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Hey guys,

So I just changed my oil for the first time myself yesterday. I think I may have tightened the oil filter a bit too much by hand because when I went to do "2 turns" (per the manual) with the wrench, it got pretty tight and I didn't get all the way around turn 2. I didn't get a chance to ride yesterday, and nothing was leaking, but this morning when I got to work and checked it, there is a small drip (has yet to hit the parking lot, just kinda hangin' out) from where the filter meets the engine. Now, I know I probably tightened it too tight, but the question is, do I have to start all over and do an entire oil change again? Or can I just back the filter off a little and that will make the gasket seat correctly? Any help is appreciated! (I knew the first time doing this couldn't go as smoothly as I thought it did.....)

Put some grease or oil on the threads before you torqued down the oil filter? If so you shouldn't have too much of a pain getting it off next time with a filter wrench.

I don't use the filter wrenches for installing though. I find that if I just put a thin shop towel over it and crank it by hand, it gets well tightened.

Wash your bike well, especially around the oil drain bolt and filter, then ride around and check for leaks. Odds are good its just oil that ran down from somewhere else, or a little left over from the change. If you still get a little leaking, you might have had some old gasket remaining on your engine from the old filter when you installed the new one. Best to check it when you take off the old filters to make sure the surface is smooth and scrape off any remaining gasket material.

Yeah, I put some oil on the new gasket before I put it in....its a very little bit that is leaking out. It hasn't even actually dripped yet, I can just see some on the bottom edge of the filter. I don't really want to do another oil change to fix it...but at the same time, I don't want to have my own personal oil slick right infront of my rear tire I guess I'll wipe it and keep an eye on it and see if it eventually stops....if not, I guess I'll have to start over.

gitarjunky wrote:Yeah, I put some oil on the new gasket before I put it in....its a very little bit that is leaking out. It hasn't even actually dripped yet, I can just see some on the bottom edge of the filter. I don't really want to do another oil change to fix it...but at the same time, I don't want to have my own personal oil slick right infront of my rear tire I guess I'll wipe it and keep an eye on it and see if it eventually stops....if not, I guess I'll have to start over.

If you lubed up the gasket, it could just be the oil you lubed the gasket with collected at the bottom.

Clean up what you see really well, then take it for a ride. Check it after a few miles. No oil? You're good.