Friend driving home in car from a 100odd mile round trip.
Notes "low engine oil level" warning light - resolves to check filter/
drain plug etc for obvious leaks and top up at home (15mins).

Few miles later, exiting a roundabout hears a strange "pressure
release" "peeooooow" sound and oil pressure light comes on, pulls over
and inspects, front and underside of engine etc coated in engine oil,
stripe of engine oil leading back down road to roundabout.....

I am summoned (with oil), and whilst he's waiting he has a poke about
around the oil filter area and reckons to see a drip from the oil
filter, despite wiping it down with rags it reappears, (probably
quicker than it could if it was drips from above coming on and around
the filter and posing as an oil filter based drip IYSWIM). He tries to
tighten filter but drip continues. Takes filter off and large "O" ring
seal is partly ruptured, (not actually an "O" but more of a inbuilt
rubber "gasket" affair..

New filter procured and engine refilled with new oil, gingerly driven
home, now tootling about with no apparent issues, no lights on dash or
obvious (excessive) oil leaks, (i.e. just drips off the covered
undercarriage etc), understandably he's not currently overly confident
about if/when it will do it again....

Does this sound like an oil filter "O" ring failure? or what other
poss scenarios?

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?
(its a 2litre turbo diesel engine - Toyota)

Cheers
Jim K

Cars usually have sealed crankcase ventilation. Any fumes from this are
sucked into the air intake and burnt. Via a series of valves etc to stop
them just being vented to the atmosphere. If any of this system gets
blocked, the crankcase gets pressurised and oil squirts out where it can.

--
*Okay, who stopped the payment on my reality check? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message
Jim K wrote:


[snip tale of woe]

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?
(its a 2litre turbo diesel engine - Toyota)


Had this on a Mitsubishi. Fitter mate reckons a sludged filter resulting
in overpressure blowing o-ring. Luckily no lasting damage.

--
Jim White
Wimbledon London England

On Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:00:32 -0700 (PDT), Jim K
wrote:

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?
(its a 2litre turbo diesel engine - Toyota)

Sticking oil pressure release valve, filter exposed to too high a
pressure, seal fails or casing fails.


--

On Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:00:32 -0700 (PDT), Jim K
wrote:

New filter procured and engine refilled with new oil, gingerly driven
home, now tootling about with no apparent issues, no lights on dash or
obvious (excessive) oil leaks, (i.e. just drips off the covered
undercarriage etc), understandably he's not currently overly confident
about if/when it will do it again....

Does this sound like an oil filter "O" ring failure? or what other
poss scenarios?

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?

Likely the filter wasn't fitted properly in the first place and
loosened off. As you say, it's possible the o-ring was damaged later
by the driver tightening it up, if it had become dislodged and went a
bit squint.

On Jul 15, 7:18*pm, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:
Cars usually have sealed crankcase ventilation. Any fumes from this are
sucked into the air intake and burnt. Via a series of valves etc to stop
them just being vented to the atmosphere. If any of this system gets
blocked, the crankcase gets pressurised and oil squirts out where it can.


mmm, wouldn't say, the dipstick be "easier" to blow than a oil filter
O ring??

cheers
Jim K

On Jul 15, 8:44*pm, Jim White wrote:
In message
* * * * * Jim K wrote:

[snip tale of woe]

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?
(its a 2litre turbo diesel engine - Toyota)

Had this on a Mitsubishi. Fitter mate reckons a sludged filter resulting
in overpressure blowing o-ring. Luckily no lasting damage.

fingers Xed ;)

said filter was new on 4 weeks ago.....

Jim K

Dave Plowman (News) wrote

Cars usually have sealed crankcase ventilation.

Not sealed in the sense you are implying.

I can't say that I have ever come across even a modern
car where you get an obvious pressure release when
you take the dipstick out to check the oil level.

Any fumes from this are sucked into the air intake and burnt. Via a
series of valves etc to stop them just being vented to the atmosphere.

Yes.

If any of this system gets blocked, the crankcase gets pressurised

Nope. It just stops sucking the fumes from the crankcase.

and oil squirts out where it can.

Nope. The most it might do is see some
fumes coming out around the dipstick.

"Jim K" wrote in message
...
On Jul 15, 8:44 pm, Jim White wrote:
In message

Jim K wrote:

[snip tale of woe]

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?
(its a 2litre turbo diesel engine - Toyota)

Had this on a Mitsubishi. Fitter mate reckons a sludged filter resulting
in overpressure blowing o-ring. Luckily no lasting damage.

fingers Xed ;)

said filter was new on 4 weeks ago.....

Most likely the O ring was ****ed at that time.

Older diesels used to get pressure leak to oil circulation, making them
rupture but long before all that nasty black smoke and rough running so may
not be that in this case.
Brian

--
--
From the sofa of Brian Gaff -

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Jim K" wrote in message
...
Friend driving home in car from a 100odd mile round trip.
Notes "low engine oil level" warning light - resolves to check filter/
drain plug etc for obvious leaks and top up at home (15mins).

Few miles later, exiting a roundabout hears a strange "pressure
release" "peeooooow" sound and oil pressure light comes on, pulls over
and inspects, front and underside of engine etc coated in engine oil,
stripe of engine oil leading back down road to roundabout.....

I am summoned (with oil), and whilst he's waiting he has a poke about
around the oil filter area and reckons to see a drip from the oil
filter, despite wiping it down with rags it reappears, (probably
quicker than it could if it was drips from above coming on and around
the filter and posing as an oil filter based drip IYSWIM). He tries to
tighten filter but drip continues. Takes filter off and large "O" ring
seal is partly ruptured, (not actually an "O" but more of a inbuilt
rubber "gasket" affair..

New filter procured and engine refilled with new oil, gingerly driven
home, now tootling about with no apparent issues, no lights on dash or
obvious (excessive) oil leaks, (i.e. just drips off the covered
undercarriage etc), understandably he's not currently overly confident
about if/when it will do it again....

Does this sound like an oil filter "O" ring failure? or what other
poss scenarios?

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?
(its a 2litre turbo diesel engine - Toyota)

Cheers
Jim K

"Jim White" wrote in message
...
In message

Jim K wrote:


[snip tale of woe]

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?
(its a 2litre turbo diesel engine - Toyota)


Had this on a Mitsubishi. Fitter mate reckons a sludged filter resulting
in overpressure blowing o-ring. Luckily no lasting damage.

--
Jim White
Wimbledon London England

There is usually a built in relief valve for if the filter gets blocked.

It seems to me that the last time the filter was changed the seal was not
properly seated in it's slot in the oil filter.

I once did an oil filter change and didn't notice that the rubber ring
from the old filter had stayed attached to the engine instead of coming
away with the filter. I installed the new filter, resulting in a stack
of two rubber rings between the filter and the engine. A little while
later the two rings slipped sideways resulting in a sudden stream of oil
under pressure from the gap.

In my case it happened a minute or two after starting the engine, but I
suppose is could last longer before going.

Simon.

On Monday, July 16, 2012 9:00:33 AM UTC+1, harry wrote:

It seems to me that the last time the filter was changed the seal was not
properly seated in its slot in the oil filter.

Or perhaps they just didn't tighten up the filter enough.

Robert

In article ,
Rod Speed wrote:
Cars usually have sealed crankcase ventilation.

Not sealed in the sense you are implying.

Sealed in that not vented to the atmosphere as was once the case.

I can't say that I have ever come across even a modern
car where you get an obvious pressure release when
you take the dipstick out to check the oil level.

That's because they are under a slight vacuum when running if everything
is correct.

Any fumes from this are sucked into the air intake and burnt. Via a
series of valves etc to stop them just being vented to the atmosphere.

Yes.

If any of this system gets blocked, the crankcase gets pressurised

Nope. It just stops sucking the fumes from the crankcase.

There is always some blow by round valve stems and indeed pistons. This
will pressurize the crankcase if the breather system isn't working as it
should.

and oil squirts out where it can.

Nope. The most it might do is see some
fumes coming out around the dipstick.

It will depend on what is the weakest point - which will vary between
engine designs.

--
*In "Casablanca", Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam" *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Jul 16, 1:01*am, Jim K wrote:
On Jul 15, 8:44*pm, Jim White wrote:

In message
* * * * * Jim K wrote:

[snip tale of woe]

The O riing rupture could have been caused by him trying to tighten
the filter - if so why did/what else failed to mean the engine dropped
its oil so spectacularly?
(its a 2litre turbo diesel engine - Toyota)

Had this on a Mitsubishi. Fitter mate reckons a sludged filter resulting
in overpressure blowing o-ring. Luckily no lasting damage.

fingers Xed ;)

said filter was new on 4 weeks ago.....

Jim K

latest news is things are OK ish tho a worrying new "hair drier" type
noise under load once warmed up, varying with how hard the accelerator
is pressed..... turbo bearings? through starvation of oil?

What's the outlook for the turbo bearings? weeks months years? car
only does 9k a year mostly local runs, just had a fortune spent on
MOT....he's not a very happy bunny...

Cheers
Jim K

On 16/07/2012 10:58, RobertL wrote:
On Monday, July 16, 2012 9:00:33 AM UTC+1, harry wrote:

It seems to me that the last time the filter was changed the seal was not
properly seated in its slot in the oil filter.

Or perhaps they just didn't tighten up the filter enough.

Or forgot to lubricate the seal. Or over tightened it. There are a few
ways installing a filter can go wrong...


--
Tciao for Now!

John.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote
Rod Speed wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote

Cars usually have sealed crankcase ventilation.

Not sealed in the sense you are implying.

Sealed in that not vented to the atmosphere as was once the case.

Yes, but not sealed in the sense that when the crankcase
fumes recycling stops working, it can blow the oil filter O ring.

I can't say that I have ever come across even a modern
car where you get an obvious pressure release when
you take the dipstick out to check the oil level.

That's because they are under a slight vacuum
when running if everything is correct.

And when the crankcase ventilation fails, they go
from a slight vacuum to normal pressure, so that
still doesn’t see the oil filter O ring get blown.

Any fumes from this are sucked into the air intake and burnt. Via a
series of valves etc to stop them just being vented to the atmosphere.

Yes.

If any of this system gets blocked, the crankcase gets pressurised

Nope. It just stops sucking the fumes from the crankcase.

There is always some blow by round valve stems and indeed pistons.

Yes, but the most that can produce is some bleed past
the dipstick, it can't blow the oil filter O ring, because
there is a hell of a lot less resistance at the dipstick.

This will pressurize the crankcase if the
breather system isn't working as it should.

Nope, because that pressure will escape via the dipstick.

and oil squirts out where it can.

Nope. The most it might do is see some
fumes coming out around the dipstick.

It will depend on what is the weakest point

Yes, and that will always be the dipstick.

- which will vary between engine designs.

Nope, that will always be the dipstick.