to be opened up for inspection ... just guesses until that happens. If the center tube or media is damaged, then that would also be a sign of over pressure from the pump. In the mean time, if you look down through the base plate center hole and look at the center tube, does it look pushed in at all?

You don't believe there's any way it could just be a one in 10,000 bad oil filter or cheap counterfeit?
Over my lifetime I've probably bought (or installed) thousands of oil filters. The odds finally beat my luck?

The engine never did it before and seems to be fine now.
Maybe this is just me "hoping" it's only the oil filter.
Won't know for certain unless it does it again.