Rick Burton

This is the closest reference to my problem I could find after several different search attempts.
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/s4-...-leak-2829809/

I'm trying to do an oil filter and oil change for my neighbor, and ran into this problem where the oil filter contacts the head and timing cover on its vertical side, however the gasket will not seat on the oil filter housing at the horizontal. I have tried 4 different brands of oil filter. Mann, VAG oem, Puralator and Carquest. I was looking through the service history, I found no mention of oil cooler assembly being tinkered with, but it is possible. There's a huge gap at the bottom where rubber filter gasket should be flush with housing, but I just can't close it. I tried different thread bodies too, both short and tall (as two manufacturers' thread bodies were slightly different length from the generic no name that I removed that apparently also was leaking - my neighbor didn't mention that to me). Also I gotta mention that the Puralator brand one spun past the threading internally and I had to cut their crappy broken filter out of the way. Their thread body didn't even have the allen key hardware point internally, so I had to spin it back out with channel locks. Learn from me and don't pay extra for their crap.


Am I doomed to replacing the entire assembly?

Rick Burton

I should also mention that the threads in the oil filter housing itself do not feel borked.

uberwgn

When you look down inside the housing, everything looks normal? You don't see any pieces of broken threads from a previous filter?

Rick Burton

there is a plastic springy cork thing in there, that seems to be behaving "normally;" The catalog refers to this component as "pipe." otherwise the TBs themselves go in and out with no problem when separated from the can of the oil filter.

uberwgn

Is the filter cocked at an angle?

Rick Burton

It seems like it perfectly perpendicular as it is spinning and rubbing against the head as pictured

uberwgn

I'm sure you have the correct filter for the engine.

I have a 2011 A4 2.0T and I just looked at the filter. There is only about 1/8" clearance between the side of the filter and the fastener on the cover as you show in your picture.

uberwgn

Rick Burton

I also considered loose or omitted hardware on the bracket that contains the alternator, power steering pump, accessory belt tension-er and heat exchanger, and filter mating surface. I stuck the endoscope in there and found nothing out of place. I will stick the scope in again and try to get a part number tomorrow. Maybe something in there is off a junkyard car or something and it's bent or just poor fitment. I'm stumped.

uberwgn

Did you work on this car before? Something in there's gotta be bent...

Was there an issue/concern when removing the old filter?