oil filter container leak e320
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 52
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From: Durham, North Carolina
1995 e320 Wagon
oil filter container leak e320
I am trying to figure out how to stop a bad oil leak from my oil filter cannister on a 1995 E320.
I can plainly see the oil leaking out from the seal where the top of the filter cylinder case meets the black plastic top. I have seen this before when I forget to remove the old o-ring seal but I do not know how I am getting such a big leak now.
http://home.earthlink.net/~sasjzl/me...cementjourney/
I want to confirm that I am putting the seal on correctly. If you look at photo #1 at the above site you see the upside down filter case top and the seal is right up against the top of top lip. I am unsure whether that is the correct place or if it is supposed to be 'down' (when putting the top on normally) in the space shown at the very top of the last thread but not right up against the lip (as in photo #2). Sorry the pictures are not clearer.
Also you will see an imperfection in the metal bottom part of the oil filter can in picutures #3 and #4. This was from some reckless manifold bolt removal attempts. Could that be the cause of the leak?
Thanks very much,
Jim Lee
1995 E320 Wagon
I can plainly see the oil leaking out from the seal where the top of the filter cylinder case meets the black plastic top. I have seen this before when I forget to remove the old o-ring seal but I do not know how I am getting such a big leak now.
http://home.earthlink.net/~sasjzl/me...cementjourney/
I want to confirm that I am putting the seal on correctly. If you look at photo #1 at the above site you see the upside down filter case top and the seal is right up against the top of top lip. I am unsure whether that is the correct place or if it is supposed to be 'down' (when putting the top on normally) in the space shown at the very top of the last thread but not right up against the lip (as in photo #2). Sorry the pictures are not clearer.
Also you will see an imperfection in the metal bottom part of the oil filter can in picutures #3 and #4. This was from some reckless manifold bolt removal attempts. Could that be the cause of the leak?
Thanks very much,
Jim Lee
1995 E320 Wagon
Last edited by sasjzl; May 10, 2009 at 07:26 PM.
Super Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 696
Likes: 4
From: Motor City
95 E320 Cabriolet, 108K
I had the same problem: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...ght=oil+gasket
You picture #2 is how you're supposed to mount the gasket.
The dent in the housing appears to be confined to the chamfer leading the gasket onto the sealing surface. I don't think it would affect the seal surface itself. It would be good to do some delicate filing to blend in the dent.
You picture #2 is how you're supposed to mount the gasket.
The dent in the housing appears to be confined to the chamfer leading the gasket onto the sealing surface. I don't think it would affect the seal surface itself. It would be good to do some delicate filing to blend in the dent.
Last edited by Kestas; May 12, 2009 at 08:52 AM.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Durham, North Carolina
1995 e320 Wagon
Exactly the same oil cap old gasket issue!
From Kestas oil filter cap campaign as referenced above.
" It makes sense. The square seal is kinda hard, and the leak got progressively worse."
This is exactly what I found on my oil cap. An old oil seal that I had not removed had flattened out and kind of 'plastic welded' itself in a square shape to fill in the slot where the new rubber o-ring gasket is supposed to go every time you replace the filter. I had to cut that fossilized gasket out of there. Halfway through removing it I began to get nervous that this was a permanent part of the cap that I was going to regret removing. Put the 0-ring in the slot formerly occupied by my aged and square gasket and all looks well. I can remember overtightening the cap just the other day and it would pop out the new gasket....which is when I started looking very closely at the filter container for the source of the nasty oil leak......I just replaced the head gasket so I was really, really, really worried the oil was coming from there.
Thanks all.
Jim Lee
1995 E320 wagon
" It makes sense. The square seal is kinda hard, and the leak got progressively worse."
This is exactly what I found on my oil cap. An old oil seal that I had not removed had flattened out and kind of 'plastic welded' itself in a square shape to fill in the slot where the new rubber o-ring gasket is supposed to go every time you replace the filter. I had to cut that fossilized gasket out of there. Halfway through removing it I began to get nervous that this was a permanent part of the cap that I was going to regret removing. Put the 0-ring in the slot formerly occupied by my aged and square gasket and all looks well. I can remember overtightening the cap just the other day and it would pop out the new gasket....which is when I started looking very closely at the filter container for the source of the nasty oil leak......I just replaced the head gasket so I was really, really, really worried the oil was coming from there.
Thanks all.
Jim Lee
1995 E320 wagon
