Oil Leak around oil filter

[ducatiz]

I think some engines just are like that. Not very satisfactory as an explanation, but after all they are Ducati engines .

I have several Ducatis in my garage and the only one that leaked was the 1977 and that was a bad crankcase gasket...  I don't think they leak any more than any other.

[Howie]

I think some engines just are like that. Not very satisfactory as an explanation, but after all they are Ducati engines .

My M900 does the same, no matter how hard I tighten the filter, after a few 1000 km there will be a drop of oil on the ground. Each time, I tighten a little more (using a band type wrench) and it stops, maybe for the summer, maybe not.

Just to make sure I don't loose the filter, I have made a hose clamp that fits around the filter, safety wiring that to the oil plug so I have some security on both.   

If you find it doesn't leak after installation, but leaks after a few miles perhaps it was not tight enough the first time.  There is a torque spec for the filter, 16 Nm, which is notably tighter than hand tight unless you are Magilla Gorilla.  As I said before, 7/8 turn after contact will work fine.  I would estimate somewhere between 10 and 15 OEM filters have been on my bike since it has over 60K on it and I use mostly OEM filters.  One dripper, which was installed by the dealer.

[lazylightnin717]

I never go beyond hand tight with oil filters on any of my vehicles and it has never once given m a problem. I always clean the mating surface, coat the new filter o-ring with oil and hand-tighten. I get a pretty good grip on it but never crank it as far as I possibly can.

I've really tightened down on it before with my hands and it seems that whenever I do that, it makes it very hard to get off thereafter.

Maybe I'm just unusually strong for a 185 lb. hippie art freak 

[Howie]

I never go beyond hand tight with oil filters on any of my vehicles and it has never once given m a problem. I always clean the mating surface, coat the new filter o-ring with oil and hand-tighten. I get a pretty good grip on it but never crank it as far as I possibly can.

I've really tightened down on it before with my hands and it seems that whenever I do that, it makes it very hard to get off thereafter.

Maybe I'm just unusually strong for a 185 lb. hippie art freak 

Most vehicles are hand tight, but not all, including some very common cars like Honda. 

[MonsterHPD]

If you find it doesn't leak after installation, but leaks after a few miles perhaps it was not tight enough the first time.  There is a torque spec for the filter, 16 Nm, which is notably tighter than hand tight unless you are Magilla Gorilla.  As I said before, 7/8 turn after contact will work fine.  I would estimate somewhere between 10 and 15 OEM filters have been on my bike since it has over 60K on it and I use mostly OEM filters.  One dripper, which was installed by the dealer.

In my case, it only happened first time after I'd had the bike for 3 or 4 years, halfway through the season. Since we were in Nürburg at the time, waiting for the Nordschleife to open, I went to the dealer to have a new filter installed. Did not help, it only became tight when I "tightened 'til tight", so to speak. My wife's 800 has never leaked a drop.
   
I don't understand why it's like that, but since tightening helps, that's what I do 

[Armor]

I have an 04 M1000 and the filter must be more than hand tight or it will leak. 

[4DoorSi]

some good comments in here, but they don't help me.

I'm more than hand tight, and still leaking.

I guess at this point I'll wait until spring, drop the oil and filter, and try a new brand of filter.

Updates to come in the spring.

[ducatiz]

Left field here but are you 100% that its' coming from the filter?

It's pretty hard to get those filters to leak, in my experience, even if you are not tightening it enough.

Have you made sure the Oring is there?  they come out.  My first guess was an old oring is stuck up inside, but it's possible the new one doesn't have one.  very strange.

[Speeddog]

It's *possible* that the case is cracked, I recall seeing a pic of one that was cracked.
But that's over a span of nearly 9 years on Monster forums... so it's pretty damn rare.

And, you don't have to drain the oil to swap a filter.

[Ddan]

I had a filter that I never got to stop an occasional dripping, next oil change and no problems. 

[jongunz]

I've got a 2012 M796 and it's filter is leaking.  I checked tightness and it seemed OK.  I may change the oil and replace the oem filter to see if that fixes it.  It's hit or miss whether it will leak or not.  Seems that sometimes I get a few drips and sometimes I don't.  Actually being that it's under warranty I may take it to the dealer to get it looked at just in case.

[Smokescreen]

I'd say quit using the Ducati filter and if you want to experiment, tty a Scott Performance filter. They are nullity aluminum with a removable stainless steel filter with magnet. You can disassemble them, clean them and reuse them as well as easily checking the magnet for debris. I've never had trouble with my Scott filter, so I'd say try it.

[craig697]

A shot in the dark, cross or bad threads on the filter stem, so the filter is sitting eccentric to the base plate

[Armor]

If it is leaking, give it a quarter turn and check.  As long as you can get it off, tightening it will not hurt anything.  A little tighter is all that is probably needed to stop it from leaking.  Not too tight so you will not have trouble getting it off.

[jongunz]

I took my bike to the dealer and their master mechanic fixed it by tightening the filter with what looked to be a breaker bar and steel filter socket.  Told me that you need to tighten the filters down real tight or they'll leak.  He said that hand tightening would not be enough and it was ok to do it.  Just said it can be a pain to get off.