i have leak at the oil seal of my oil filter. ive had it on the last one i just replaced and the new one i just put in (both are motorcraft). it seems that it only leaks a couple of drops when i kill it. is the filter not on good? has anyone used a k&n oil filter on their truck?

 

Are you getting it tight enough?
Oil the gasket before install.

Hand tight + 1 complete turn.

Fleetguard LF 3630 long filter is all I have run for years.

 

just as an afterthought, did you check the engine boss to make sure ALL of the old filter gasket came off? i know that with the fuel filters, sometimes there's some material stays there and can cause a minor leak.

speedrdr

 

It might be worth your while to clean the area off and see where it's coming from. Might not even be the filter. If you thoroughly clean the area after the truck is warmed up (hot oil leaks more than cold), take it for a run around the block, you can likely then localize the origin of the leak. You could also pull that filter off and check the seal and the seal surface on the filter mount. Then make sure it's tight, as Dave suggested.

I have used mostly Motorcraft filters with good results for decades, proved by periodic oil analysis. I have also used K&Ns, just recently. They are better in terms of performance. We think. Motorcraft does not list any performance specs for their filters but they are made by Purolator and is an excellent product in terms of construction. Unless Motorcraft spec'ed some el-cheapo filtering media, it's probably the same high quality stuff as in the excellent Pure-1. The K&N is top drawer and they publish their specs! Those specs and the general level of construction put them in the high tier.

That said, from a practical standpoint, I'm not sure the difference in performance of a K&N, or any really expensive high performance oil filter, is worth the difference in price over the long run... unless you are running synthetic oil for long intervals. If you plan to drive your truck for the next 20 years at 30K a year, maybe.

The Motorcraft is an especially good product for the money, IMHO, as much because you can buy them at discount stores as anything. Whichever brand you choose, use the long Powerstroke filter. It filters a little finer and offers an extra half quart of oil capacity and holds more dirt.

 

is it possible to use the k&n oil filter over again or is it a tosser

 

There's no inherent problem removing and reinstalling an oil filter. Pull it off, inspect the seal and the boss on the fitler housing and reinstall the fitler, making sure it's super tight. No worries!

 

...but, unlike their air filters, you can't use them longer than any other filter. I'm sure you realized that, but just wanted to make sure everyone reading this understands that while you can remove and reinstall a filter, you can' just do an oil change and re-use the same filter. Clean oil needs a clean filter.

That being said, if it was tight enough in the first place, removing it without denting it all up (damaging the outer shell) takes a really good filter wrench. That's because they need to be put on so tight to start with, PLUS the oil seal swells as it soaks up a tiny bit of oil, making it tighten up even more.

If you can get it off without damaging it, then that is quite possibly an indication that it wasn't tight enough to begin with...

 

would a motorcraft oil filter last for 12000 miles or would i need to change it every 6000?

 

Oil changes are done at 5000 miles/8000KM...... that is the rule. Trying to extend it to 12000 miles is foolish and down right cheap. Good filters can be purchased for $15+ and when on sale even less. Oil is also inexpensive when you consider what it is protecting.... I have noticed Wallymart in Canada is stocking Shell Rotella in the 5 gal/20ltr pail for around $50. I personally use diesel oil from CTC Canadian tire and have done for the last 10 years.

 

Even though I use synthetic oil, my oil changes are still done at 3000 miles.
Granted most of my driving does fall under the severe category though.

 

i was going to switch to royal purple thats why i was asking

 

Why would you have to put filters on so tight? There's only a few threads in the filters-would be very easy to strip out (then try getting it off!). When I change my gasser filters, i put them on as tight as I can get them with one hand-still need the filter wrench to break them loose, though.

 

I was also under the impression that filters should only be put on hand tight....?

 

Yeah on gassers you only want to turn the filter - about 1/2 to 3/4 turn after the gasket makes contact, but if you do that with one of these beasts you're going to dump all your clean new oil on the ground in short order.

If you look at the threads in the filter for the IDIs and compare them to the threads in the filter for a gasser there are a couple of things you'll notice right away. 1) The threaded hole for the IDI filter is HUGE - like 1" in diameter. 2) there is a much thicker piece of metal with threads in it - like 1-1/2 to 2 times more threads.

The reason is volume and pressure. These motors have a lot of oil in them because their oil pumps move a lot of oil throughout the engine and move it at even higher pressures than the oil pumps in the gassers do. That kind of volume and the pressure mean that the filter has to be screwed on much tighter to prevent leaking - and the filter threads are designed to handle that.

The rule of thumb I follow - and others have suggested - is either screw the filter on one FULL turn after the gasket makes contact - maybe even a little more - or as tight as you can get it without using a filter wrench. Though some even go a little farther and use a filter wrench to tighten it just a little bit more.

I basically screw mine on as tight as I can get it using both hands. Since you can't really get a good grip on it with both hands due to limited clearance around the oil pan, oil cooler, exhaust, bellhousing, etc. that really isn't as tight as it sounds. So far I've never had mine leak as long as I get it as tight as I can using both hands. Anything less and they will seep oil around the gasket every time. And once they are all slick with oil, tightening them any farther gets REALLY tough. Sure, they are a bit of a pain to get off when you put them on tight enough, but its worth it to keep your truck from "marking its territory" everywhere you park it!

 

If all else fails read your VOM........diesel suppliment.

VOM FSeries/Econoline Owners guide 7.3 Liter Diesel

Clean the filter mounting area of the oil cooler, lightly coat the gasket surface with clean engine oil and hand tighten until gasket contacts the base. THEN TIGHTEN ANOTHER....... 1 1/4 to 2 TURNS. Fill the crankcase and check for leaks.