Old timer told me to stop using rags for oil filter housing gaskets

I used to just wipe down the oil filter housing with a rag before slapping on a new gasket on Cummins ISX engines. Last month a guy I work with told me I was asking for leaks cause the rag leaves lint and tiny fibers behind. He showed me to use a brake clean spray and a plastic scraper instead. Been a month since I switched and no more seepage on the housing. Anyone else had gasket failures from leftover rag fibers?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavin3651mo ago

Man that old timer saved you a headache for sure lol. I had the same problem on a Volvo D13 a couple years back, ended up with a slow drip that drove me nuts trying to figure out. Switched to brake clean and a plastic scraper just like you said and the thing sealed right up. Rag lint is no joke, it gets mashed into the gasket surface and creates these tiny channels for oil to sneak out over time. Now I won't even touch a rag near any sealing surface, just spray and scrape and move on.

irisowens1mo ago

Guess I'm the only one who never had a problem with rags on gaskets after twenty years of doing this.

mary_nelson711mo ago

Buddy of mine used a rag on a Cummins ISX and spent three weekends chasing an oil weep before he figured it out.