Found the problem with blowing my oil filters

[drooartz]

Side note: real glad the site is back!

Pulled the oil filter canister off last night and looked at the little o-ring/gasket. Unlike the first one to blow, this one was not torn, but but it was bulged out when viewed in profile. Boy did it make a mess of the engine bay!

I pulled the base that the canister attaches to, and discovered 2 things. First was that it looks like there is a very old gasket stuck up in the groove. Going to take some solvent to get it out! Second is that there is not way either of the gaskets I used were going to fit into the little channel. They were both too big, and probably just riding on top of the inner channel wall. Which would explain why they couldn't hold up under pressure. Around town was on smoother roads and for shorter periods. The 2 that blew were after prolonged running on some lousy roads, so more chance for vibration to jigger things around.

I'm going to order an adaptor to use a spin-on filter, which should keep this from happening in the future. Do I just order the adaptor and filter, or do I need additional gaskets and such?

 

[Biff]

Do yourself a favor and find an original BMC spridget spin-on filter unit. Use that along with the original standoff piece (the extension piece between the block and the original cannister filter) and you will be better off than ordering one from the usual suspects. The one(s) they sell do not in most cases fit properly without some filing/grinding.

 

[jlaird]

Biff, I have never seen one of those for a Bugeye, are you sure?

 

[drooartz]

Can't say as I've ever seen any but the "usual suspects" ones. Didn't know that BMC ever made any.

 

[john_j]

[ QUOTE ]
Can't say as I've ever seen any but the "usual suspects" ones. Didn't know that BMC ever made any.

[/ QUOTE ]

From a quick glance in my parts catalogue, Spridgets 68-74 used spin on filters, I got mine from an Austin Metro (I don't think they made it any further west than Ireland so you won't know what I mean)- that would be a late 1275 A Series, just bolted on - I think it needed shorter studs, but apart from that it was a straight swop.

 

[Biff]

I am running a spin-on filter unit from a 1275 Midget on my car (948 engine). With the 948 engine you need to use the existing stand-off piece along with the spin-on filter head. Otherwise it will interfere with the right front member. You reuse the original LONG oil filter bolts.

 

[drooartz]

I'll have to keep my eyes open for one, though I'm not quite sure what to do in the mean time. Can't run the car without a filter, and I've got the original canister one apart. Don't think I've even really got all the washers and such that it's supposed to have (at least according to the Moss diagram).

Is this what I need?

ebay #4638368976

 

[jlaird]

[ QUOTE ]
I am running a spin-on filter unit from a 1275 Midget on my car (948 engine). With the 948 engine you need to use the existing stand-off piece along with the spin-on filter head. Otherwise it will interfere with the right front member. You reuse the original LONG oil filter bolts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, 100 bucks for this item.

 

[Bugeye58]

Drew, let me make two points, if I may.
1) Changing the cannister filter is a royal PITA.

2.) The best way I've found to do it is to pull the entire assembly from the block, and do it on the bench. You can then insure that there is no old gasket stuck in place, clean things properly, and reassemble them correctly.

Having said this, find a junkyard 1275, and get the setup from that. Be advised, however, that the line from the block to the filter housing is going to take some tweaking to fit. If possible, get all of parts you can.
I don't know if Moss still offers it, but I put a spin on conversion of theirs on one of my 1098's, and it had a hose from the block to the filter head.
Jeff

 

[john_j]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this what I need?ebay #4638368976

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that's the original paper filter type.

 

[DrEntropy]

*ahem* Old gasket, huh? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

...and Jeff's proceedure will serve you well "for the duration." Save the money for other things.

 

[drooartz]

Yes, double gasket, well, erm... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Moss does still offer the spin-on adaptor, with a hose from the block. My real worry with the canister setup is 2 things:

1. Do the gaskets that come with the filters really fit that little channel?

2. Do I have the canister setup complete? Compared to the Moss diagram, I seem to be missing a few washers and such. Also, the manual shows a metal plate on bottom and top of the filter, but that seems to be for the old felt filters. The newer paper ones have a metal top and bottom. Do I still need those 2 metal plates?

 

[jlaird]

You need everything shown in the Moss picture.

 

[drooartz]

If I remember correctly, I'm missing #54, #55, #56. Also, I have 2 of the #53 plates. When I took out the filter from the PO, one was below the filter (as shown above) and one was above the filter. This is sort of what is shown in the factory shop manual, but they're using a filter like #50. I bought filters like #51, paper with metal bits on top and bottom. Should I not use a top plate with this filter? Has anyone gotten the gasket included with these filters (#51) to fit in the groove of the housing? The one I had seemed to be too thick to fit.

 

[PeterC]

You should have only 1 plate at the bottom of the filter. The Crosland OE oil filters come with 3, count'em, three o-rings, so you get to choose which to use. My 1275 uses the thinnest, the 1098 I just worked on used the middle. ( this was "discovered" after we Valdezed all over the shop floor) Peter

 

[drooartz]

Is the Crosland filter #50 or #51. I'm a bit confused, sorry!

 

[PeterC]

Crosland is a UK filter company. They make either felt or paper elements for this application. The elements interchange. (I don't recommend felt, btw another topic) I believe that there were 2 original makers of the filter assemblies; Tecalimet and Purolator. You are only concerned with that for some of the internal bits. The o-ring offerings reflect that, though.

 

[drooartz]

Peter -- thanks for the clarification. Learn a bit each day, good thing I'm still young and have plenty of days left!

I'm going to go ahead and get some of the Crosland filters and the missing few bits for my canister setup. I'll hold on the spin-on adaptor for now, just too many other places to spend that $100.

 

[CK_1500]

Incedentally, that #51 filter looks very much like the filter in my '91 BMW. It comes with a pretty thick O-ring for the filter housing cap, which is accessed at the top of the engine. Perhaps the BMW and Bugeye filters happen to be close to the same size and the wrong o-ring was included? Stranger things can happen.

 

[Kurtis]

Drew,

As I mentioned earlier, the gasket that came with the Moss filter I ordered did not fit well at all. I found a Napa Gold filter (Napa part no. FIL1184) on their website for my 1275 engine (the same filter turns up for a 948 engine as well, but you do have to set your vehicle to an MG Midget instead of a Sprite to get the search results to even show an oil filter). I called our local store, and though they didn't have one in stock, they were able to get one in the next morning - no shipping cost, and the filter itself was $5.39 plus tax. It came with two gaskets - a thin one an a wide one. The wide one matched the gasket included with the Moss filer and would not fit. The thin one fit perfectly. The filter itself actually has a metal enclosure. Here's a link:

https://www.napaonline.com/masterpages/NO...l+Filter+(Gold)

I think you need all the other bits and pieces included in the Moss diagram.