Twenty years of turning bolts, and I just learned I was doing oil filters wrong

I've been changing oil on my own cars since I was 16, plus all the customer cars at the shop where I used to work. It wasn't until last month that a younger mechanic pointed out I was tightening the filter by hand until it stopped, then giving it another quarter turn. Turns out that extra turn was overtightening it, causing a slow leak on a 2012 Honda Civic I did last week. He showed me the spec in the manual says just hand tight until the gasket contacts, then no extra turn. I had to ask around and three other old-timers admitted they did the same thing for years. Has anyone else had a simple habit they never questioned until someone corrected them?

3 comments

3 Comments

troyknight27d ago

Gotta admit I was in the same boat. Always thought giving it that extra tug was the safe way to go. Seeing this made me check my own manual and yeah, I've been overdoing it for years.

lewis.brian27d ago

A buddy of mine in the shop had the same wake up call after 15 years. He said he felt like a total tool when he realized he'd been cranking down on every filter like he was tightening a lug nut.

charles_baker2827d ago

Is it just me, or does that same "tighten it til it stops, then give it another quarter turn" mentality show up in tons of stuff we do? I've seen guys put lug nuts on with a breaker bar, or crank down on a drain plug way too hard (and then strip it, of course). @lewis.brian your buddy's story is spot on - we all hate the idea of something coming loose, so we overcorrect like crazy. It's like we forget that a gentle hand usually works better in the long run, you know?