Zetec Oil Filters

[Farmer_Terry]

Some of you may recall we had some problems with a Zetec engine dumping all of it’s oil out through the oil filter here, here, and another here. We finally lost the lot a second time at Brands with a slightly less experienced driver on his warm up laps, who failed to realise what had happened, and tried to limp back to the paddock. Result - con-rod through the side.

 

Well, I think we may have got to the bottom of it at last for anyone else still running a Zetec.

 

When we started comparing filters for the new engine we noticed that the proper Ford parts had rather higher shoulders at the top than the alternate suppliers. With a Ford one on, when correctly tightened (let’s not get into that argument again) the shoulder virtually butts up to the plate leaving no room for the filter to pop out.

 

The alternatives we looked at leave a larger gap, and we lost our oil twice – each time after the oil filter had been fitted by a race engine professional (no sarcasm there – they were professionals). They used alternative suppliers. When we fitted a filter we always used the Ford part and had no trouble.

 

So. If you have a Zetec engine (or indeed any other possibly) watch for the gap at the top of the filter.

 

 

Farmer Terry (and his car)

 

 

Edited by - Farmer_terry on 2 Dec 2009 11:38:28

 

Edited by - Farmer_terry on 2 Dec 2009 11:41:41

[Paul Formston]

Hi Farmer Terry

I think I have posted about this before I run a Zetec and I am a Mechanic and Aircraft Mechanic and have done 44,000 miles on my 1,800 engine and now I run a 2,000 engine which has done a further 2,000 miles and have never had a problem with the oil filter apart from getting it undone with the chassis tubes in the way. I use the Fiesta Zetec Filter which is a Fram PH5803 which is a lot smaller than the Mondao one but it still has to fit under the steering collum but I get around this rotating the rack slightly which lifts the collum up as there is a joint where the collum meet the rack which is designed to work at an angle so this is acceptable, Some people have been using a flat Renault filter I tryed one of these and as you tighten it up it would slip on the threads no wonder they pop off Regards Paul

[Farmer_Terry]

Paul - our filter didn't come off - the rubber seal just popped out at the top while the filter was still on and tight. As I said above - the shoulder just wasn't deep enough.

 

We now have a remote filter kit, and have located the actual filter on the engine side of the pedal box.

 

Farmer Terry (and his car)

[millsn]

Sorry to deviate but I was looking at the remote filter option as I always have a 'mare getting my old filters off. Do you have any pics and sourcing details?

[Paul Formston]

Sorry Terry That is a strange problem was the filter going tight on the thread before the rubber seal was making contact with the face or was it just a faulty filter

Regards Paul

[Doug]

I've done around 8,000 miles in my 2,000cc Zetec and haven't yet encountered this problem. I have replaced the filter with a non-Ford item too

 

As I understand it Terry, you are saying that the lip on the Ford item keeps the rubber seal in situ and the non-Ford item doesn't have that lip. Is that right?

 

Interestingly, Pete McEwan at Raceline, who built my engine, did tell me to use Ford items "whenever possible", including cambelts.

 

I'd be interested to know if Mondeos with this engine ever had the same problem. I imagine it is more likely to happen on track with sustained higher than usual oil pressure.

 

'Have you any idea what it's like to have the wind rushing through your hair!' (Quote:Sq Cdr the Lord Flashheart)

[S47zz]

40000 miles in Zetec powered 7's both with remote or standard fitting - no problems whatsoever, with ford or aftermarket filters --I'd suggest that the filter was too tight, or the rubber seal wasn't lightly covered in oil prior to tightening. Well thats my two pennath on the subject - curious though why it should happen

[NevDyson]

Terry,

 

Do you happen to know the after market type of filter that was used and the number? Might stop others with Zetecs avoid the same issue.

 

I have seen this before when I worked on the shopfloor at Ford in Norway. There were time when after market filters were bought in if deliveries from Germany were late, we had several cars in dumping oil from exactly where you are describing. If I remember correctly it was normally on Mondeo's with the longer filter using a Purolator items.

 

 

 

Q361 ANJ here

 

 

 

 

[Farmer_Terry]

Sorry to have disappeared for a few days - been in hospital ☹️ (nothing too serious). The wireless internet here is flaky, but I should be out in a day or two, and I will try to reply to all this stuff.

 

Farmer Terry (and his car)

[Farmer_Terry]

Hi All. Right – take a look at the image here. The problem is simply that if the gap at the top of the shoulder is too large, the rubber seal can be forced through it allowing the oil to escape.

 

I can’t speak for every after market filter available, but the two which we had fitted by racing engine mechanics were both after-market and both had too small a shoulder – thus too large a gap was left, and the rubber seal blew out.

 

The Ford parts we have fitted have very high shoulders - you can see the difference when they are side by side. When they are (correctly) fitted the gap on the Ford parts is virtually zero. Virtually zero – there is still no actual contact, but it clearly going to be much harder for the seal to blow out with a very small gap, than it is with a large one.

 

I hope this explains the problem I believe we had, and what to look for if when you come to fit a new filter on a Zetec engine - one with a high shoulder that more or less touches the engine/back plate.

 

Does that clear it all up to everyone's satisfaction?

 

Millssn - we got the remote filter parts from here I think - they were quite helpful.

 

 

Farmer Terry (and his car)