Recently I had to remove the oil filter adapter to get to a bolt. When I reinstalled the part it started to leak a little bit. I decided to replace the gaskets and now its leaking like crazy. I pulled it off again, applied new RTV to the gasket and it is still leaking. I also replaced the o-ring.

Is there some step that I am missing?

 

make sure the surface is clean and its sitting flush

 

By wiped clean and is sitting flush, is that with or without rtv?

I spoke with a guy at Oreilly's earlier and he was saying that I shouldnt need any sealant/rtv but I want to make sure I get the job done right.

Sick and tired of the oil leaks that I got.

 

if its the one on the engine block then the original gasket is probably still up in there and giving you issue. you need to carefully remove what is left of old gasket on both surfaces (always with any job) or the new gasket is worthless.
and yes you shouldnt have had to use any rtv at all. i did mine at the block and used only what came in the kit...worked perfectly.

 

clean, clean, clean and clean some more replace the seal tq to spec and you should be good to go. NO DONT USE RTV!
90% of seal failures are the result of the two mating surfaces not being clean upon installation

 

There are also apparently different sized o-rings in the seal kit. I had a local shop replace lines on my Blazer, and they also replaces the seal at the adapter. It resumed leaking after a couple days, took it back, they 'fixed' it again. Started leaking again eventually. Took it to the Chevy dealer, they dug into it, after adding dye and everything to really nail down the leak. Turned out I had the incorrect size o-ring according to the repair summary. So far, so good on this repair (version 3). But After seeing the seal kit for the adapter, I can definitely see how an incorrect part might get used.

Prior to repair version 2, I was losing oil at a very rapid pace, to the point that the entire underside and rear window were covered in oil film, and I'd leave a little trail. i never let the second leak get that bad. Will be keeping an eye on this current repair though for a while, before I feel that it's finally beat.

And I'd have to agree with others, I dont' think that RTV is helping you in this case. That's the same answer I got when I asked, LOL!

Good Luck!

 

No RTV is necessary, as others have said make sure all of the old inner gasket is removed and use a new correct-sized o-ring and a new gasket. When I did this I also got 2 new bolts for the adapter from the dealer. The originals used a torx bit and the new ones were a typical bolt, which is much easier to get at with swivels.

 

As an update, I havent had a leak in about two weeks since I replaced the gasket and o-ring. Today I noticed that I have a leak that is only really leaking when its running. Should I retighten the bolts since it has been heated up and allowed to reseat?

I made sure to use the same size o-ring that was on previously.

 

Needing a bump here. Both in position of the post and assistance in an answer.

I am still having this leak. Its been 3 or 4 weeks since it started and I just cant figure it out. I have purchased two different kits both with the same exact sized rings. The one that came out of the adapter initially was flat, my guess is age and heat were contributing factors. The new ones arent as wide but thats also because these are round. I have used both of the new rings at different times yet it continues to leak. I have ensured that all surfaces are clean. I have not used RTV since my first attempt. I bolt it down as tightly as I can without overtightening. Some days it will be just fine for a good while, others it will start leaking immediately.

Any ideas or suggestions. I might take it to the dealer but I'd rather not pay the cost unless its sub 100.

Edit: added link to images for reference. O-ring on the right is the new one, left side the one pulled from the adapter originally.

http://imgur.com/a/Kxxhk#0

Edit 2: Also now that I think about it, when I pulled the old gasket and oring off the gasket that was initially on there was not metal, the new one is made of metal and I am wondering if that is causing too much of a gap thus not allowing the oring to be pressed tightly enough to create the seal that it needs.

 

I sort of wish that I had attempted this repair myself, just to see how the adapter all works in there. The seal kit you can buy retail has the o-rings, what looked like a couple gaskets, and smaller o-rings. Those you pictured must be the main one that seals the adapter to the block, I'm guessing.

It would seem that those SHOULD seal everything inside, much like the seal on an oil filter does, when there is NOT a remote kit. I wonder if you are ending up with TOO MUCH pressure on those by over-tightening? I'm just thinking of how a filter would be installed there.

I had mine fixed this last time at a local dealership, I looked at the access around the differential and felt that it was going to be a bigger fight than I was up for. And I wanted to have someone ELSE responsible for fixing it if the leak returned. The service tech ran the dye in the oil to verify where the leak was, and removed and reinstalled the adapter while replacing an o-ring seal, and my bill was $230-something. I do hear you about not wanting to pay the repair cost, I'm often the same way. If I would have gotten dirty and done my own fix I might have more info to share.

I'm actually a little surprised that a 2wd even uses the remote filter, the differential for the 4wd looks to be the reason it was used on my truck.

I hope you can get yours figured out!