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Well...It happened! Oil Filter let go

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I was at VIR with Performance Driving Experience on the 30th and the 1st. First session, third lap going into turn one and all of a sudden...Im facing the wrong direction, looking back down the track seeing nothing but a very intense cloud of oil smoke. Ended up in the tire wall at the perimeter of the track after spinning inside turn one, going back across the track sliding all the way out to the tire wall. Engine is destroyed, left side of the car is beat up pretty bad. Luckily it was first session, on a new track so not at speed. Could have happened on the highway when out for a drive and then could have been really bad!

Last person to touch the car was a local dealer. On the way home stopped by a different dealer had their Ford Performance tech look at the car. Filter O ring had blown out. The new motors have canisters for a reason!
 
159
5
Georgia
I really hate to hear this... this is exactly why I do my best to avoid having the dealership work on my car unless absolutely necessary. My local dealership has a young kid doing the oil changes... I understand, fairly basic, straight forward job... if they are paying attention to what they are supposed to be doing.

When I had the rear diff fluid changed after my first track session, I had the dealership install the FRP rear cover with the tapped cooling ports... they managed to leave my breather off... yep, diff fluid all over the rear of my car at my next track event. Came home and found the plug still inside the box. o_O They did offer a free oil change... never again!

Glad your ok... yes, on the highway at speed, the outcome could have been much worse!
 
I really hate to hear this... this is exactly why I do my best to avoid having the dealership work on my car unless absolutely necessary. My local dealership has a young kid doing the oil changes... I understand, fairly basic, straight forward job... if they are paying attention to what they are supposed to be doing.

When I had the rear diff fluid changed after my first track session, I had the dealership install the FRP rear cover with the tapped cooling ports... they managed to leave my breather off... yep, diff fluid all over the rear of my car at my next track event. Came home and found the plug still inside the box. o_O They did offer a free oil change... never again!

Glad your ok... yes, on the highway at speed, the outcome could have been much worse!

+1. I didn’t even take my wife’s 4Runner for “free” oil changes. (First two were free, but I’m sure I paid or will pay one way or another.)
 
I was at VIR with Performance Driving Experience on the 30th and the 1st. First session, third lap going into turn one and all of a sudden...Im facing the wrong direction, looking back down the track seeing nothing but a very intense cloud of oil smoke. Ended up in the tire wall at the perimeter of the track after spinning inside turn one, going back across the track sliding all the way out to the tire wall. Engine is destroyed, left side of the car is beat up pretty bad. Luckily it was first session, on a new track so not at speed. Could have happened on the highway when out for a drive and then could have been really bad!

Last person to touch the car was a local dealer. On the way home stopped by a different dealer had their Ford Performance tech look at the car. Filter O ring had blown out. The new motors have canisters for a reason!

Wasn’t properly torqued or he put it on without wetting the seal first.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
What a shame and that didn't have to happen. Glad nobody was hurt. I made sure I told the service writer that the filter needed to be torqued to 19 ft lbs and made him write it on the request. I also kept a filter wrench in my glove box and they even used it one time. I recommend you all do that.
 
So sorry to hear of your miss fortune I’m glad that you’re OK. Thanks for the pointers and reminders to all of us.


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Damn, I'm sorry to hear this! Keep us posted on how things develop. Is Ford or the dealer taking responsibility???

I just had my dealer knock out my brake flush, oil change and tech inspection before my last track day @ VIR as it snuck up on me. I made sure to get my car on my lift to re-check my tq specs to be sure. (My friend is a service advisor at the dealer and they double checked).

I plan to convert my oil filter to the cartridge style for peace of mind. Was hoping Ford would step up and offer the conversion for free.
 

xr7

TMO Addict?
706
821
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Minnesota
What a mess. I spent 42 years as mechanic, shop supervisor & fleet manager. The screw ups I saw over the years would fill a book and they would probably put it in the fiction section. Most common was probably stripped drain plugs. The most memorable oil filter was on a GMC 1ton with a 454. Guy drove it in puking oil all over the ground. Used a bunch of oil to get it to our shop. When he installed the filter he tightened it by hand as tight as he could, then gave it an extra turn with his filter wrench. The oil bypass adapter cracked and there you go. I had to drive a pry bar thru the filter and tear it off. He turned out to be a good customer. Worked on it many times after that.
 
Thanks guys. The oil filter was changed the last time the car was in the shop getting a new transmission. Yep that’s right, new trans. The service writer had tech change the filter as this is the second time I have had a filter issue. First time was at Road America when I puked out 10 qts of oil leaving my pit. When that happened, I was going 5mph. Just a little different outcome this time. I informed the tech writer of the oil filter issues when I dropped the car off, trying to insure it would be installed correctly.
 
Mishaps can happen to any of us at any tyme...on or off the track.To come out of accident unscathed is a blessing!There are a lot of knuckleheads out there now a days that feel texting and phoning are a priority over being a careful driver. Am I the only one who feels it's a lot more crazy on the roads now than it was 5 or 10 yrs ago??
 
Off topic rant - my apologies.

You're certainly not alone on that one. Getting more difficult to keep the "WTF" reactions in check.
These days, when (some) people get behind the wheel, "driving" is a secondary function. Number 1 appears to be texting, snap chat or other various non-driving related activities. Hell, even the basic rules of the road aren't in play anymore. Rolling through stop signs or out from side streets. People will even swerve into oncoming traffic to go around a jogger, pedestrian or peddle bike rather than wait for traffic to pass.....and that's just the secondary roads. Forget the highways - they're a lost cause. It's nuts out there.
My motto...drive offensively. Get them before they get you. LOL
 
Glad to see that others see the changes that are occurring in our driving community. I believe the Smart phones are the main culprit here...people are addicted to them and can't put them down for any reason...driving or worst! Thank God I still have a dumb phone or I may be joining this madness.....................
 
215
210
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
SoCal
Thank God I still have a dumb phone or I may be joining this madness.....................

OK Gibbs..... :p

It finally came to the point where I had to give up my dumb phone when it went down for the count. The new phone I have definitely has its benefits, but I'm not married to it like some people are. Resisting the madness isn't too hard. Come on over to the dark side!

Yes, it's very easy to identify the car with someone buried in their cell phone these days. It's the person staring at their lap and not moving when the light turns green. Or the car that inexplicably starts slowing down in front of you when the road is clear. Or the car that drives down the road making jerky steering movements like they are bouncing off an imaginary wall between their lanes. Or my personal favorite, the person that bumps into the car in front of them while waiting in line (seen this twice!).
 
Thanks guys. The oil filter was changed the last time the car was in the shop getting a new transmission. Yep that’s right, new trans. The service writer had tech change the filter as this is the second time I have had a filter issue. First time was at Road America when I puked out 10 qts of oil leaving my pit. When that happened, I was going 5mph. Just a little different outcome this time. I informed the tech writer of the oil filter issues when I dropped the car off, trying to insure it would be installed correctly.

What’s your plan for the car?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Oh...The trans issue...for whatever reason whenever I tried to shift from 2nd down to 1st at anything more than like 3 mph, it would grind. Really weird.
 
492
387
DFW, TX
I guess when I get my Shelby back with its new engine, I'll do the motorcycle oil filter mod: tighten a worm-gear hose clamp around the filter and then safety wire the clamp to something to prevent rotation.
 

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