K&N Oil Filter oil seepage?

[metroplex]

I used a new K&N KN-153 oil filter on my 696 and have noticed that oil occasionally seeps out. I have tightened it from time to time but I was wondering if anyone else encountered the same issue.

Normally on my cars, I tighten the oil filters using my hand. I get it as tight as I can manually tighten it and that's that. After a year, it stays put with no seepage.

On the 696, I am using the 17mm nut on the K&N filter and it still seeps out. Albeit, I am not torquing it down a lot.

[thought]

check to make sure you didnt forget to remove the old gasket.

[metroplex]

The old gasket stayed with the old filter.

[Howie]

7/8 turn after the gasket makes contact will do it.

[rule62]

I've had similar experiences with K&N 153 filters in the past. I've just used a wrench and tightened them a little until the seepage stopped.  

One time however, what I thought was seepage from the filter, was actually from a bad clutch push-rod o-ring, and was just dripping down to the same place.

[metroplex]

I did the 7/8 turn after contact but it seeped. I had to tighten it a bit more about 3 times so far. I have heard 11 Nm for the oil filter torque, but have also seen 16 Nm. My 696 shop manual makes no mention of oil filter torque. It's the same oil filter as many other bikes, including the super bikes.

[ducatiz]

lube the new oring with old oil?

[metroplex]

I always lube the new ring with new oil. The K&N KN-153 comes with the ring seal already pre-lubed and covered with a shrink wrapped plastic, I've never seen this done with car oil filters.

[ducatiz]

old oil is better as it's pre-baked, less likely to stick but any oil is better than none.

i've only seen one filter seep and that was due to the oring being bunched up

when i tighten mine, i go tight, back off a little, tighter, back off, and then final turn.

also shove a paper towel into the filter well and wipe around the nipple "just in case" there is somethign there like a bug or roadcrap stuck in place with oil.

i've found stinkbugs roasted in oil there.  they get everywhere.

[Howie]

The benefits of old oil verses new oil on the O ring is an old argument that I don't think has ever been finalized.  I use both and never had a problem.  Since you did actually torque the filter and oil the O ring take the filter down and inspect.  I piece of debris is all it takes.  I have occasionally come across an OEM leaker but never a K&N. 

Roasted  stink bug  

[ducatiz]

Roasted  stink bug  

I wish I had made a pic of it.

Half of him was glued to the Oring.  Other half was baked to the case.  IT was the FIRST filter for me to leak and I got up under and eyeballed it to see if anything was there. I wish I had made pics.  he was probably up under there when I screwed on the filter -- I let my bikes drain overnight.

"humm this is a warm spot..zzzzz"

[metroplex]

I fired her up and let her warm up before I started running the engine at varied RPMs. After I shut it down, I ran a towel up into that cubby hole where the filter meets the engine on the 696 and I got a few drops of fresh oil on the towel. I tightened it a tad more (yet again).

I went and got out my other new K&N KN-153 oil filters, and on the side of the K&N oil filter case, it says to turn it 7/8 turn or 2-2.4 kg-m. I did the conversion and that is 19.6 to 23.5 N-m, a big difference from 11 N-m or hand tight!

[metroplex]

I took off the K&N filter because it started to seep when the engine was warmed up to normal temperatures. The seal popped right off the filter when I took it off to look at it. The engine's sealing surface was clean an undamaged. The filter and the filter seal was clean and undamaged. I'm not sure why it leaks out the seal area.

[metroplex]

I sent the defective filter and the other filters of the same batch back to K&N. I needed to use the bike, so I ordered another KN-153. This was a newer batch code and it doesn't seep/leak after I torqued it to 11 N-m as per the Ducati spec. 11 N-m is roughly 1 full turn after the gasket contacts the engine.