Are oil filters a standard size? Wondering what size wrench i need to buy for the one on my 1198? Are these any good? Oil Filter Wrench 3-Leg 60-110mm Mechanics Tool Self-tightening mechanism grips | eBay
Hi, I have recently posted a reply on another thread regarding oil leaks from the filters if you don't torque them up correctly. I'm using a cup-type wrench now that you can then attach to a normal socket drive and torque wrench for tightening. The down side is that different manufacturers use different numbers of flutes (the angles sides) on their own filters. You need a 76mm 8 flute one for Ducati filters and a 76mm 14 flute one for Hiflo ones for instance. However, once you've got one (about £5 from Fleabay) you'll never have an issue undoing right filters as they fit snugly and more importantly you can do them up to the correct torque. This was something I've never done in decades of changing oil filters on all manner of cars and bikes till recently Basically Ducati appear to have changed the supplier or spec of the filters in recent years and the traditional hand right fitting will mostly result in a leak once hot. I nearly found out to my cost when the oil found it's way into my back tyre! Investigations showed that the small white writing in the Ducati filter specifies 11nm torque which is way,way more than hand tight. The official Ducati workshop manual for the Monster specifies 14nm and the Haynes manual 17nm! Go take your pick!
I should stress that in my experience this issue only appears to affect Ducati filters. Last year I got fed up with the minor weeps from the filters I'd fitted to my two bikes for the last couple of years and fitted Hiflo HF153 filters hand tight as normal. Result - no leaks on either bike from the off. This year I fitted genuine filters again, only because my local bike shop didn't have the correct Gigli ones in stock but sold me two genuine ones for the same price. Result - minor weeping from the word go. Tightened as much as I could by hand and seemed Ok. Test ride nearly went disasterously wrong when the leak reappeared much worse once the engine for really hot and dropped oil over my tyre on a roundabout. As mentioned previously, torquing the filter up cured the problem but is is much, much tighter than I would ever normally feel comfortable with.
Thanks for that info mate, as mine has minor weep. Glad it isn't anything much more sinister (until it hits the wheel) and there is a cure. i'll go for a Hiflo.
