Oil Filter may have killed my engine

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

This is a good one, although he's kinda wordy.

Off topic but check out his cut-off disc at 4.33...

[keepondancin]

As I mentioned in a previous thread, my engine lost oil pressure suddenly. Only had a couple hours after an oil change with a new filter, a NAPA gold, by Wix. Same as I have used for many years. Pressure dropped, removed the sender, screwed in a gauge, verified low pressure. Changed the oil filter and pressure was back up to 60#. Common sense says it was a filter problem, however, will be on guard every time I run the engine now.

[valhalla360]

Hopefully there was no major damage and it will just run from here out.

But I wouldn't count on the filter manufacturer replacing the engine. Unless you can prove the engine was otherwise in perfect shape, you will have a really difficult time proving it was the filter.

[a64pilot]

After your first oil change, you need to open up the filter and inspect it for metal.
If there is any the next step is to determine if it’s magnetic or not, and how much there is and particle size.
Hopefully there won’t be any.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

After your first oil change, you need to open up the filter and inspect it for metal.
If there is any the next step is to determine if it’s magnetic or not, and how much there is and particle size.
Hopefully there won’t be any.

And/Or send an oil sample in for analysis. Would be great if you had a previous one to compare too, but if really bad things have happend then it should show in the analysis.

You say the engine siezed, but now its back up and running pretty easily. What was the mode of failure? Was it actually siezed so that it could not be turned?

[hpeer]

It sounds like at least two posters have had oil filter problems.

Is there a easy way to check a filter for flow before installing?

Does the presence of pressure PROVE flow?

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Olly75

So the latest almost live update is:

Firstly its a Perkins 4.154.

Came up to temperature normally- over a period of about 20 minutes- and held at around 175 degrees, oil pressure is holding at around 20lbs at 1500 revs and rises to about 25 lbs at 1850 revs. Ive been advised to add some Lucas oil stabaliser and give her a good run under load, then change the oil again.

Those oil pressure numbers seem low. Has it always been at these numbers? Idle oil pressure according to the manual should be around 30lbs and 60lbs at max RPMs

[Olly75]

I've not had an oil analysis previously, but I will send off a sample at the next change. I will now also open up the filter. If there are metal filings present is there any way to tell where they came from?

When I said siezed, we were trotting along at about 1800 rpm when the engine stopped dead. Tried turning her over with the starter (very very briefly) but didn't sound healthy, after 30 minutes tried hand cranking but nothing moving.

[bcboomer]

Why isn't the mechanic stepping up?

In a previous life I was in the service end of the car business. In my dealership, the service department would have taken responsibility for finding the cause and making repairs at our expense.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Those oil pressure numbers seem low. Has it always been at these numbers? Idle oil pressure according to the manual should be around 30lbs and 60lbs at max RPMs

You beat me to it. I don't have the manual to hand, but I'd have been surprised to see the oil pressure that low.

I think mine ranges from 40-80, and it's got 4500 hours (rebuilt 1970 block; original tach had 6500 hours when I removed it, so I'm guessing that the new hour meter and electronic tach went in with the rebuilt engine)...

But the description doesn't sound like 'seized' - though I couldn't say what would have caused it to stop like that - given that you could turn it over after the event.

Hope it all works out. I've heard of much larger disasters surviving, and the 4-154, the rear main seal excepted, is largely bulletproof. In our 3000 hours of use, I've refreshed both the injectors and the injector pump but otherwise it's been maintenance free (regular oil changes excepted, of course). As to oil changes, give the amount which comes out the rear seal, likely I could go longer between changes!

[bsurvey]

get another mechanic that BS


call your insurance company and have them send out a surveyor, you probably wiped the bearings

[Olly75]

I'm using 15w 40 oil, if I upped the viscosity to 30w would that increase the pressure?

[bcboomer]

No. 15W40 is designed to be as thin as 15 weight cold and thick as 40 weight hot. You should see better hot pressure with 15W40

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Olly75

So this is a general question to see if anyone else has had this problem, or how I should (maybe) approach the manufacturer.

I had a load of work done on my engine, that also involved an oil and oil filter change.

Started the engine back up and she got up to temperature in about five minutes (which wasn't normal), and then when out for a motor the engine seized in about fifteen minutes. The mechanic has now got her turning over by hand and the oil pump is pumping, but there is no oil getting through the filter. On taking the filter off it was only about a quarter full (when compared to another new filter). When we poured new oil down the outside holes it doesn't percolate through

The mechanic thinks that there is an issue inside the filter that was stopping the oil circulating, so its either clogged with something or blocked within.

So the question is what should I do? If I cut the filter open to see inside and there is an issue will the manufacture stand up and take the hit, or do I talk to them direct and potentially send it off for them to inspect and take their word for it?

All thought and advice welcome!

I doubt the filter was bad. I would hazard a guess that was installed with a missing or damaged seal.

[boeing1]

had a bad napa fuel filter that I installed on a universal m25, It was bad right out of the box, several bleed attempts no help. after installing another new napa filter engine ran fine, never heard of a bad filter but I guess it happens