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MG TD TF 1500 - oil filter gasket

52 TD
changed the oil last weekend along with a new filter. ordered the filter thru Moss. since i did not realize that the filter had the bigger gasket in the box, i also ordered one from Moss.
there were three gaskets that came with the filter. they all looked a little diff in thickness. since i was not sure if the three varried in diameter or if either were correct for the TD< i decided to use the one i ordered from Moss separate.
Put every thing back on. gasket went in nicely. filter went back on, etc.
went to start up the car and prime the oil pump. i loosened up the plug on top, as per the manual, and turned the car over. since i could not see anything, i only ran it maybe half a minute. shut it off and got out to check everything. there was a small stain of oil under the filter on my cardboard. cleaned off the bottom of the filter and let it sit over night. there was another smaller amount the next morning.
my question...
did i just not get the filter seal back in right? or could the plug, being loose, have let that much oil out when i was trying to prime the pump?
i am guessing the seal is not doing the job. not sticking out anywhere but either not big enough to begin with or pushed out somewhere inside.
is this the result of tightening the filter bolt too tight? or is there some trick i should do?
Thanks
TLW Wright

I don't replace the filter gasket if it didn't leak before. If a new gasket is needed, make sure ALL of the old gasket is removed and the grove is clean of any remains. Match the new gasket to the grove width. Filters can also be had at NAPPA. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Paul's advice is right on, the only time I have ever had problems with the oil filter gasket was after trying to change the filter - lost all the oil and spun a couple of bearings.

The gasket groove has to be completely clear of any fragments of the old gasket as Paul suggests - this is the hardest part of the whole process. The replacement gasket is the mid thickness of the three gaskets supplied with the filter. The next challenge is to get the new gasket into the groove without any twists or kinks in the gasket, then it needs to be seated all the way to the bottom of the grove. Put the filter and cover on and tighten it well, put oil in the engine and start it up - watch for leaks every time you drive the car until the next oil change. If there are no leaks, leave the gasket in place and be happy - NEVER CHANGE THE GASKET AS LONG AS THERE ARE NO LEAKS!!! Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

One step even better is to replace the can with a spin-off filter adapter (John Seim or Bob Grunau), and avoid the whole problem, get better filtering, and not have to pay huge dollars for the filter from the usual suppliers.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

thanks all. just habit to replace gaskets when I change something. the old gasket came out fine and was not leaking. still looks good even.
the groove was clean and i made sure it was seated well. torqued the nut pretty well also. i wondered if maybe being too tight pushes the seal out. i can be heavy handed and i tried to be careful there.
thought about converting to a spin-on filter... maybe next time.
TLW Wright

This thread was discussed on 22/12/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

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