Filter housing doesn't like 18 foot lbs

[Jeep Junkie]

I tried 17 and it seemed too much too. Why the manual wants us to push this is so hard? How far do you guys tighten the oil filter on the 3.6?

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[Deleted User 38384]

I tried 17 and it seemed too much too. Why the manual wants us to push this is so hard? How far do you guys tighten the oil filter on the 3.6?

The EcoDiesel wants 25nm, but I always just do it till it stops spinning. The second the wrench pushes back a little bit, I stop.

I've done that with all my vehicles, forever, never had any issues.

Just make sure you're lubing up the gasket on the oil filter cover as well, it'll help with providing a good seal.

I understand an EcoDiesel is not a 3.6, but the same rules apply. It's just another oil filter cap.


As an added thought, I know the gassers have issues sometimes with the gas cap not being tightened down all the way. When you do your oil change, always a good idea to clean off the metal and/or plastic around your gasoline nozzle insertion point. And then on top of that, take a little bit of that engine oil, and put it on the gasket on your gas cap. If you do that every oil change, your fuel cap should last you double the lifetime it normally does. Also less likely to have those issues with the gas cap not sealing properly. Just figured I'd share that one for you.

 

[grimmjeeper]

On the 3.6 in the JK I used to have, I would lube the o-ring with a touch of oil and set the torque wrench to 18.5 ft lbs or so (25 nm). My ecodiesel gets the same treatment

 

[Jay Gatsby]

Never had a problem torquing the 3.6 to 18 ftlb. Do what you want. I torque other filters on others cars just hand tight. I keep to the specs to hopefully avoid damage.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I tried 17 and it seemed too much too. Why the manual wants us to push this is so hard? How far do you guys tighten the oil filter on the 3.6?

You don't need to torque it that high. I've been turning my cap down until the O-ring goes inside the neck and the lip of the cap contacts the lip of the housing and stops. No extra torque at all. The "sticktion" of the plastics holds it in place and it never backs off. Tightening any further does nothing to seal it. The seal is made when the O-ring goes into the bore of the housing.

People worry about the tightening torque cracking the housing. That's not the torque to worry about. It's the break-away torque of loosening it that you should worry about.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Good n snug. I definitely don't want to pull on that housing with a torque wrench. Causing it to move too much isn't the best thing for the O rings in the cooler part.

 

[Jeep Junkie]

Next time I will do 14 foot pounds lol. And will keep an eye for leaks.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Good n snug. I definitely don't want to pull on that housing with a torque wrench. Causing it to move too much isn't the best thing for the O rings in the cooler part.

Just make sure the resistance you are feeling isn't the O-ring squeezing into the bore. If you stop at that point, the O-ring is outside the bore and will leak profusely. I've seen this. The O-ring must go into the bore and the lip on the cap has to contact the lip of the housing. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Just make sure the resistance you are feeling isn't the O-ring squeezing into the bore. If you stop at that point, the O-ring is outside the bore and will leak profusely. I've seen this. The O-ring must go into the bore and the lip on the cap has to contact the lip of the housing. Nothing more, nothing less.

No leaks in 4.5 years. No one but me has been under the hood. I never took it in for any of the “wave” oil changes.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Next time I will do 14 foot pounds lol. And will keep an eye for leaks.

I don't bother with a torque wrench for this task. I visually check that the O-ring goes into the bore of the housing, then watch as the lip of the cap contacts the housing. When I see and feel it contact, I stop. While doing this, my hand is up around the ratchet/socket with very little leverage on the wrench. One hand only.

 

[8ball]

It’s a great design just crap materials. I mean what did they think every oil technician that see’s these engines for oil changes would be ASE certified, and use a torque specification.

At least it should all be metal parts if this is the design choice. Imagining the 20yr old new oil changer cranking down as hard as he can on your plastic oil filter/cooler housing and…..Snap, never says a word and now you have oil pooling all over the topside of your engine. Actually could be a fire risk if it leaked bad enough before shut down.

guess if you want this done right better do it your self….

 

[SoK66]

The more I read about this the more I understand why the filter/cooler housings leak. Over torque the cap at the top multiple times & stress the fasteners and plastic at the bottom, add heat, add miles, stirr, shake....leak!

 

[alphawolff]

You really just need to tighten it until it resists turning. It doesn't need much.

The more I read about this the more I understand why the filter/cooler housings leak. Over torque the cap at the top multiple times & stress the fasteners and plastic at the bottom, add heat, add miles, stirr, shake....leak!

99% of OFA leaks are from the rubber gaskets at the bottom of the housing fatiguing from thermal cycling. The cap rarely leaks. The housing itself also rarely leaks.

For the first half decade or so you couldn't get the gaskets separately, only the entire housing. I believe this is where the misconception of the housing itself leaking came from, as dealers were replacing the entire housing.

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