Oil Filter Housing
 

I just had the pleasure of removing the oil filter housing and replacing the gasket on the SD.

It's a dirty and difficult job, however some notes:

1) You can't get a ratchet and socket bit on the two lower screws. However, you can use a short piece of 6mm hex rod and a gear wrench. This saves significant time. The alternative is 1/6 of a turn each insertion of the allen key. Takes forever.

2) You can use a standard allen key for the three upper screws. Put the gear wrench on the allen key and you can install and remove these screws without too much difficulty, once you can find them. One is easy to see. The other two are blind. An allen key, without the 90 degree short section, would be perfect for these three screws, so the 90 degree section does not hit the power steering gear.

3) The most important point:

The housing comes right off once the screws are removed and the gasket is also quite easy to remove. However, this is where the fun starts. The gasket leaves a gummy dried residue all over the mounting face of the block. It is quite easy to believe that you are good to go, because the surface feels quite smooth.

However, it took me 1 hour, with multiple applications of gasket remover, and acetone, to slowly dissolve all this 20 year old residue. It's a slow and tedious process, however, it is vital to get a good seal with the new gasket.

When you think you have just about everything off, then take a flat stone and work it all over the block face to remove any residual high metal or particles from the gasket.

Then, clean the face thoroughly with acetone and you are ready to reinstall the housing. The gasket from the dealer is of very high quality and should do the job without any additional gasket sealer.

It took me the better part of 2 1/2 hours to clean the mounting face and install the housing. Proper length allen keys (one very short and one long, without the 90 degree section) and a gear wrench would shorten this time to about 1 1/2 hours.

Excellent, thanks BC!

I have personally done this job approximatly 4 times on my own 'SD. Not fun at all!

I did it all with just a regular metric allen wrech, and the first time I did it all from the top ! :rolleyes: I quickly learned that it is much easier to get to the lower two from under the vehicle :P

As the resident expert in this job, and the IP R&R, what's the deal with the lower mounting bracket for the IP? Can you leave the bracket on the IP and simply remove the two lower screws, or do you need to somehow (I can't see how) separate the IP from the bracket, prior to removing the IP?

Also, since the IP sits within 1/2" of the filter housing, what's the trick to getting the IP clear of the spline? How's this possible without pulling the filter housing?

Thank god, tightening the bolts up stopped my leak 100%. I was dreading that job.

Brian...you got lucky that your gasket came off clean....mine appeared to be molecularly bonded to the block. it took me a very long time to get it clean...put everything together and had a massive leak...turned out there was a smooth lump that missed visual and fingertip inspection...and ruined the new gasket.

I highly recomend wiping the area down with solvent and use a strong light source to be certain it was in fact scraped clean.

On a level of difficulty (or PIA), would you say this is worse or better than the following:

a) changing both half shafts on the rear end
b) changing the oil cooler lines
c) changing the turbo oil return tube and seal
d) more difficult than a, b and c?

According to the 617.95 Service Manual, the support at the rear of the IP must be removed from the crankcase and the single bolt (support bracket to IP) must be "released." According to the SM, the oil filter housing must be removed in order to remove the IP.

you need the patience of a saint to get that off with the oil filter tower on the car....and the hands of a 2 year old to put it back on....

Well, mine came off clean, but left all the dried residue on the block face. It took me over one hour to get it clean.

But, the ultimate test, and one I strongly recommend, is to use a flat stone on the face. You will know, immediately, if you have all the crap off, or not. If you get the smooth feel of cold steel, you got it. :cool:

I'm still praying for no leak. :o

Well, I've just completed b) and c) but, c) probably does not count because the manifold and turbo are removed.

It's on the same order of difficulty as the cooler lines, however, you can cut this down a bit with the use of a gear wrench and both a short and a long section of 6 mm Allen key. Both sections should be straight, without a 90 degree section. The short section should be not more than 3/4 inch. The long section should be about 5-6".

I don't understand how the IP can move rearward off the spline?? :confused:

You've got only about 1/2" clearance to the oil filter housing.

I won't be able to do it with my XXL hands?? :confused:

well once that bolt on the bracket is off and the bracket is off, visualise an angle of about 30 degrees to the drivers side fender and about 45 degrees verticle at the same time...the IP does lift out faily easily. Its not obvious but it does work pretty well.....Andy (300sdsady) mentioned it to me..the hardest part of it is that confounded bracket...I left the rear bolt off and use a coat hanger to pull and hold that bracket down and below the IP going in....I found it far easier than getting that spring back on from above later.

I can confirm that the IP can be removed and reinstalled with the oil filter housing still in place. Sady and I did it when we put the new IP on his car. Wasn't even that hard to slip it into position. Now getting the bolts and nuts on is another story. Sady had a real good touch for getting the rear bracket on the pump.
Side note: we set his engine to 14 degrees ATDC and then put in the pump with the locking tool installed in it. Bolted everything down and removed the locking tool. Engine ran as smooth as any I ever heard.
I don't ever want to have to replace that gasket on the oil filter housing. if I have to, Sears is great for buying metric allen wrenches that you procede to cut up to whatever length you need. I've done that more than once.

I suppose I need to get under there again and visualize it. I'm thinking about removing the IP to do the gasket, and, at the same time might turn up the wick a bit.

IIRC, the bracket is secured to the IP with one bolt. This bolt looks like it's impossible to access with the oil filter housing in place, correct?? :confused:

Then the bracket is secured to the block using two bolts. These seem accessible, even after the oil filter housing is installed, correct?? :confused: