Dented oil filter!

Hey,

So I was riding my bike for the first time this season yesterday, and it wasn't as good as I would have liked.

I've got some seafoam in the tank, so that's doing its thing, but haven't put any in the oil yet..

My problem is that after dropping off something to my wife and coming back to the bike (3 minutes away from it), there was a small puddle of oil on the ground, and oil coming out of my breather (still have the airbox, btw).

As I was heading home, the bike decided to lose pressure or something, and stalled out at a light. I had a tough time starting it..I kept riding and heard a crunching noise coming from my engine, but it kept going.. when I got home (thankfully), I drained the oil and pulled the filter.

There was some metal particulate in the oil itself, but I had just done my rings recently, so that's not a huge deal.. my big problem is this massive dent in the side of my filter!



wtf!!?

Also, is this hole supposed to be in there? Is this the hole that feeds the oil from the pump into my filter? If so..okay..if not, wtf?! I haven't started it up again.. This shot is from the back to the front..so the hole is on the front side of the filter cavity.



Oh, and I had tightened up my cam chain recently, but it was clackety, so I don't think that's the problem..nothing could have flown off because of that, could it? I figure the chain would have broken before something else came apart..

Thanks.

I sure hope that your oil bypass is working. You should check that. Also all the mettal flakes could be from low oil prssure somewhere. I would check under the valve cover also and your compression.

wtf indeed!
I can't imagine.
Is it a "FRAM" oil filter?
And yes, that hole is supposed to be there.

yeah, I think it's a FRAM.

My compression was 175 80 135 140 cold. I'm concerned about the 2nd one, but I checked my valve clearances, and they're good..but the 1 and 2 cylinders are very gummy. That's what the seafoam is for. I also torqued the head down a bit more, so it was a little loose.

The bike starts easily, and once I get the oil/filter back in, I'm going to do another compression test. I did rings last August.

There's no holes through the filter, thankfully..so I don't think anything struck it.

Has anyone ever heard of a filter caving in like this?

Oh, and how do I check bypass? Making sure the ball/spring move freely?

It looks like your filter just compressed like a spring. Don't use that brand again whatever it was.

yeah, I think it's a FRAM.

That's why I asked. They are know for being junk.
I'm not sure that would eqaute to your "crunching" sound unless, like Ron said, it compressed like a spring and blocked off the oil flow.
:S

my first thought is another Fram issue,,but I havent seen that happen before,, also that looks like a lot of metal in the filter,.
Just thinking I might want to drop the pan to check the oil pump and see if there is any other issues

I guess it's as good a time as any to do that while the oil's out of it.. do I need to worry about a gasket?

is it the right filter for your bike,when you installed it did the cover fit flush with oil pan before tightening bolt?get yourself a wix filter;)

Holy implosions Batman!! That sure seems like a lot of metal! Yeah I'd have to say that filter collapsed!

pyxen wrote:

I guess it's as good a time as any to do that while the oil's out of it.. do I need to worry about a gasket?

Buy some gasket material from pep boys and use the old one for a pattern.

Hi Pyxen,


Not sure if it would have made any difference but that metal can that the filter fits inside of doesn't go where it appears that you have it installed.


Starting from the exterior cover with the mounting bolt through it:

First slide the spring onto the mounting bolt.

Followed by the washer that keeps the spring from pushing the rubber seal into the filter

Third comes the filter itself.

Lastly the Fence is capped onto the whole thing and it's installed in the case.

If by chance you stacked the spring inside the fence, as they are arranged in your picture, added the filter and bolted it on, that's how your filter got crushed.

KZCSI