<VV> Oil Spray

[Dave Thompson]

The other day, while hanging out at a buddy's "Corvair Garage", one of the
guys walked over to my Spyder and opened the hood for a look see. He noticed
a small drip on the side of my oil filter. He knows how fastidious I am
about keeping my engine clean. It is usually cleaner than the outside of the
car. He proceeded to get a wrench and tightened the top bolt and wiped off
the filter drip. I thought to myself "How Cool, thanks!".

Later, when I left, about a block away, the oil light came on. I whipped
around and returned to the garage only to find a large oil trail and a BIG
puddle under my engine. I opened the hood only to find my usually dry and
polished clean engine covered in oil. The guy was horrified. 

When the oil filter bolt was tightened, the gasket under the bolt cracked,
allowing oil under pressure to spray onto the fan belt which slung it all
over the engine compartment. We replaced the gasket and refilled the oil. I
just drove around the block and the leak pumped out almost 4 quarts. 

I told the guy with a smile & laugh: "no good turn goes unpunished" and
thanked him for the "oil change".

I now carry a spare oil filter bolt gasket in my emergency tool kit.

Dave Thompson
63 Spyder vert
Lakewood, CA