I'm doing an oil change and made the mistake of a) not jacking up the car and b) doing it with rain forecast.
I'm now soaked from head to toe, with damp oily hands, an oil filter housing full of slippery fresh oil, and the bolt refuses to engage. I've tried using my hand, a socket, there's just no room under there. Thread won't bite.
I've had to give up until a dry day.
Am I missing something?
Hi,
High probability your new filter was inserted up side down. Its two orifices aren't the same diameter. When installed in the wrong direction, the filter won't fit all the way inside the housing making it impossible to screw the whole assembly.
Does this look right? Thin hole on the top.
(https://i.postimg.cc/CxhgxZ16/06293561-C5-DC-44-EC-AC45-82-FA0-FD0-A21-D.jpg)
I use a short ratchet on the bolt so I can put pressure with one hand and spin the bolt with the ratchet. Tricky with tight space for sure but you should be able to, just make sure you don't cross thread :o
Steve,
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Quote from: SteveDuNord on 17 May 2022, 01:00 PMDoes this look right? Thin hole on the top.
Hi,
As suggested, place your filter the other way. It will then enter and screw nice and easy without any drama.
I will give that a try tomorrow, thanks!
Take the rest of the day off and get cleaned up. Tomorrow it will slip right on. My Dad used to say "It's a job any idiot can do. If you have a problem, find an idiot to help", so I think you came to the right place.
Easy servicing was designed into the car from the get go. I have the 280SE, and I have done a lot cars that were harder. Leave the bolt in when taking it off. The above is correct on getting the filter in right side up.Put the bolt in, slide it on till the housing seats, then turn the bolt in for a bit by hand. Torque. Did this job last week.
Quote from: SteveDuNord on 17 May 2022, 01:00 PMDoes this look right? Thin hole on the top.
(https://i.postimg.cc/CxhgxZ16/06293561-C5-DC-44-EC-AC45-82-FA0-FD0-A21-D.jpg)
No, it goes the other way round. There should be a small wire handle on one end. That's the top part.
QuoteNo, it goes the other way round. There should be a small wire handle on one end. That's the top part.
Correct for some brands but not all of them. If the wire handle is absent, the best guide to get it right is using the hole diameter: larger on top. That's the ONLY configuration that will allow the inlet on motor side fit the filter. If you forget that rule of thumb, best is to take a look on your own with a flashlight, the inlet and its larger diameter is perfectly visible.
Japanese master the art of poka-yoke. Pretty much everyone manages that design technique these days. But back in the 70s not even Mercedes used it in a standard manner, allowing therefore to your confusion (and consequently the frustration) of installing the filter upside down.
By the way, it is possible to "force-install" the filter upside down. The housing will leak, the filter will suffer deformation and you will be basically recirculating unfiltered oil through the engine. A recipe for disaster!!! Filter/housing installation is one of those jobs that doesn't require force. It should screw in with literally minimum effort. If you've used force when installing it I suggest an oil/filter change ASAP to correct the situation. And by the way, that's independent of model.
Quote from: revilla on 17 May 2022, 11:01 PMQuoteNo, it goes the other way round. There should be a small wire handle on one end. That's the top part.
Correct for some brands but not all of them.
100%
I was referring to this specific filter. The H929 from Mann has a handle on top.
Eurerka!
All good now. Dry day, correct orientation. Merci mille fois. :D