Oil filter leak down

[jamess]

The last two oil filters I've had installed have shown a strange phenomenon, namely that after about 1000 miles, the filter no longer holds the oil. (I have a '96 4x4 K2500 which uses a horizontal oil filter due to the placement of the front drive shaft. These filters MUST have an anti-drain-back valve.) It takes 2-4 seconds before the pressure comes up. I've had problems in the past with "white box" and Delco filters having bad (or no) anti-drain-back valves, but they always showed the issue immediately. The first of these was a Valvoline and the second is a Bosch. Any ideas as to the cause and, therefore, my fix?

[Iain]

I use Baldwin B1428 filters which have a drain back valve. I will run regular duration for oil changes (sometimes a bit longer if I am on a road trip) and have never had a problem with the filter draining. Works well with either synthetic or regular 15w/40.

[TurboDiverArt]

The last two oil filters I've had installed have shown a strange phenomenon, namely that after about 1000 miles, the filter no longer holds the oil. (I have a '96 4x4 K2500 which uses a horizontal oil filter due to the placement of the front drive shaft. These filters MUST have an anti-drain-back valve.) It takes 2-4 seconds before the pressure comes up. I've had problems in the past with "white box" and Delco filters having bad (or no) anti-drain-back valves, but they always showed the issue immediately. The first of these was a Valvoline and the second is a Bosch. Any ideas as to the cause and, therefore, my fix?
You typically can see the drain-back stopper. When you replace the filter you should also be able to test it. If you have the oil filter out and relatively drained. Hold it upright and pour oil around the outer holes. If the drain-back is in place the oil should stay on top of the filter. If it seeps into the filter through the little outer holes then the drain-back is not holding. All the drain-back is, is a flap that presses from the inside out on these outer holes. A filter with no drain-back will allow oil to fill up from the outer holes (or pour out). I know with my WIX filters the drain-back is an orange rubber ring that you can see from the outside. Sometimes the drain-back is black rubber or a spring loaded steel flap.

My suggestion is to try another filter type. Try a NAPA Gold, they are WIX filters and pretty good. Is it happening all the time? If you can determine that the filter drain back is not holding oil, can you determine which hole is draining? Can you see anything caught between the flapper and the filter casing? I believe the filter fills from the outer holes into the filter (dirty oil), through the filter media (outside to inside) and then back to the engine through the big center hole (clean/filtered oil).

Art.

[DmaxMaverick]

If you pour oil into the outer holes, and it fills the inner hole, the filter is operating normally. That is the normal path of the oil, and there should be no restriction. If you pour oil into the inner hole, and it passes to the outer holes, there is no valve, the valve is defective (typical Fram issue), or it is blocked open. The normal oil path is from the outside of the filter toward the inside. There are very few applications where it is reversed, but those include a couple Japanese and European cars, and the Yugo (go figure).

[JohnC]

Try another brand of filter: Baldwin, Wix, Purolator. If you have the problem again I'm betting you're barking up the wrong tree....

[TurboDiverArt]

If you pour oil into the outer holes, and it fills the inner hole, the filter is operating normally. That is the normal path of the oil, and there should be no restriction. If you pour oil into the inner hole, and it passes to the outer holes, there is no valve, the valve is defective (typical Fram issue), or it is blocked open. The normal oil path is from the outside of the filter toward the inside. There are very few applications where it is reversed, but those include a couple Japanese and European cars, and the Yugo (go figure).
I'm about 99% sure that when I pour oil on the outer holes it stays there and does not drip down into the filter. If it does drip down it

[DmaxMaverick]

[quote=TurboDiverArt]I'm about 99% sure that when I pour oil on the outer holes it stays there and does not drip down into the filter. If it does drip down it

[jamess]

Sorry to be gone so long. Shortly after posting this, the issue seems to have stopped. That is, I no longer have the drain-down.

I'm going to be using CarQuest (Wix) filters from now on.

Thanks to all that posted.