mikeyb

How much oil will flow out if I just take off the oil filter for a few minutes? I need to check the filter because it is dripping a drop a night and I want to check the seal.

devore86

ive never had to do that but i would say at least a qt............let me knwo if im wrong.

Mark99GT

Why not just do an oil change and new filter? If you don't want to do that you could drain your oil into a clean container, change the filter, then pour it back in. Personally, id just do an oil change. A leaky oil filter gasket is how I lost my engine.

72MachOne99GT

What do you mean you just want to check the seal?

It's gonna get covered as hell in oil, as will you if you lay under it when you pull it off.

How far are you away from an oil change? If youre close at all to needing one, just drain all the oil, and get a new filter and see what happens.

Because I would imagine that in the time it takes you to pull it off, clean it enough to look for something on the seal, you're going to lose alot of oil.

mikeyb

I just did an oil change and that is why I want to just check the filter. Maybe I just over tightened it or didn't tighten it enough, but in all my years of changing oil I have never had it leak from the filter after I changed the oil. That is why I would just want to check the filter to make sure everything was ok.

LynnBob Mustang

Most of your oil "should be" in the pan, and only what comes out "should be" no more then what is in it when you change it. In theory.... LOL!
Just to be safe....
You'll be better off draining it into a clean pan, pull the filter, and that is if you can get it back off without a wrench to destroy or dent it taking it back off, reclean the seal and refill it with the drained oil and top it off with new.

Lynn

doug0122

if you even start to take off that filter your going to get showered in oil so your going to need to drain it regardless

GhostRider02GT

UNFORTUNATLY I'm a manager at a lube center and service station,HALF A QUART will come out. Its whatever is in the filter and in the lines from the pan. If its leaking, more than likely you either....A double gasketed the filter, B has a bad gasket from the manufacturer, C too loose, D run off, did not wipe down your rack and pinion after swapping it out. I have never seen an oil filter leak because of someone tightening it too much. Just go buy a quart of the same oil you used, get rid of the oil that comes out of the filter when you take it off and top off with half a quart. You could let it sit all day long and only that half quart would come out.

Also half a quart in the bottle looks a lot less than half a qaurt on the ground, so it will seem like a lot, trust me only half a qaurt will come out.

FDNYBullitt

Ghost is correct, about 1/2 QT. and lately I have seen quite a few where the old gasket was left on so you wind up with double and a small leak. I have seen filters that were overtightened and leaked, it squeezes out the gasket. After changing it, spray down the area with some brake clean because it gets all over the K frame, steering rack and a few other spots and can drip for days if not cleaned off, good luck.

mikeyb

Thanks ghostrider. I figured it would not be all that much since the filter is higher up than the drain plug. I thought it may be a quart at the most, but 1/2 is even better. I will wipe it all down again before touching the filter to make sure it is not just the old oil. I know it isn't double gasketed because I triple checked that. Thanks again.