1. You follow the "Hand tighten only" instructions on the filter.
2. The unusually high oil pressure (+ 200 psi) the 4G63 can sometimes develop causes the treaded end of the filter to bulge lifting the seal.
3. The filters spins off and launches out of the engine compartment.
4. The fact that this has happened to more than a few people is why Mitsu supplies a torque setting for the filter (124 +- 18 in-lb).

 

Ok, I'm going to have to call BS on some of that. There's no way oil pressure could spin a filter off. The pressure might blow the seal out if the filter isn't tight enough, or cause a faulty/weak filter to explode....but I don't see how pressure could exert spinning force. Maybe that's just me though.

 

124 ft/lbs? haha shouldnt it be more like 20's? I also just hand tighten mine, Ill start using a wrench to get a little more. I too fill the filter with oil

 

Granted, I have never ridden in the engine compartment to witness this happening. But I can go dig up the threads if you wish. On DSMtalk we had guys wiring the oil filter on to keep it from unscrewing (don't ask me how you do that).

If you think this problem only concerns DSMs, well, my brother-in-law loves Chrysler minivans and back when they all had Mitsu engines he would drive 150 miles every weekend to oil up my driveway. You'd think that that was impossible - 150 miles one way with a leaking oil filter. So that shows that the filter wasn't leaking all of the time or the crankcase would have been empty.

For 4G63 oldtimers like me this is nothing but boring old business. But I bring it up for people new to Mitsu cars and this engine.

 

LMAO, I still do it. Must be cause i'm an 80's baby.

 

look very carefully, it said 124 inch pounds .