MGB: Oil Filter Help

I am trying to teach my son a little about car maintanance. I let him change the oil today in my 77B. I think he cross threaded the oil filter and messed up the threads. I cannot get the filter on tight enough to not leak. Right now I have no oil pressure and 5 qts of oil on my garage floor. Any suggestions? Will I have to retrace the threads? If so, does anyone know what the thread size is? I am bummed !!!. I was just going to change the oil and then put her away.

Did the sealing ring from the first one stay put? Check the old filter for the ring or remove new and check for 2 gaskets.
RS

Bummer! I guess he's not ready for a midget yet!

No, only one gasket. The base is clean, but I do see cross threading on the area that you screw the new filter.

Barney,

If you can't re-thread it, you can replace the filter holder assembly. it's held on by one large bolt at the bottom. I could rummage through my boxes of parts to see if I have another. (but most of my stuff is from early cars) Or maybe you could send an email out to the ATA to see if somebody has one.

Will I have to replace the whole filter adapter or can I just remove the threaded part?

The whole adapter will have to be replaced. I purchased a used unit from a wrecking yard with the filter in place. They claimed that they couldn't remove the filter for some lame reason. When I got home, I found the threads had been stripped like yours. If you are lucky someone locally might be able to install a helicoil over the damaged threads, but this is a long shot. The new adapters are available, but costly at around $250. Check your local breakers yard for a clean one. You might get lucky. RAY

Place a "wanted" ad over in the trader section. Someone will have one.
Lesson learned.
RS

I had that problem a couple of years back....not because I crossthreaded it, but because the threads inside the filter weren't fully formed on the new filter. The result was the same....dumped all the oil and damaged the threads on the filter adapter. Here's what I did....and I've changed the filter several times since with no leaks and no further problems. Maybe you'll get lucky.

I rummaged around in my bin of old plumbing stuff and found a pipe nipple with the same threads as the filter adapter. I tested it by threading it into the old filter. Then I rummaged around some more and found a pipe reducer that had the same size thread (except female) on the small end. I very carefully threaded that pipe fitting over the filter adapter an ran it up and down a few times until it came on and off easily. Then I installed a new filter (after checking the threads first!). Ever since then, I always check the threads on every new filter I buy.

If you don't have a stash of plumbing junk, just take a new filter to your local hardware store....find a pipe nipple that fits it, then find a piece with matching female therads....shouldn't cost put a couple of bucks at most. Maybe you'll get lucky too!

I was going to try rethreading the nipple. I believe that the thread size is 3/4 16 tpi. Can anyone confirm the size? I suppose I could just buy a bolt that size and see if it fits the filter. Then hopefully, I can get a nut and carefully turn it on and off until it threads all the way on. I checked the new filter...Fram PH43...and it looks like the threads were not fully formed on the filter. When the filter was screwed on, it messed up the threads on the filter holder. I guess we will be checking this in the future.

Check the filter depth in relation to the tube in the adapter that sticks up.

3/4 16 is correct.

well, next thing is to teach him how to clean up spilled oil.

Fram is by far the least favorite filter brand of everybody on the group.Wix and NAPA Gold seem among the fav's.

Yeah, he got a lesson on alternative uses for kitty litter. I am just bummed because an opportunity to let him have a positive experience has been lost. He feels terrible and I don't believe that he did anything different from I would have done.

My bad filter was a NAPA Gold. I use them on all my cars, and it's the only bad one I've found. Still, it doesn't hurt to check them before installation....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OIL-FILTER-HOUSING_W0QQitemZ110452638379QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item19b77d82ab


Hi....take a look at this on E-bay's UK Web-site. The price may be right even with postage.

If the link doesn't work its located under "Classic Car Parts"...."MGB Oil Flilter"


Good luck,

Steve

Thats why Fram is so cheap.
NAPA has the good stuff.

[quote=bbrower]
Yeah, he got a lesson on alternative uses for kitty litter. I am just bummed because an opportunity to let him have a positive experience has been lost. He feels terrible and I don't believe that he did anything different from I would have done.[/quote]

Turn it into a good experience.... Get the die and chase the threads with it, you should be ok. Allow him to help you, and tell him that anyone could have made that same mistake and allow him to learn from it. Encouragement will go along way in building his confidence, for the next task.

If you do chase the threads, wrap a rag around the housing so chips don't find their way into the oil system.

Here is the result of not checking the threads on a new oil filter before installing it. The new oil filter did not have complete threads and tore up the oil filter holder.

Did you think about contacting Fram ?

After all it was their filter that was defective and caused damage, take a photo of the filter where the threads are not completed and send it to them. Never know what might happen from there, I'll stick to a NAPA Gold or a K&N.

Recently had the same problem and ended up hand filing the damaged threads with a thread file. New filter (WIX) is on and no leaks. Looking for a replacement head though.

I already sent info to FRAM...probably will not hear anything. I have a replacement filter holder on the way...thanks Scott. I will just make sure that I don't ever use FRAM again and I will check the threads on any new filter I install.

I never would have thought to check the filter first. I will from now on. It appears that manufacturing quality is dropping on just about everything since the economy took a dump.

Barney, The thread is 3/4" BSP (British Standard Pipe), Find a grey headed plumber ( a real plumber :) ) as he will be sure to still have the correct size thread chaser in his tool kit.