Oil Filter vibrating loose!?!

[User_19464]

I have a 2019 Ram Bighorn with the 5.7 L hemi and have had my oil filter come loose on 3 different occasions. The first time was due to mechanic not tightening it enough, leak started right after oil change at dealer. But now the last two times I’ve developed a leak from the loose filter quite a while after having the oil changed. I live on a fairly rough dirt road and am wondering if the rough road can be causing the oil filter to vibrate loose? Any suggestions on what I could do to keep the filter from coming loose? Thanks

 

[Darksteel165]

I have a 2019 Ram Bighorn with the 5.7 L hemi and have had my oil filter come loose on 3 different occasions. The first time was due to mechanic not tightening it enough, leak started right after oil change at dealer. But now the last two times I’ve developed a leak from the loose filter quite a while after having the oil changed. I live on a fairly rough dirt road and am wondering if the rough road can be causing the oil filter to vibrate loose? Any suggestions on what I could do to keep the filter from coming loose? Thanks

Clean where you put the filter and make sure its fitting securely. Make it a little tighter then hand tight if you are having problems. The K&N filters with the 1 inch socket work good for that.

 

[HSKR R/T]

It should not 'vibrate" loose. Probably just not tightened enough during install

 

[Dewey]

No way it’s vibrating loose. Maybe the threads on the filter mount are defective.

 

[SD Rebel]

Great suggestions above, there is no way it should vibrate loose if installed correctly.

As mentioned, inspect the mount threads for anything wrong. Then when you install the filter, lightly grease the gasket and screw on until it makes very light initial contact. Then hand screw a full turn from there. It should be about as tight as you can do with one hand. I usually mark the filter with an oily finger so I know the filter made a full rotation.

 

[Av1]

As long as it's the correct filter and the there are no anomalies with the threads, it wasn't tightened enough.

A decent rule of thumb is 3/4 turn after gasket contact. I've never had one come loose doing this and it's never too tight when removed the next time.

 

[SD Rebel]

As long as it's the correct filter and the there are no anomalies with the threads, it wasn't tightened enough.

A decent rule of thumb is 3/4 turn after gasket contact. I've never had one come loose doing this and it's never too tight when removed the next time.

The MO-339 has 1 full turn in the instructions, but I've never had an issue with either 3/4 - 1 full. However, considering the OPs issues, he may want to go all the way.

 

[Darksteel165]

There are instructions on oil filters?

 

[Hydroblueguy]

I wonder if the old rubber gasket was stuck on the base, not letting the new rubber gasket make a solid connection to the base, just thought?

 

[SD Rebel]

There are instructions on oil filters?

On the box. Essentially caveman pictograms.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I wonder if the old rubber gasket was stuck on the base, not letting the new rubber gasket make a solid connection to the base, just thought?

That's not really an issue anymore with the way they secure the gaskets in to modern filters. And if that was the case it would be a significant oil leak

 

[Dewey]

On the box. Essentially caveman pictograms.

MO339 has them on the filter too.

 

[jdefoe0424]

Another thing to check is make sure the adapter that the filter threads on to is tight. Though I would think if that was loose it would have fallen completely off by now.

 

[ramhouston]

i hand tighten the sh*t out of mine even though they say not to Lol.

 

[bluecrewnuke]

Install a remote filter.

 

[Mike_WI]

I've been running into the same issue myself from my last 3 oil changes. 2020 Ram Rebel with 50,000 miles. First time it was going in for unrelated warranty work. Prior to my visit, I performed my own oil change. I've been doing my own oil changes for decades. I'm a production mechanic, so I have solid grip strength. I've always fully tightened them down by hand and I always ensure the original gasket comes off with the old filter. I wipe down the mating surface on the engine face as well. I lightly oil the new filter gasket before installing it.

During my last dealership visit for unrelated warranty work, the dealer said I had an oil leak and probably had a defective gasket on my oil filter, so they went ahead and did a full oil change on it with a new filter. That seemed to be ok for the life of that filter. Fast forward to today, for the last month or so I started smelling burning oil coming from my engine bay. Most present when walking around to the front of the vehicle after driving it and shutting it off, as well as an odor of it in the cab while driving, but stopped at a stop light, etc.

I was due for an oil change this past weekend, so I was looking around for potential oil leaks that would be causing this smell. Nothing obvious from up top, but when I crawled under it to drain the oil from the pan and get the filter off, I could see the filter had been leaking again. When I went to remove it, it was very easy to unthread. Basically it got loose again and was spraying oil all over everything around it, including the exhaust manifold, which what was causing the burning oil smell.

So needless to say, when I installed the new filter and tightened it as tight as I possibly could this time by hand. I did not use a tool (yet). I will definitely be looking at in again after a couple weeks of driving to see if it can be re-tightened any further by hand.

Definitely weighs on my mind a bit and I don't completely trust it now.

Worth noting, whenever I buy a new vehicle, I always get on eBay and buy a whole case of OEM oil filters right off the bat and this was no exception.

I'm stumped on this one for potential causes. I guess maybe try another brand of filter, maybe a K&N with the nut welded on the bottom of it and tighten it a tad more than usual.

 

[Darksteel165]

I've been running into the same issue myself from my last 3 oil changes. 2020 Ram Rebel with 50,000 miles. First time it was going in for warranty work. Prior to my visit, I performed my own oil change. I've been doing my own for decades. I'm a production mechanic, so I have solid grip strength. I've always fully tightened them down and I always ensure the original gasket comes off with the old filter. I wipe down the mating surface on the engine face as well. I lightly oil the new filter gasket before installing it.

During my dealership visit, the dealer said I probably had a defective gasket on my oil filter, so they went ahead and did a full oil change on it with a new filter. For the last month or so I started smelling burning oil coming from my engine bay. Most present when walking around to the front of it after driving it and shutting it off, as well as an odor of it in the cab while driving, but stopped at a stop light, etc.

I was due for an oil change this past weekend, so I was looking around for potential oil leaks that would be causing this smell. Nothing obvious from up top, but when I crawled under it to drain the oil from the pan and get the filter off, I could see the filter had been leaking again. When I went to remove it, it was very easy to unthread. Basically it got loose again and was spraying oil all over everything around it, including the exhaust manifold, which what was causing the burning oil smell.

So needless to say, I installed it and tightened it as tight as I possibly could this time by hand. I did not use a tool (yet). I will definitely be looking at in again after a couple weeks of driving to see if it can be re-tightened any further by hand.

Definitely weighs on my mind a bit and I don't completely trust it now.

Worth noting, whenever I buy a new vehicle, I always get on eBay and buy a whole case of OEM oil filters right off the bat and this was no exception.

I'm stumped on this one for potential causes. I guess maybe try another brand of filter, maybe a K&N with the nut welded on the bottom of it and tighten it a tad more than usual.

Just a bad dealership. I use the SRT filters with no problems. You can also use a regular strap oil filter to tighten it and then to lose it. Factory filter I had to use oil wrench pliers to get it off destroying the filter in the process.
All other cars/trucks I use K&N due to the nut but I wasn't happy with how small the filter was that matched the truck.

 

[Kiwiaudio]

If genuinely concerned, put a hose clamp around the filter somewhere it wont crush it, like close to the flange as possible. Zip tie under the clamp and zip tie it off somewhere against the direction of rotation. High tension on the zip ties unnecessary, just enough to stop any rotation.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I've been running into the same issue myself from my last 3 oil changes. 2020 Ram Rebel with 50,000 miles. First time it was going in for unrelated warranty work. Prior to my visit, I performed my own oil change. I've been doing my own oil changes for decades. I'm a production mechanic, so I have solid grip strength. I've always fully tightened them down by hand and I always ensure the original gasket comes off with the old filter. I wipe down the mating surface on the engine face as well. I lightly oil the new filter gasket before installing it.

During my last dealership visit for unrelated warranty work, the dealer said I had an oil leak and probably had a defective gasket on my oil filter, so they went ahead and did a full oil change on it with a new filter. That seemed to be ok for the life of that filter. Fast forward to today, for the last month or so I started smelling burning oil coming from my engine bay. Most present when walking around to the front of the vehicle after driving it and shutting it off, as well as an odor of it in the cab while driving, but stopped at a stop light, etc.

I was due for an oil change this past weekend, so I was looking around for potential oil leaks that would be causing this smell. Nothing obvious from up top, but when I crawled under it to drain the oil from the pan and get the filter off, I could see the filter had been leaking again. When I went to remove it, it was very easy to unthread. Basically it got loose again and was spraying oil all over everything around it, including the exhaust manifold, which what was causing the burning oil smell.

So needless to say, when I installed the new filter and tightened it as tight as I possibly could this time by hand. I did not use a tool (yet). I will definitely be looking at in again after a couple weeks of driving to see if it can be re-tightened any further by hand.

Definitely weighs on my mind a bit and I don't completely trust it now.

Worth noting, whenever I buy a new vehicle, I always get on eBay and buy a whole case of OEM oil filters right off the bat and this was no exception.

I'm stumped on this one for potential causes. I guess maybe try another brand of filter, maybe a K&N with the nut welded on the bottom of it and tighten it a tad more than usual.

Make sure your oil pressure sensor isn't loose and leaking. I kept thinking my filters were getting loose and leaking oil. But 1000 miles I to my last oil change I actually saw drops of oil under the truck. First time since I've had it. Since my truck is lifted I can craw under it without jacking it up. Crawler under and filter was snug. Did some quick google searching which pointed me to pressure sensor. Reached down and I could turn the sensor by hand. I tightened it up. Haven't seen.any oil drops since. Need to look and see if the filter is coated like it was doing before, when I thought my filter was coming loose

 

[Darksteel165]

If genuinely concerned, put a hose clamp around the filter somewhere it wont crush it, like close to the flange as possible. Zip tie under the clamp and zip tie it off somewhere against the direction of rotation. High tension on the zip ties unnecessary, just enough to stop any rotation.

imo if you need to do that you got problems.