Oil filter housing-block torque value? please help

[bsturman92]

alright so i am in the process of replacing my oil filter housing gasket. after my cross country drive it is leaking pretty bad. i have it all apart and have the gasket..the o-ring will be here this evening.. im looking for the torque spec for the 6 bolts that hold the housing to the block. if anyone knows this please let me know! i would really appreciate it

[Dj Buttchug]

12 pound feet

[bsturman92]

Yeah I ended up finding it!. but I got 16 everywhere I looked

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[jntar]

I had leaks and had to use 18ft.lbs. to get a good seal.

[bmwman91]

Make sure to use some permatex Ultra Grey RTV on there. The gasket alone is almost worthless and WILL leak. Either lightly coat both mating surfaces with the RTV and sandwich the gasket, or just use RTV. If using RTV only, apply it and finger-tighten the bolts. Let it cure for 24 hours and then apply the specified torque.

Also, do NOT get any RTV or anything else into the round hole. That's the clean oil outlet, and I have heard horror stories of guys getting RTV in there by accident and having it end up in a bearing or lifter. If the O-ring is tough to get into the hole, which it will be, use some silicone dielectric grease on it. Most parts stores sell it in the headlight bulb aisle.

[bsturman92]

i put in on dry and have zero problems.. car no longer leaks a single drop.. torqued to about 18lbs

[bmwman91]

Yeah, give it ~12 months. It's going to be all crusty with oil and shit. I found that out the hard way many years ago.

[TroyShark]

So is it better to use gasket sealer or just dry?

[bmwman91]

Gasket sealer. The M42's paper gaskets for the timing case, oil filter housing and oil pans all weep oil eventually, If you still use dino oil then it is less of an issue, but synthetic definitely bleeds through. Later M42's and the M44 used coated metal gaskets which are a little better, but in all cases you should really consider using gasket sealer. Permatex Ultra Gray is my go-to sealer since it resists all sorts of fluids, is strong, and it is pretty easy to scrape off.

[smbstyle]

So just to update this thread... I went to 10 ft/lbs, all was well. I attempted to then go to 16 ft/lbs, using a cross pattern and *snap*. Upper right bolt sheared at the threads. Luckily enough were sticking out that I could get it out with a pair of pliers.

The DIY I found listed 10 nm, which is equivalent to 7.4 ft/lbs. I could tell these bolts barely made it to 10 ft/lbs, as it really felt like it was being overtorqued. Shame on me for second guessing.

Just an FYI to everyone else out there!

[varg]

I just tightened mine down by feel with my ratchet. Definitely exceeded 10ft/lbs. I used copper spray on the gasket. No leaks.