How do I center this nut?

[paulmars]

F25\F20 westwood oil furnace filter housing.

This should come from the factory with that nut very tight on the lower bolt. To replace the filter element you remove upper bolt, remove the can, chng fltr element, reassemble & replace upper bolt. Those are the instructions and there are many youtubes showing this.

It seems to me that if upper bolt was over tightened, then that might cause the nut to come off the lower bolt the next time upper bolt is removed to chng element. I think this is bad design. Still, I found no one else posting issues

I bought F25 new ebay. Upper bolt was so tight i could not remove it. I sent it back for replacement. I was sent refund.

Bought another lowes online. It came in pieces. Literally upper & lower bolts removed from nut. I returned it for replacement. Store refused. I contacted hq and got refund.

I wrote to rw beckett who owns westwood. They sent me one. Then another a week later. One of those the nut came off the bottom bolt when i removed upper bolt. The other one worked fine, but it leaked where can seats against upper red piece. So I had to tighten the upper bolt twice to stop leak(yes there is rubber gasket between). I hope nut stays on lower bolt when I chge element next year

I now have 2 extra units and I'd like to assemble as spares. Ive tried but i cant keep the nut exactly centered when tightening it onto lower bolt, which means that upper bolt won't thread in. Ideas?

 

[MossRoad]

Pictures would help.

Light adhesive might do the trick.

 

[mrmikey]

Does the lower bolt have a captive coupling nut that the upper bolt threads into? a jamb nut that locks the lower coupling nut to the lower bolt? I don't see what the problem is or I'm not understanding the issue.
I can't understand why the bolt would be so tight that it couldn't be turned.

 

[paulmars]

Pics I forgot

 

[paulmars]

The retail product box is not sealed shut, so the 1st two might have been bought previously, messed with, then returned, and put back in stock for me to purchase.

 

[mrmikey]

Put the coupling nut over the bottom bolt making sure the sealing waser/s are in place and snug it up, put the filter element in place in the cannister, make sure the perimeter gasket is in place as well as the sealing washers, put the cannister on, insert the long bolt into the coupling nut and then tighten the longer bolt into the coupling nut. Shouldn't have to tighten it up too much.
No matter what comes undone during a filter change, you'll be able to put it back together.
If you're worried about it coming apart, as Moss road said, a touch of blue Loctite.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I'm losing track with upper bolt and lower bolt. What I think you have are 2 bolts and a coupling nut. There are a couple ways to skin that cat. First thing I would try would be to loctite the nut onto the bolt you want to remain "stationary". Then I would I think the term is peen, I'm not sure... basically take a pointed punch and "punch" 3-4 spots where the threads of the bolt and nut meet. You would end up with the threads chemically secured and physically secured. You could also double nut the side you want stationary.

mrmikey above is not wrong either. If you can be sure both bolts are engaged far enough then when you tighten one the other will tighten as well.

 

[paulmars]

Unless that coupling nut is exactly straight up (centered), the upper bolt wont thread in after its dropped thru the center hole of the lid. Pic 3 that bolt is not in center of upper lid.

 

[jmc]

Could You just junk the OEM fasteners and replace them with a length of all-thread, longer than the assembled canister, and two end nuts?

 

[LouNY]

Or just replace that F20 with a spin on filter;