My old foreman in Detroit told me to always hand-tighten oil filters first

Back when I started, this guy named Frank ran the shop and he was super strict about it. He'd say, 'Craig, your arm is the best torque wrench you got for a filter.' I thought he was just being old school, so I'd sometimes use the strap wrench to get it 'good and tight' right away. Well, about a year later, I had a customer come back with a huge leak from a filter on a Chevy 350. I had cranked it on so hard with the tool that the gasket pinched and tore. Frank just shook his head and showed me the crushed rubber. Since then, I spin it on by hand until it seats, then give it just a three-quarter turn with the wrench like he said. Never had a leak from a filter since. Anyone else have an old timer tip that seemed silly but saved your bacon later?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_wade14d ago

Yeah, that "three-quarter turn with the wrench" rule is spot on. I learned the same lesson after over-tightening one and dealing with a mess.

nina_butler14d ago

My buddy cracked his oil pan doing that exact thing last month.