Oil filter dented, good to use?

[TurboTristan]

Hi all,

I received 2 MAHLE OC981 in the mail today and upon inspection noticed a small dent on each of them. It's at the bottom end of the filter where you'd grip your hand on to tighten the filter. I know that if you get a dent on the side it can cause issues, I've done some research and most of the dents I see are way worse than mine. What do you guys think? Could this affect oil pressure or burst? Am I good to go?

TIA

 

[Mr Nice]

I would use it. A small dent won't hurt anything.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Who did you get them from?

 

[TurboTristan]

Got them from RockAuto.

 

[TurboTristan]

Figured it wouldn't be a big deal, thanks!

 

[The motor guy]

There was a thread a while back on here about how dented filters can leak because the pressure causes the dent to move in and out kind of like bending a nail back and forth until it breaks. That being said, I had an engine with a slightly dented filter and the pressure popped the dent out.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I would return both.

 

[LeakySeals]

What does your gut think? go with that..

 

[TurboTristan]

Gut says it doesn't look like a big deal but maybe it's not worth putting a $$$$$$$ engine at risk for a $ filter.

Already processed the replacement with RockAuto!

 

[TurboTristan]

Yup I already processed the replacement with RockAuto, if they let me keep them might as well cut em open

 

[Chris142]

Nope.

 

[TheLawnRanger]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
I would return both.

+1
Why let them get away with sending you a dented filter? You wouldn't have bought a dented filter from a brick and mortar store. You likely ordered from RA for the deal. Some deal.

 

[RDY4WAR]

I wouldn't. They'd probably be fine, but it would always be in the back of my mind.

 

[TurboTristan]

You are correct. I will be getting 2 new ones from RockAuto. Hopefully they are not dented

 

[TheLawnRanger]

I hope you have better results this time.

 

[TurboTristan]

I generally don't order from RockAuto as I have some euro car parts places close to me. This is the first time I have an issue so hopefully all goes well. Will cut them open if RockAuto lets me keep them!

Thanks!

 

[Dinoburner]

The small dent, OK, the larger nope.

 

[69Torino]

Hopefully my comment here adds value to the discussion... I have received a dented oil filter in the mail before. It was a Ford Racing Performance Parts FL820S. Fairly expensive for an oil filter. The seller made it right and sent me another, and I was able to keep it. I cut it open and found that it took such an impact that the stamped tension spring at the dome end had distorted with the inertia of being dropped. The dent was small but the damage inside would have allowed oil to bypass the media on the threaded end, rendering the oil filter less effective at best and useless at worst.

Moral; I don't use dented filters. Not even once. Not worth it. You can view the thread HERE, first picture includes the tension spring. If you zoom in and look closely you may observe the distorted spring. Dent is shown on the second page of the thread.

 

[TurboTristan]

Awesome info! Hopefully the 2 new ones they send me are all good and afterwards I will cut them open... crazy how a small dent can cause pretty severe internal damage. Rather not take a chance on my motors.

Thanks for your input it's really good to know that.

 

[69Torino]

Originally Posted by TurboTristan
Awesome info! Hopefully the 2 new ones they send me are all good and afterwards I will cut them open... crazy how a small dent can cause pretty severe internal damage. Rather not take a chance on my motors.

Thanks for your input it's really good to know that.

Sure thing. That's why a site like this exists, hopefully to pass on good information.

In my mind, if something is damaged in shipping it's hard (impossible) to tell if something rubbed up against it in the truck or if it got dropped from ten feet in the air. Dent could look the same in both scenarios but with different inertia forces and likely different internal effects.