Oil filter tension

[bonne]

Hi. The manual indicates 20 nm tension. On a normal car, you generally just tension the oilfiler as much as you can with your hands.

After I tightened the filter with my hand, I could still turn the filter with the wrench before it reached 20 nm. Do you tension the filter as it says in the manual?

[kwackboy]

Tightening the filter with your hands is normally enough but the filter can be tightened beyond that. Best advice would be to give it another half turn with the right tool . 

[Rixington43]

The older model states a certain number of turns or part turns after the gasket his metal. It was achievable by hand but a real struggle so would have been better done with a wrench. I followed the instructions and have never had an issue with leaking.

[Joe Rocket]

Personally I've never put a torque wrench on either bike or car filter. I do it up hand tight and then a quarter turn. I then check to see it's not leaking after running the engine or after a test ride/drive and I rarely have to tweak it any more.

Bike filters are easier to get at usually and therefore see if it's weeping. I've always been wary of the relatively thin external filter envelope. I remember often putting a screwdriver into one to get it off because it was too tight. I now have chain, finger and strap wrenches to choose between, no socket or purpose made tool to do it.

[Dark-Strom]

I have serviced my own cars and bikes for the past 30 years (taught by my Dad - mechanic), a good hand-tight plus 1/4 turn as Joe says & a check when next out / the engine has cooled down for any leaks, never had any.
I have sockets (car element filters) and a chain for when removing filters fitted by others...

[Gert]

I would say that it would rather depend on the oil filter o-ring seal profile / shape. An o-ring seal profile has to be torque flatten to a degree, to make a good / perfect seal. The oil seal profile of some oil filter brands are slightly rounded / higher profile, where as on other brands, this o-ring profile is almost flat in shape. It stands to reason that the flatter shape profile would require less flattening torque to make a good seal.

[bonne]

Good point. This filter has a rounded print, but I recall others I have seen with a flat one, as you describe.

I have torqued it to the 20 nm as indicated in the manual... Was just worried if it was too much as I normally just tighten with the hand.