oil filter seal failure

[metal mickey]

Has anyone experienced this type of failure before ?

the engine managed to blow the seal past the lip on the filter and dump approx 3/4 of the oil. I supect maybe a fault with the pressure relief valve but no other seals show any sign of leaking due to excessive pressure and the oil filter was still tight on the part of the seal still seated correctly. Luckily I seem to have got away with it as the engine shows no obvious signs of damage, I managed to kill the engine quickly after seeing the low pressure warning light.

Any ideas ?

Mike.

[AMMO]

Mike

 

This has happened to me twice on a Moto Guzzi motorbike (fitted with a car type filter) once in practice and once in a race. It was in front of a Brands Hatch Superbike crowd in 1995. During a support race whilst in the lead (bike not ridden by me but by ex-Grand Prix Suzuki rider Paul "Angry Ant" Lewis) the filter sealing ring popped out and we lost all oil pressure causing a DNF.

 

The conclusion of the Castrol engineers was that the oil we were using at the time was too viscous at high temperature. We went from using Formula RS 10-60 to a 10-40 and finally settling with SLX 0-30. No problems since then. We did also modify the oil pressure release valve to dump more oil once it popped open.

 

Especially with cold oil, even with the pressure release valve set correctly, the pressure can easily exceed whatever you have set the pressure release valve to. So for example, if you have the presure set to 60 psi, with a cold engine or oil that is too thick you can easily reach 80-90 psi. I remember seeing an old Ducati bevel twin at Snetterton in the eighties with an external car filter fitted running a straight 50 w oil. Whilst blipping the throttle from cold the filter was swelling so much it looked like it was going to burst.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but that is what I would look at first. If you are at all worried about your engine, drop the sump and have a look at the shells as these are the most likely part to be showing any damage. I know that Zetecs have had a few mods done to the pressure relief valves.

 

Hope it didn't ruin you track day at Oulton.

 

How's the new silencer? Get through noise testing OK?

 

AMMO

[Mike Bees]

I had a non-catastrophic instance of this. Discovered drops of oil under the car and found that the seal was hanging out in one place. It dripped slightly when the oil was warm but fortunately didn't let go big time.

 

Mike

[Andrew Russell]

Yes this happened to me on my 2.0 16v XE engine a few weeks back. Bloody awful mess under the bonnet with oil mist everywhere!!! Only just got it half decent again.... I have no idea why it happened although I had changed the oil/filter a few weeks earlier. I always use good quality filters and run Comma Syna G oil. I had carefully warmed it all up before reving the engine to any serious heights! Oil temp normal..... Have dropped out the oil pressure relief valve and all was correct!

 

Has seriously affected my confidence in car!

 

Luckily no damage done as engine killed when it all started to smoke, burning off on the exhaust, etc.

 

Andrew

[Fast Westie]

This happened to a friend while racing at Lydden with a Zetec engined car. Turns out it was the engine moving on the mounts (about 1/2") which allowed the filter to hit the steering column.

 

He fixed it by rotating the rack on its mounts to give more clearance on the column.

 

If you have any oil on the engine mounts change them otherwise the engine will jump out in a corner - not fun when it pulls the throttle open thumbsdown.gif

 

The car in front is a Westfie1d wink.gif

[metal mickey]

Thanks for the reply everyone. Interestingly enough I use syner G also, 5/40 grade. Can't find any signs of the filter being struck by anything and the engine seems firm on its mounts all though the incident happened whilst negotiating a chicane and maybe the engine did move on its mounts.

Ammo, exhaust passed with flying colours - 98db at 5000rpm.

Mike.