Changing oil filter housing from hard plastic to metal

IIRC that's internal to the engine with cartridge filter setups.

 

After dealing with a stuck plastic filter cap, breaking my removal tool, and needing to use a heat gun and my backup metal removal tool, I will definitely be switching to the aluminum housing on my next oil change. It turned what should have been a 30 minute process into a 2 hour ordeal. The whole time I was sweating trying not to break the actual oil pan. Not fun.
For reference I do my own oil changes and aways torqued everything to the correct spec so there's no reason it should have gotten stuck. The truck has 95k miles on it so they only thing that I can think of is the plastic is somehow warping on a small scale.

 

for some reason, the polymer seems to expand when it is warm or hot. Not ideal, but drain the oil while warm/hot. Wait an hour and remove polymer the filter cap. When relatively cold, if removes rather easily.

 

I’m changing mine out from plastic to metal. Even with the proper torque specs and lubing the gasket, it’s a bitch to unscrew. I will say when I change my oil, the engine is still warm after draining, and I believe the nylon reinforced plastic has different expansion and compression rates than aluminum, thereby creating additional drag on the threads when warm.

 

It was ambient cold ~ 50F. It had sat overnight before I went to change it.

 

It’s crazy……..the alloy cap is much better

 

This is getting very particular...which is ok, just long-drawn out discussion....which I'm not complaining about...lol!

After inspecting both housing units...and I've posted photos of the aluminum...they are just about identical...if not identical.

The center piece tubing was the only slight difference. (It can be removed with a push down & twist if you want to replace it with the hardened plastic housing unit's center piece)

I was skeptical at first but then on the next oil change, and with the correct filter...I went ahead and R2'd it!

While I was at it, I installed the Fumoto valve...no leaks with either new replacement parts!

NOTE: R2=Remove & Replaced

 

I agree that they're both visually the same with the difference in material construction. But that's also the point here. The metal unit should last longer and be less prone to degradation over time. The plastic unit correctly torqued can still end up seizing as I've experienced.

 

I wonder if the plastic one is lighter.





.

 

If it is, it can't be more than a couple of grams. Hardly qualifies as weight reduction.

 

If that!

I can't even remember noticing a significant weight difference when I held them both.

Of course...one had oil residue while the other was (almost) as clean as a whistle before I installed it.