Is it possible to change oil filter without draining sump & not lose much oil?

If you want a job doing right do it your bloody self !! I let a friend do an oil & filter change on my 97 diesel Astravan but now notice a few drops of oil leaking from around the oil filter o-seal. Thinking it was perhaps a touch loose I went to tweak it up slightly but couldn't tighten it anymore & didn't want to use excessive force. I think it's been put on too tight as I needed a filter wrench & a lot of effort to slacken in off. I loosened it enough to smear a bit of oil around the o-ring and try re-tighten to the correct tightness but there's still a bit of seepage so I think the o-ring has been crushed / damaged.

I don't mind fitting a new filter but just want to know if it's do-able without losing too much oil or will the fresh new oil in the sump need to be drained? wasn't sure if there's some kind of one way valve in the filter housing to stop it flowing back out?

Reply to
Redwood
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only the contents of the filter will be lost. Unscrew the old and catch what falls out, clean up the seal surface on the engine and check for damage, grease the seal of the new filter and spin it on, do it up as tight as you can using your hands . check for leaks. job done.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Thanks MrC will do just that. Don't mind losing a bit of oil if it saves having to drain the lot down.

Reply to
Redwood

Make sure there's not two seals fitted (this can leak). I've had the old one stick to the housing, and not come off with the filter.

John

Reply to
John Henderson

Well after cleaning up all the crud I noticed it wasn't leaking from the oil filter seal but from the top o-ring that sandwiches the filter and oil cooler pipes housing and seeping down to the lowest point around the back of the filter. For what's involved, if a filters due to be changed I think it's best to also change the top seal as well just as a matter of course.

Reply to
Redwood

well spotted.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

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