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Ok so after buying this 2003 f250 that has been sitting the past year and not much use from the previous owner I decided to flatbed it to my house when I bought it. Figured I would start changing the fluids. Oil change first, oil withdrawn aft having to use my impact to get off the oil plug. Onto the filter, ya like 3 days of 5 hours each had totally taken the filter apart in pieces and the filter base plate wouldn't budge. Penetrating oil twice still wouldn't move. After using screwdriver and a small demolition bar finally moved. With a little bit of damage do you think it's gonna leak at the filter? 5.4 engine Finally came out Oil filter housing. Little indentation is where im concerned if its gonna leak when the new filter is put in
Last edited by Hoc342; Sep 7, 2025 at 02:57 PM.
Reason: Should have put engine size
What engine? You could always replace the oil filter adapter, because truthfully, that looks FUBAR. UNLESS, you take it off the truck, hand sand that area carefully and then use a light coat of JB Weld to fill in the indents. obviously would have to be sanded level, and carefully.
Last edited by Overkill2; Sep 7, 2025 at 11:57 AM.
Reason: add to post
Definitely replace the oil filter housing. I wouldn't try to repair it myself. Just not worth the risk of doing it, putting it back together, and finding out it leaks, just to have to do the work anyway.
That said...I have had some tight oil filters but none quite like that.
Definitely replace the oil filter housing. I wouldn't try to repair it myself. Just not worth the risk of doing it, putting it back together, and finding out it leaks, just to have to do the work anyway.
That said...I have had some tight oil filters but none quite like that.
Yeah good point... no use pulling it off and not buying a new one.
OP, what engine is this?
Last edited by Overkill2; Sep 8, 2025 at 07:10 AM.
Reason: add to post
Ok so after buying this 2003 f250 that has been sitting the past year and not much use from the previous owner I decided to flatbed it to my house when I bought it. Figured I would start changing the fluids. Oil change first, oil withdrawn aft having to use my impact to get off the oil plug. Onto the filter, ya like 3 days of 5 hours each had totally taken the filter apart in pieces and the filter base plate wouldn't budge. Penetrating oil twice still wouldn't move. After using screwdriver and a small demolition bar finally moved. With a little bit of damage do you think it's gonna leak at the filter? 5.4 engine Finally came out Oil filter housing. Little indentation is where im concerned if its gonna leak when the new filter is put in
That's what I'll do guys thanks for the advice! Just hope nothing more is as tight as those 2 things . If the mileage was high I wouldn't have waisted my time and just took out the engine but at 130,000 for that yr that's pretty good unless everything is super tight than I'll just keep as a spare and pop another one in. Again guys thanks for the replies!
Or I guess you are back to rehabbing that old one so it will seal to a sandwich adapter to run a remote oil filter mount to save some money.
Originally Posted by Hoc342
That's what I'll do guys thanks for the advice! Just hope nothing more is as tight as those 2 things . If the mileage was high I wouldn't have waisted my time and just took out the engine but at 130,000 for that yr that's pretty good unless everything is super tight than I'll just keep as a spare and pop another one in. Again guys thanks for the replies!
What's really concerning is what else is too tight and/or been "maintained" on this truck.
This type of excessive force was probably used all over the truck on whatever fastener that person touched (lug nuts, differential plugs, etc).
This is a valid concern - what other 'routine maintenance' items were drastically overtorqued? I've never needed in impact to take out a drain plug, maybe a light tap with a rubber mallet on the end of the wrench but that's been like 3 times in my life. I've crushed oil filters and had to use the screwdriver through the body trick...but never had one get THAT shredded.
I had an oil filter like that in a 4.6 F150. I got it out by turning it with a hammer and cold chisel. Didn’t take too long and no damage to anything other than the filter.
The damage to the filter head is probally why you had a hard time getting the filter off…me thinks it’s been damaged for a while and the last filter was tightened down until it stopped leaking.
the damage looks like a mis by someone who tried to cut into the filter edge with a screw driver or narrow chisel to break the threads free.