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    Oil Filter Adapter

    I have a 92 Grand Marquis. The oil filter adapter is leaking. How do I get to the oil filter adapter and repair it? I have never done this procedure before.

    #2
    There are several places that the Oil Filter Adaptor can leak oil. Three to be exact. 1. block side, 2. oil filter side, and 3. Oil Pressure Sending Unit side. It can also leak coolant from the coolant-hose side. So there are basically 4 areas where it could leak from. I'm going to assume you meant leaking oil.

    First, are you sure it's leaking from the Oil Filter Adaptor?
    Can you see any cracks in the OFA?
    Is it leaking from the BLOCK side, or the Oil-Pressure Sending Unit side?

    If the block side is leaking, maybe the bolts are just a little loose, will tightening them up make the leak go away?

    I know it sounds stupid, but is the filter on tight?

    If the OPSU side is leaking, clean the area well and see if there are any cracks. Sometimes people overtighten this and break the OFA (I did).

    If there are no cracks, see if tightening the OPSU **C A R E F U L L Y** makes the leak go away. This is pipe thread which keeps expanding, and will break the cast-aluminum OFA before it bottoms OR tightens completely! 1/4 to 1/2 turn increments is fine. You want it to be snug, not real tight though. If this doesn't stop your leak from the OPSU, you should remove the OPSU, use a wire brush on the threads, use a good thread sealant (Permatex is good) and rethread the OPSU into the OFA ** C A R E F U L L Y**. If this doesn't work, then there is a hairline crack in the OFA, or oil is running down from the block and running downhill to the OPSU area.

    If there is a crack in the OFA (you may not be able to see it), you have to replace it. This (as far as I know is a "dealer only part". At least it was when I did this job a while back. From the Stealer I paid like $150 maybe? You could maybe find them online or if you really wanted, you could definitely get one cheap at a boneyard.

    If there are no cracks, and it's leaking from the block side and seems to be coming from the gasket between the block and OFA, then you probably only need to change the gasket. The weird thing is I thought these cars had those steel-and-rubber gaskets for the OFA. The gasket is definitely reusable, but on a '92 maybe it is just corroding or too dry. Anyway the gasket was like $15.

    Changing the OFA adaptor for me wasn't really hard, just a PITA because the oill filter adaptor in these cars ALSO has coolant running through it, which means you'll have to drain the coolant from the car.

    So you'll need:

    -TWO (2) drain pans, 1 for whatever oil is in the filter, one for coolant
    -oil filter wrench
    -10MM socket, various swivels/extentions, ratchet
    -I got this wicked cool "remote" OEM hoseclamp removal tool. Basically it has what looks like a bicycle brake cable attached to it, and these two small jaws which fits the OEM hoseclamps. A lot of the time the clamps are positioned in a way so that it is hard to get a pair of pliers/channellocks in there. Made the job SO much easier.
    -small wire brush
    -pair of channellocks to remove OPSU
    -hydraulic floor jack
    -suitable jackstands for frame
    -creeper(optional)

    -Or a lift.......

    -Replacement coolant (book says 14.1 QT. for '96 and earlier, '97 -'00 take 15.8 Qt, but you won't need to add EVERY drop)
    -Replacement oil (roughly 1 QT)
    -New oil filter(optional)




    Spray OFA bolts with PB Blaster

    Drain the coolant, then jack up the car to oil-change height. Then remove the oil filter (drainpan #2), then put a rag over the filter side of the OFA to prevent any debris from getting in there. keep the drainpan, you might need it because you will find little leaks when you pull the OFA off the block.

    Then find the best socket/extension/swivel combo that will allow you to reach the OFA bolts, I believe there are four (been a while). Also behind I think (2) of the bolts there is a wiring bracket which holds a couple of wires on a clip, which I believe run to the PS pump. When you see it you'll know what I mean. Just break them loose a little.

    Remove the coolant hose from the coolant-hose side of the OFA.

    Remove the OFA bolts, remove the OFA but keep that little clip holding the wires there, and remove the gasket if it is stuck to the block. I shoved a clean rag in there to keep crap out.

    If you are using a NEW OFA, you will have to either swap your old OPSU into the new OFA, or buy a new OPSU to go with your new OFA. Follow the same process decribed above, using thread sealant to seal the threads, and again ** C A R E F U L L Y ** thread into the NEW OFA.

    If you're just replacing the gasket , then skip that last part, because you will be retaining your stock peice.

    BTW the gasket part # was F6AZ-6840-AA.

    With the rag in place, I wirebrushed the block surface(good to do if it's a little rusty or grimy, then cleaned around the area.

    line up new gasket on OFA (new or old), then carefully pull rag out trying not to get junk in the engine, and replace the OFA, threading a couple bolts into the block. Don't forget to put the bracket for the wires back on before installing two of the bolts (I did).

    With the rubber-on steel gasket it is much harder to overtighten it and squish it out, if not impossible (at least in cast iron, aluminum is another story). Tighten all bolts in a crisssross pattern to tourque spec (book says 15-22ft/lb).

    Reinstall oil filter, tighten to spec. Add replacement oil to crankcase.

    Then **S L O W L Y**pour coolant through the coolant-hose side of the OFA up till it ALMOST reached the top of the "neck", then reattach the coolant hose to the OFA. My car has no radiator cap so I added coolant to the overflow reservoir with engine running until it came up to the fill line on the side.

    Check for leaks....if everything pans out, you should be golden..



    I know this was long, and is propbably not complete but this is how I did it, and I've had no problems at all after installing the new OFA and new gasket.

    Good Luck and
    Good Day
    1993 GM LS 244K
    29.5mm PI front bar, ENS greaseable bushings, 21mm rear bar, ENS bushings, endlinks. Black steelies, center caps. Stewart-Warner mechanical oil pressure guage. K&N filter

    1994 Lincoln Mark VIII 144K
    All airbags are now coils/struts. Junk tranny, motor donor car


    Mercury Owners Group

    If you don\'t like what I have to type, don\'t read it. It is only my opinion, nothing more.

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      #3
      This is awesome. Stickified!
      1983 Grand Marquis 2Dr Sedan "Mercules"
      Tremec TKO conversion, hydraulic clutch, HURST equipped!

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        #4
        Yes GMGT not just awesome but !WAESOME!


        ATT, SNIPER 308. MANG FROM THE DARK SIDE.
        MERC75-INTERCEPTOR, BORN IN 2003,DIED IN SEP/21/2010 AT 9:55AM AT THE SORT AHE OF 8 YEARS PROTECTING HIS OWNER TO DIE

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