After reading about oil filter problems in the Made for Monkeys comments, I’ll add my experience with a split oil filter on a motorcycle. This time, though, it was my fault.
I changed the oil and filter on my 1983 Honda Shadow. After refilling the crankcase to the proper level, there were no leaks. Everything seemed fine.
It was a pretty day, so I took my wife to work on the back of the motorcycle. As I entered one tight turn the back of the motorcycle got real squirrelly, but we successfully rode it out. I immediately pulled over, expecting a flat tire, but instead found an intact tire with a dripping oil coating. We made some calls, and her girlfriend took her on to work. I had a friend with a trailer to help me get the bike home.
The oil filter was right in front of the rear tire. The rubber seal blew, dumping 1.5 quarts of oil on the rear tire in less than 50 feet. A little investigation revealed that the old oil seal had attached to the metal of the engine. Thus I had two seals. They doubled-up when I installed the new filter. This was fine until the bike got fully warmed-up. Then, with the higher oil pressure of operating at speed, the double-seal blew out.
When you change the oil on this 1983 Honda Shadow, make sure you don't let the seal double up.
Clearly, this was my embarrassing error. I now inspect much closer to make sure the old seal came off, before installing the new oil filter on my cars or bikes. Incidentally, I did properly lubricate the new seal on the new oil filter. My error was not peeling the old rubber seal off the engine, when it didn’t come off with the old filter.
This entry was submitted by David T. Humphrey and edited by Rob Spiegel
Tell us your experiences with Monkey-designed products. Send to Rob Spiegel for Made by Monkeys.
An oil-slick motocycle wheel can only spell trouble. Great piece of advice for those avid riders out there who might be tempted to skip basic, albeit critical steps. I'm glad this is one Sherlock story that has a happy and safe ending.
Stuck, decayed, or disintegrated gaskets are the bane of the old car and motorcycle tinkered. The problem is not just limited to gaskets. Take any old vehicle and you'll have frozen bolts, rust, all sorts of things getting in the way of repairs and maintenance. There'd be a real materials market for an anti-Locktite that worked as well as a blowtorch at freeing frozen nuts and bolts, especially since that latter solution is not usable in most non-shop (aka street repairs) work environments.
I like that idea of an anti-Loctite. I'd really like one that works on my car wheels' lug nuts. You know, when your mechanic puts on new tires and they're so tight that you practically break the wrench--or your wrist--trying to loosen them up for a tire change.
Several manufacturers market an anti-sieze compound which usually consists of a high-temperature grease with fine aluminum and/or copper particles in suspension. I've sucessfully used it on lug nuts in the past, but I'm not sure it's recommended. Living in Michigan, I was more concerned with rusted lugs breaking off when trying to change a tire, than with the nuts accidentally becoming loose over time. Not sure if that would happen, but it does seem like a possibility.
Anti-sieze was also great for the connector on those old sealed-beam headlamps. The corrosion on the connection occasionally caused the blade connector on the headlight to break off in the plastic receptacle. When replacing headlights, I always coated the blade connectors with anti-sieze compound.
Most recently I've used the copper anti-sieze (which is very electrically conductive) to make bus bar connections and ensure good contact between large gauge wire and lugs.
But that doesn't help with stuck gaskets. Anyone working on older vehicles knows that the fiber gaskets behind fuel pumps, carburetors, etc. usually leave a residue that has to be scraped with a sharp blade. There are gasket removing chemicals, but I'd be very, very afraid to spray them on an engine where they may get into the engine or onto painted parts.
There are suitable gasket materials available that will withstand temperature and chemical (motor oil, fuel, etc.) exposure, but it all boils down to cost.
Yes I had the same problem from the main drive seal on my '79 sx650 Yamaha. And I did a poor replacement job. After that I used aircraft permetex on the seal. And in WA you know it was raining both times.
Thanks for the info on anti-seize compound. Lug nuts are not something you want to get loose over time, so perhaps grease is not the answer. I'd like to think there's something out there more like Formula 409, temporary but powerful.
I have found that PB Blaster is the all around best penetrating lubricant (anti Loctite) for use on just about any fastener. I had a 1990 Ford F150 that had seen a lot of salt from Pennsylvania roads that had basically eaten the undercoat. Long story short, I had a lot of rust on all off the fasterners. PB was the only thing that did the trick in loosening the fasteners.
Thanks, Tim. I'm definitely going to give PB Blaster a try. Still, I think there are some situations where you have to apply, er, more than elbow grease (or grease in a can). My brother-in-law was telling me about changing the tie rods on his van, and how he had to jack it up and use a blowtorch to heat things up so he could remove them.
Try PB Blaster or Kano Labs "Kroil" when the fire-wrench isn't practical, and remember to always check sealing surfaces when changing gasketed or O-ring'd parts!
When your lab is only one scope, one meter, and one homebrew function generator and power supply, the scope is stage center. But this one wasn't working right.
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