Oil Change Complication

[holligl]

Went to change the oil and filter today and the filter fought the whole way off. I remember when I installed it, it did not want to torque properly (turning too easily). I stopped when it was well snug but less than spec torque. It looks like the cheap FRAM filter started to strip then messed up the Union Bolt coming off. Spent the afternoon looking for a die to cleanup the threads to no avail. Got a couple small needle files to take care of the rougher spots and worked it in and out of the new filter until it ran smooth. Reinstalled and snugged short of the full 17 Nm torque.

So I'm looking at replacing the Union Bolt at the next oil change. The 2014 p/n is 90401-20008-00 and costs $15.57. For a 2022 the p/n is 90401-20012-00 and costs $12.08. I normally order the latest part. Does anyone know if there is any reason not to go with the latest?

Lesson learned and advise: Avoid FRAM PH 6017A filters. I'm going back to Mahle next time.

 

[Cycledude]

Never heard of that happening before.
i mostly use Fram or SuperTech filters
Kinda lucky my motorcycles and lawn mower all use the same filter
i have never used a torque wrench on a oil filter, did use one once on a drain bolt, when it was time to remove it was pretty difficult to get loose so I never used a torque wrench on a drain bolt again.

 

[bimota]

same here oil filter done up by hand never used a wrench on one

 

[gv550]

I would order the specific part for my model year, if the later part arrives instead I would use it.
I use only Yamaha filters, torqued to spec and replaced every 2nd oil change, without issues. I do remove and drain the filter before reuse.

 

[Sierra1]

I too am in the "no wrench" camp. Never had a leak or lost a filter. I too agree with gv550 on bolt choice.

 

[Mad_Matt]

I avoid Fram like the plague; they are cheap, crappy products.

 

[Cycledude]

$16 doesn’t really sound like to bad of a price compared to some of the prices Yamaha has for much simpler parts.

 

[Tenforeplay]

Auto parts store might have them.

 

[jeckyll]

Also put me down in the 'no wrench' camp. I hand tighten and have never had a leak.

Good reminder that some of those parts are actually fairly 'sensitive' to overtightening! @holligl: glad the fix isn't going to be expensive!

 

[Sierra1]

I avoid Fram like the plague; they are cheap, crappy products.

I just stick with OE. With my bike and Jeep. Wally World actually carries the OE cartridge for the Jeep. But the dealership is cheaper.

 

[SkunkWorks]

There are a number of reasons that I stopped using Fram filters back in the early 90's
Their quality control is the absolute worst in the business...............and I was in the business for almost 3 decades.
Everyone has their preference, and some folks swear by Fram. (my Dad had always used them on his vehicles), but I will never use another Fram branded filter again..........To Each their own.........

With that said, every filter manufacturer has their issues.
I consider Baldwin one of the best quality filters you can buy...................We use thousands of them on our Fleet where I work, but every once in awhile we get one that has come through with the center-hole un-threaded.............
I typically use WIX filters on my personal stuff, but I have some Baldwin ones in my cabinet at home too.

I also only ever hand-tighten my oil filters on every vehicle.........

 

[MattR]

Oil filter is the most important part of the engine. OEM for me and torqued to spec. Too risky not to.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RCinNC]

Man, it's pretty bad when an oil filter has to filter out pieces of itself.

 

[EricV]

Yamaha supersedes parts when it's an update. Order the part for your year bike. It's a basic part, but might have some minor shoulder difference or depth of threads, chamfer, etc.. The newer part might fit fine, or might not. If you order the older and receive the newer, it was a superseded p/n, so no worries using it.

For future reference, when you can't find the correct size die, find a thread file for the pitch of the threads to clean them up. Thread files are four sided and double ended, with a different pitch on each side and ends, 8 total. So it will be a useful purchase more than once.

By your description, you vastly over tightened the oil filter. Spun too easily? IOW, it was on the gasket and more than tight enough, but you kept going because you wanted to torque a non-OE filter to the spec for the OE filter...

Please hire someone in your neighborhood to stand behind you with a rolled up newspaper and smack you in the back of the head when you reach for the torque wrench. Understand what you're doing, don't blindly follow specs w/o understanding what they are for. Engineers not only don't build bikes, they CAN'T build bikes. But hey, they can pull a number out of their ass just fine.

Critical fasteners relating to bearing and wear areas are important to torque. Head bolts too. Most everything else is so it doesn't fall off, or break off. I.E. so you don't over tighten it on low torque values, and so you don't under tighten it on basic stuff. Oil filters and drain plugs are pretty self evident. Snug and a little more and it's going to stay put. More than that on a drain plug and you're just thinning the crush washer, (which isn't there to stop leaks, it's there to help avoid stripping the threads on the pan when heavy handed people use torque wrenches.

BTW, I'm a retired machinist that worked daily with engineers in an OEM manufacturing environment. And I wrenched for money with my own business for over a decade. I might have a clue.

 

[RCinNC]

Most filters I've put on have a graphic somewhere on the filter housing or on the box that tell you how to put it on. Most of the time it seems to be to spin it on til the gasket makes contact, then turn it by hand some portion of a arc past finger tight. I don't think I've ever used one that even showed on the graphic that a wrench was supposed to be used, let alone one that had an actual recommended torque setting.

Even when I've put one on by hand, I still find that, after 4000 or 8000 miles, I've needed a filter wrench to get it off.

 

[jeckyll]

<snip>

Even when I've put one on by hand, I still find that, after 4000 or 8000 miles, I've needed a filter wrench to get it off.

Same. Every time.

 

[Fennellg]

Since you had this experience, I would oil the rubber gasket and the threads during an oil change. Had tight would a good idea. Won’t be over tight and you can prevent cross thread.

 

[eemsreno]

When I put a few hundred miles on my new 17, I went to change the oil and the filter would not come off. Ended ripping the filter off with the filter threads still stuck to the union bolt. Totally seized on.
It was warranty of course, and luckily I had the one off my wrecked Tenere to use.

 

[EricV]

When I put a few hundred miles on my new 17, I went to change the oil and the filter would not come off. Ended ripping the filter off with the filter threads still stuck to the union bolt. Totally seized on.
It was warranty of course, and luckily I had the one off my wrecked Tenere to use.

I don't know what the assembly line guys use, but even my '12 filter was super tight. I was able to remove it w/o damage, but remember using a breaker bar on the filter wrench!

 

[Want2]

My 2 cents
After years of working in the dairy and assembling and disassembling threaded pipes daily I notice the threads become very sharp,both male and female. Eventually you jump over top of the thread when doing your final tightening causing a cross thread situation. On top of that the filter manufacturer may be running a slightly oversized tap which would have the same effect on your somewhat worn union bolt. Either way I’m betting with the new parts you won’t have any problems.