Judging Torque (doing up filters)

[laika]

Apologies for the remedial mechanics class question. My Yanmar has one of those spin-on oil filters. It has a similar fuel filter. The manual says that both of them should be done up to 20-24Nm. I have no idea what that feels like. I've gone with tight-but-not-incredibly-tight-by-hand. Whilst I relies that descriptions of how tight that is aren't going to tell me exactly what 20-24Nm feels like, they might be more useful than just numbers.

 

[sailorman]

Apologies for the remedial mechanics class question. My Yanmar has one of those spin-on oil filters. It has a similar fuel filter. The manual says that both of them should be done up to 20-24Nm. I have no idea what that feels like. I've gone with tight-but-not-incredibly-tight-by-hand. Whilst I relies that descriptions of how tight that is aren't going to tell me exactly what 20-24Nm feels like, they might be more useful than just numbers.

did you oil the gasket on the filter, then just hand tight

 

[Stork_III]

Apologies for the remedial mechanics class question. My Yanmar has one of those spin-on oil filters. It has a similar fuel filter. The manual says that both of them should be done up to 20-24Nm. I have no idea what that feels like. I've gone with tight-but-not-incredibly-tight-by-hand. Whilst I relies that descriptions of how tight that is aren't going to tell me exactly what 20-24Nm feels like, they might be more useful than just numbers.

On my MD2030, oil the seal, spin on until it seats, then 1/2turn by hand. Check for leaks after.

 

[prv]

I've gone with tight-but-not-incredibly-tight-by-hand.

Sounds about right. I've no idea what the figures would be, but my dad showed me how tight an oil filter should be when I was about 13.

At the end of the day I can't see that it matters all that much. If the thing's not leaking, it's doing its job.

I take it you smear a little bit of oil or diesel on the O-ring before putting it on?

Pete

 

[laika]

Yes, lubrication applied as stated in the manual. I'm good at book learnin', it's the physical stuff that's supposed to be handed down from father to son and master to apprentice (rather than being read) that I lack. Sounds like I got it about right on this occasion.

When the engine gets a bit older expect me to post a similar question about feeler gauges and valve adjustment

 

[trapezeartist]

20-24 Nm - think of bag of 20-24 apples hung on the end of a 1 metre lever.

On second thoughts, "tight-but-not-incredibly-tight-by-hand" is probably more meaningful.

 

[Lakesailor]

I've gone with tight-but-not-incredibly-tight-by-hand.

If you've done that (and you aren't Rambo) that sounds perfect. If you run it and there are no leaks then the job is done.

 

[laika]

Thanks all. As it happens I am not Rambo and if I were to aspire to being an action hero it would obviously be macgyver so that I would have thought of attaching a bag of apples to a 1m lever on the end of an improvised filter wrench. But then of course I would stress over whether I should be using cox or bramlies...

 

[VicS]

Oil filters I have fitted recently have the instructions printed on them.

Lightly oil the joint face and tighten 3/4 turn after contact is made.

I reckon I usually stop a bit short of 3/4 ..... more like the 1/2 turn suggested earlier

 

[nigelmercier]

... attaching a bag of apples to a 1m lever on the end of an improvised filter wrench...

Or two bags at 0.5m ...

I have occasionally resorted to a spring balance on the end of a spanner for a nut that won't take a torque wrench. Torque settings are the only time that I still think in imperial measurements, a Newton-metre means nothing to me.

 

[Tony Cross]

did you oil the gasket on the filter, then just hand tight

That's what I've been doing for the last 9 years without problems. A smear of new clean engine oil on the oil filter rubber gasket and a smear of new clean diesel on the fuel filter rubber gasket and I do them up as tight as I can by hand. It works for me....

 

[cliff]

Oil filters I have fitted recently have the instructions printed on them.

Lightly oil the joint face and tighten 3/4 turn after contact is made.

I reckon I usually stop a bit short of 3/4 ..... more like the 1/2 turn suggested earlier

+2 then check for leaks after starting the donk - NEVER had to nip one up further. A strap wrench has been known to be used in anger on one or two occasions when time came for removal but I put that down to old age and losing my grip.

 

[Heckler]

Or two bags at 0.5m ...

I have occasionally resorted to a spring balance on the end of a spanner for a nut that won't take a torque wrench. Torque settings are the only time that I still think in imperial measurements, a Newton-metre means nothing to me.

1nm to me is approx 3/4ftlb, so 25ft to me is a 9/16" spanner, pulling quite hard.
Stu

 

[30boat]

I tighten mine by hand and then give them a light nudge with a chain wrench.Gasket oiled of course.Once had a filter on a rebuilt Bukh leak most of the oil into the bilge.A mechanic had put it in.

 

[Lakesailor]

Put on filter. Wipe underneath with paper towel. Run engine, Check with another paper towel for evidence of oil leak. No leak. Have a cup of tea.

 

[alahol2]

Although I only ever tighten my filters by hand why can I never remove them by hand?

 

[Lakesailor]

You're feeble.

 

[VicS]

Although I only ever tighten my filters by hand why can I never remove them by hand?

Because you are presumably right handed. Youll be able to tighten them with more force ( torque) than you will be able apply to to undo them.
Left hand will be useless as it will be weaker.

 

[sailorman]

That's what I've been doing for the last 9 years without problems. A smear of new clean engine oil on the oil filter rubber gasket and a smear of new clean diesel on the fuel filter rubber gasket and I do them up as tight as I can by hand. It works for me....

my filter is horizontally mounted & i 1/2 fill the filter with oil before fitting

 

[cryan]

Only ever tighten up filters hand tight. Lub the gasket, wipe your hands on a rag so not too slippy and tighten. most filter failures I've seen have been caused by people over tightening them and damaging the threads. Certainly never nip them up with a strap wrench or the likes.