Well That Was Close - Oil Filter Leak

[sah48]

Parked the 2005 a couple weeks ago after about a 300 mile spin. Went to check on tire pressure and stuff this morning because I'm heading out tomorrow morning for a ride with a couple nephews. Hummmm, looked like an oily spot on the floor under the bike. I have to admit my first thought was "oh no - not the clutch slave cylinder again!".
Turns out the oil filter was loose. Grabbed it with my fingers and turned it a few degrees with virtually no effort. I know I snugged it up better than that during the last oil change I did! Honda OEM filter.
Before anyone asks, no I am ultra careful about the rubber gasket being left behind from the old filter ... I have a story about having to crawl under my Accord in a Pizza Hut parking lot right after I did an oil change on that ......
All is well, a good 3/4 of a turn on the filter to snug it up a bit more, a few ounces of oil to get it in the right place on the sight glass, let it run for a while and there were no more drips .... I guess I can go play tomorrow.

 

[paulcb]

Really glad you caught it in the garage, and not on the road!

 

[mortenk]

Do you use any tools to turn the oil filter, or just by hand? A torque wrench may be a great idea here...

 

[SMSW]

I've never used a torque wrench on an oil filter. The general instructions are to lube the rubber gasket and screw it on until the gasket just touches. Then turn it 3/4 to 1 full turn more. I always write the mileage and date on the filter w/ one of those paint pens, so it's easy to tell when it is sufficiently tight.

 

[Walleye]

Something happened. What. I've never had a filter back off anything. If this happened to me I would ask myself, did I change the filter at all. My first step in a oil and filter change is to deal with the only problem that can arise, and has quite a bit, a stuck filter. So I always go for the filter first to insure it will back off. Is it remotely possible you got it to back off and continued with the oil change and forgot to go back to the filter, no thing else comes to mind.

 

[sah48]

Interesting question ... nope, I always manage to spill some oil when I pull the filter off so that didn't happen!

I have never had one back off either. It was quite strange. I thought at first it might be vibration, but if the little buzz given off by the ST managed to back off an oil filter then there isn't a Harley out there that would be able to go 10 miles without going dry!

Something happened. What. I've never had a filter back off anything. If this happened to me I would ask myself, did I change the filter at all. My first step in a oil and filter change is to deal with the only problem that can arise, and has quite a bit, a stuck filter. So I always go for the filter first to insure it will back off. Is it remotely possible you got it to back off and continued with the oil change and forgot to go back to the filter, no thing else comes to mind.