Hi, I have an 06 Grande Punto which I've serviced myself but many times now, the oil filter O ring has popped out and oil has squirted everywhere! It says 25NM on the top of the housing but I do not have a torque wrench. There is also an arrow that says 'Drain'. I have done the cap hand tight plus 1/8, 1/4, turn or more and each time the O ring has come adrift and oil has squirted everywhere.

If I do it much tighter the O ring starts coming adrift even before I tun on the engine. 1/2 turn and the O ring is visibly hanging off.

I've now got another O ring in case the first has been damaged from over tightening. But how tight should it be? And is the 'Drain' arrow supposed to line up with anything?

i just do mine hand tight having first oiled the oring

should be 3/4 of a turn once its stopped spinning freely iirc, or as directed on the filter instructions

What your describing sounds to me like the o-ring from the old filter is still on there, this happened to me once and the oil pi**ed out from between the 2 rings, Make sure you only have the new ring on there, hand tight is fine.

Im sure you already know but make sure you rub some oil on the o-ring first to help it seal properly as mentioned above. I have only ever done them hand tight too.

Wes

this a diesel engine with filter in a plastic reusable housing?

Yeah it is a 1.3 diesel multijet with the filter on the top of the engine, does up with a 27mm on the top of a plastic housing. I've definitely only got the one O ring on there. I've checked the cap several times now for cracks, dirt, another O ring there etc.

I think the problem I have has been with the filter which has a valve mechanism on the top as described in this post
https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/320757-1-3-multijet-oil-filter-small-spring.html

Mine is broken so I think maybe the oil pressure has been building up and popping the O ring? Will now try to source a new valve...