Rapid oil loss - what is this?

Driving back from a run out today and suddenly noticed the rear window was getting oil spots all over it, had a mile or 2 to get home and made it fine.

When stopped lots of oil on the underneath of the chassis. Opened up the bonnet and oil seems to be coming from the upper part of the engine bay.

Then noticed that the bolts holding down the cover pictured below where loose and spinning. Have circled the bolts in red.

It looks like the oil is coming from this part, it is just forward of the oil filter on the right had side if standing at the front of the car and looking towards rear of the engine.

What is this part and how did both the bolts loosen at the same point?

One question in my mind is the car was in for a service just before Christmas and they replaced the oil filter, would they have also fiddled around with the part and not refixed it correctly?

Just what I need at 5pm News Year eve!

Just had another look and both bolts look ok, have removed them and thread is clean and not damaged.

It looks like both bolts should engage in thread on the casing below but the top bolt pictured just drops through, if there was a thread it has been stripped.

Lower bolt will engage in thread if tried with out cover in place, put the cover on and the bolt wont reach the thread properly.

Getting to think that the garage has balls up something??

That looks like the centrifugal oil filter, and you seem to have found the garage has stripped the thread for you. Clumsy oafs.

There is no great pressure under the cover as the oil in there falls by gravity back to the sump.

The rotor inside may exert a slight upwards pressure on the underside of the lid when the engine is running, thus lifting the cover and letting oil leak out.

There IS enough space to get at both cover bolts, and you will be able to remove the stripped bolt, find one about 8~10 mm longer with a NUT, hold the nut in place UNDER the boss of the body of the thing, and fit the longer bolt in place from the top. At worst, depending on the casting, you may need to file or grind the side of the nut a little so it can sit snugly in line when the longer bolt reaches it.

It does NOT need to horsed up tight! It needs only to be tight enough to seat down on the rubber o-ring.


CharlesY

i wud be (after taking photos and fixing it) be straight back to the garage tho - with a brickbat.

Youve been done by your garage.

As Charsey says, OAFS. Probably did it up with an air spanner.

Doesnt help you tonight, but get back to them and get them to re-thread it properly.

Del.

re-thread it - how? replace the fuct item.

Thanks Guys

Just to clarify, the thread on the bolts is fine, it is the thread on the housing that is knackered on both sides by the looks of it.

Phone call required to garage first thing Tuesday, first question will be did they change that filter, looking at the bill no mention of it but why did it suddenly pop the threads??

The Mad Hat Man said:

re-thread it - how? replace the fuct item.

Click to expand...

drill out and pop in an insert....but yeah they should replace it

Just checked the bill for service, on the 6th Dec.

Secondary oil filter fitted so looks more and more like the goosed the thread in the housing.

sandersj89 said:

Just checked the bill for service, on the 6th Dec.

Secondary oil filter fitted so looks more and more like the goosed the thread in the housing.

Click to expand...

CENTRIFUGE By-Pass Oil Filter.

The top is a die casting that looks like it means business, but actually it does very little except keep the thing oil tight.

They can fit a new housing (if they can get such a thing) or drill and tap the one they jiggered and fit a Helicoil or similar. This will actually be a little stronger than the original.

The correct torque for these two bolts is
"Centrifuge cover bolts. 10 Nm (7 lbf.ft)"
which is hardly enough to twist a gnat's willy.

CharlesY

I use Wurth re-thread inserts which have been great on my transfer box casing. ( thanx LR main dealer for stipping 3 out ).

I havnt re-threaded a rotary filter housing, so dont actually know if it can be done. ( I would imagine you could though ).

Del.

50 pence said:

I use Wurth re-thread inserts which have been great on my transfer box casing. ( thanx LR main dealer for stipping 3 out ).

I havnt re-threaded a rotary filter housing, so dont actually know if it can be done. ( I would imagine you could though ).

Del.

Click to expand...

It will not be any sort of problem.
The end result should be a little stronger than original.

It makes me wonder about the state of all the other nuts and bolts those dumbos were interfering with. And the main oil filter - how tight is that? It isn't handy to get a grip on, so make sure it's on securely.

CharlesY

they have deffo done the threads in the housing & the fitter who did it knows he has they are real flimsy

pat murphy said:

they have deffo done the threads in the housing & the fitter who did it knows he has they are real flimsy

Click to expand...

No, they are not flimsy.
They are perfectly adequate for the job they are designed to do.
However, like almost every part of every car, these parts are NOT IDIOT PROOF.

The correct torque setting is stated earlier, and is a COMMON SENSE TIGHTNESS for a bolt of that size screwed into an alloy casting.

The problem is that IDIOTS with NO COMMON SENSE get let loose on cars.

CharlesY

sandersj89 said:

Driving back from a run out today and suddenly noticed the rear window was getting oil spots all over it, had a mile or 2 to get home and made it fine.

When stopped lots of oil on the underneath of the chassis. Opened up the bonnet and oil seems to be coming from the upper part of the engine bay.

Then noticed that the bolts holding down the cover pictured below where loose and spinning. Have circled the bolts in red.

It looks like the oil is coming from this part, it is just forward of the oil filter on the right had side if standing at the front of the car and looking towards rear of the engine.

What is this part and how did both the bolts loosen at the same point?

One question in my mind is the car was in for a service just before Christmas and they replaced the oil filter, would they have also fiddled around with the part and not refixed it correctly?

Just what I need at 5pm News Year eve!

Click to expand...

Hi there Sanders, before getting too excited about slitting the garage-mans throat, here's a piece of info you might just find useful.

The item is usually referred to as the rotor filter and the important info is that the fixing bolt positions are eccentric ie not at 180° to each other. As a result it is far too easy to put one bolt in and find the other bolt is not lined up.

One thing you could do today is to check by taking the alloy cover off, noting carefully the position of the holes in the base unit and attempt a refit. You might find that's all it takes.

Good Luck and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you

Dave

thebiglad said:

Hi there Sanders, before getting too excited about slitting the garage-mans throat, here's a piece of info you might just find useful.

The item is usually referred to as the rotor filter and the important info is that the fixing bolt positions are eccentric ie not at 180° to each other. As a result it is far too easy to put one bolt in and find the other bolt is not lined up.

One thing you could do today is to check by taking the alloy cover off, noting carefully the position of the holes in the base unit and attempt a refit. You might find that's all it takes.

Good Luck and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you

Dave

Click to expand...

I just went out and had a look at mine.
The two bolts of mine lie in completely different places.

It might well be the lid is just sitting there by gravity, with both bolts just dropped through the holes in the lugs of the lid.

Take out BOTH screws, lift the lid (nothing can go wrong) and look carefully how the holes in the lid line up with the main body.

Then screw the two bolts in gently.

You might be in luck!

CharlesY

Tanks for the thoughts, but already lifted the lid of and the threads are gone in both bolt holes.

The bolts simply drop down through the holes with their own weight.
On one bolt there is a shard of the thread caught on the threads on the bolt.

Just waiting for a call back from the garage, Manager not in yet.

One question for him will also be how he plans to clear all the oil of the drive, spent 2 hours the other day with detergent, scrubbing brush and jet wash trying to sort it, got the surface oil of the block pavers but the oil has soaked into the pavers and stained them.

Some pics of the underside and rear, does not show the oil very clearly on the rear door but the whole thing is slick with it:

Manager of the garage has just popped out.

On showing him the housing and how the bolts just drop in he accepts the problem though "Jim" who did the work said he did not notice anything doing the job.

Manager then said it could be as it was over tightened before and on releasing the bolts they stripped the thread, quoting that alloy vs steel plus moisture causing the threads to fur up and then strip, told him that was not the issue here.

He then said he could pop lock nuts on the ends of the bolts to hold them in place.

Told him no. Not having it bodged like that, new housing plus gaskets required. He mumbled about the cost and that it might be hard to do, told him that was his problem, his bloke messed up so he needs to sort it.

Then pointed out the mess on the drive.....he is sending a man to clean, will see how that works but wont hold my breath.

So he has gone away to price his parts and I have said he must do the work as soon as possible, ideally tomorrow.

Sorted end of the day he's responsible and needs to get it sorted for you. courtesy car would be nice??