2000 Concorde oil leak 2.7 engine

I do all of my own oil changes and I have noticed that I have an oil
leak. The oil filter and the recess into which the filter fits are wet
with oil. The oil is not originating from above but seemingly in that
cavity. The gasket mating surface is always cleaned and no gasket
material was ever left behind. The filter is screwed down by hand
until tight (and I can make them pretty tight by hand) and then maybe
an eighth turn with a wrench, so I know they are properly tightened
but not over torqued. I am under the impression that there might be a
gasket or O ring behind the filter adapter that could be bad. Does
anyone know if that is correct? If not, any other ideas?
Thanks for any input.

 

Hi...

Not a mechanic, just an old retired electrical guy who loves cars,
so take this with a grain of salt....

I spent my whole life believing that the oil filter should only
be tightened by hand (and a "normal" hand, at that) and never ever
with a wrench.

I'll betcha that you're distressing the gasket enough to make it
leak.

And always wet your finger or a piece of rag with oil, and wet the
filter gasket with it before you put it on.

Take care.

Ken

 

The filter adapter is integral to the oil pan casting. I would say it
has to be a crack in the casting, a bad oil pan gasket - the plane of
which passes dierctly over the filter seating area, or a leaking drain
plug, which is almost directly below and not to far from the oil filter
(be aware that it is common these days for the drain plug threads to
strip out; also plug gasket may be defective).

Also, leaks in the tranny and oil cooler hose connections up in lower
radiator area are commmon - leaking oil may be blowing back to the
filter area.

Also - the oil pressure switch is just above the filter area, and are
common leakers.

Most likely candidate IMO: leaking oil pressure switch. (Does the oil
pressure light come on when idling in gear with a warm engine? The oil
pressure switch leaking and getting out of cal. often go hand in hand,
but the two don't always go together.)

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Thanks. I have never had any low oil pressure indications but I think
that the switch issue has possibilities. My daughter's Jeep had such a
problem (leaking oil but no light popping on), so I'll check out the
switch.

 

Hand tightening is the way to go with filters, except with my car (2nd gen
Intrepid, 3.2L engine), I can't get my hands up there to turn the wrench as
tight as it needs to go. It is a very tight area and my fingers can only do
so much.

So I do use my wrench, but carefully. I screw it on by hand until it makes
contact. Then I use the wrench to tighten it to 3/4 turn (sometimes a bit
less) after contact, which is how tight manufacturers recommend. I've found
this easier to do if I put a piece of colored tape on the filter first to
keep an eye on how far it rotated.

There is a TSB on the oil filter adapter plate coming off on my car, I'm not
sure offhand if it also applies to 2.7L engines.

 

Something's not adding up there, Greg. On the 3.2/3.5L, the oil filter
adapter base is cast into the block. On the 2.7L, it's cast integral to
the oil pan. They both do have a nipple that the filter screws onto -
perhaps there've been problems with that screwing out? But that's not
any kind of *plate*.

I also looked up TSB's on my '99 Concorde w/2.7L, and nothing comes up
in the oil filter area. Do you have a TSB number? You've got me curious.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

I just did a search on discussions on DI.net - came up with this:
"I found a TSB on the oil filter loosening problem. Apparently when the
adapter comes out, you are supposed to replace it with an updated one
from Chrysler. All I could find was the TSB number, and its Friday night
so no hope of calling the Dodge dealer and getting a copy. Heres the
number in case anyone else has access:

"TSB #090299 -- SUBJECT ON OIL FILTER ADAPTER COMING OUT OF ENGINE BLOCK
DURING REMOVAL OF OIL FILTER. *TT (NHTSA ID #604964, APRIL 16 1999)"

That's from a post on the 3rd page of this thread:
http://www.dodgeintrepid.net/forums/showthread.php?t=75014&page=1&pp=15

It must not apply to the 2.7, or at least not the '99. I only have
access to TSB's specific to my car with my alldata subscription.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')