Filter housing leak
 

Hello diesel faithful.. I come again with a car on the side on the road.. The other day I did an oil change on my 1981 240d and overtightened the bolt on the top of the filter housing causing the stud to strip out of the housing. when I turned the car on the sucker didn't hold the pressure and I shot more than a few quarts of fresh 15w-40 all over the driveway. Went to my parts guy and he gave me a new stud that I put into the housing. It's longer and seems to grip nicely in the housing. Drove for a couple days (up stevens pass, no easy feat) no problems.

I am on my way to Vancouver, BC last night, just filled up with gas and no problems on the road. Pulled back out onto the highway and revved up a hill in third, changing gears at the top into fourth and boom white smoke gauges drop obviously the cap loosened up and blew out the oil. Pull over pop the hood and yeah, oil everywhere.

Here's my question: the stud seems to be secure in the filter housing. It appears as though the top bolt is stripped. When i go to tighten the bolt it becomes tight but then slips back to being loose. I can finger tighten it and it seems tight but one more light rotation and its loose again. Anyone know where to get the top bolts for w123 filter covers? Any other issues I might be failing to see? It was all going so well!!

Stuck in bellingham for now…


Sean

If I were in Bellingham and needed help, I'd call Kent Bergsma.

Just sayin.

I have a couple of oil filter housings on parts cars, but they are Euro with no cooling line connections. You really need to find one and replace it.

What's Kent's number? No phones listed on the Mercedes source site :(( would love to contact him though I'm a little nervous as he is a kind of legend in my book..

I understand you replaced the Studd. what do you mean the top bolt is stripped? the threads on the stud the nut screws onto, or the Nut?

If it is the Stud that is stripped at the top threads. replace it with a bolt from the top down as Whunter (Roy) mentions in this post.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/3132618-post9.html

This is from a currently running thread, click on the link in the top right if you want to read the whole thread.


Charlie

The nut is still threaded but I feel like it is slipping on the new stud which is not stripped.. Thinking I need new nuts.. The stud is fine.. Thanks for that link. Looks like that guy has the opposite problem I'm having as my studs look fine it's the nut that loosens thus allowing the filter housing cap to come loose and allow oil to come spurting out..

Just a suggestion to get you going.
 

Go find or buy a steel bolt just a tad larger than the stud and jam it in. The housing is aluminum so it will thread in and hold. You may have to replace the filter housing or use helix coil to fix later but it will get you home.

It is your car and your call. Good luck.

The probability of the oil filter cover nuts getting overtorqued is really high. Even if you didn't do it, previous oil changes by previous owners at "time-saving" lube shops increases the possibility even more. The nut was probably on its last thread and gave up.

The recommended torque rating is only 20 Nm/ 15 Ft-lb. which is not much! Basically, just enough to slightly compress the o-ring. I've found that Fastenal has the sizes of double-end stud and specialized nut needed.

Ya I totally over torqued it the first time. Replaced the stud and now the nut is the issue..thanks for the specifics SD blue :) Ah Kay thanks for the idea.. Only thing is I just put a new stud in and it is solid. It the nut that keeps loosening.. Looks like fastenal might save me...

PM sent with contact info.

Should be able to get a nut at any hardware store.

Is this a problem of a standard nut on a metric threaded rod in the filter.
Get a nut you know is metric. may fix your problem.