spin on oil filter--oil not being filtered

[George_Haywood]

I am changing the break in oil on my freshly rebuilt bj8 and when I removed the spin on oil filter there was no oil in it nor has there ever been any in it. There is oil being pumped to the upper part of the engine because the valve cover gasket has leaks and there is oil all over the valve stems and rockers. Also the fact that the valves have not seized after 200 miles makes me think that the oil pump is working. My oil pressure starts out at around 50 PSI when cold and drops to around 20-25 while driving and just below 20 at idle when hot. What could be some things that could cause this? The spin on adapter is a little over a year old and the filter is a UNIPART #GFE-22, if that helps with a diagnosis.

 

[Keoke]

Hi George, I would guess that you may have gotten a bad filter, although I have never heard of that. Sure glad the engine was oiling though. However, for a freshly built engine I would expect higher oil pressures at speed,50 psi, and ,30-to-40 at Idle. OTOH, it may have been restricted by something in that particular filter. I would replace it with a different vendors item and see if it fills. Others may have similar experiences and chime in.--Fwiw--Keoke

 

[George_Haywood]

Keoke, Thanks, I bought an AC/Delco filter today. Was looking for a Purolator but they didn't have any of the correct number in stock. Maybe in the next couple of days when I put it back together with the new filter things will improve. Isn't there a pressure relief spring that could effect the oil pressure and also bypass the filter if it is not set correctly?
George

 

[shorn]

Is it possible that the gasket that fits between the spin on adapter and the engine block has partially blocked the holes that lead to the filter?

 

[Keoke]

Keoke, Thanks, I bought an AC/Delco filter today. Was looking for a Purolator but they didn't have any of the correct number in stock. Maybe in the next couple of days when I put it back together with the new filter things will improve. Isn't there a pressure relief spring that could effect the oil pressure and also bypass the filter if it is not set correctly?
George

That's a good thought, yes there is a pressure relief valve in most spin on filters which if buggered could cause the problem.--Keoke

 

[Bob McElwee]

Make sure the spin on filter mounting is on correctly. Your symptons sound similar to a very bad experience I had with a rebuilt engine.
Once the mounting was correct, things were fine. Of course I also now have a crank that needs to be repaired.

 

[George_Haywood]

Thanks all, I'm getting a lot of replies saying that the adapter could be on incorrectly. I will check that out right now and let everyone know after I get it right.
George

 

[George_Haywood]

Keoke,
I put everything back together with a new oil filter and went for a drive. The car ran great and the oil pressure was higher. On start up it was 55-60 PSI, running @ about 40 MPH after warm up it was around 50 PSI. I think I'll put another couple of hundred miles on it and check the filter again just to make sure all is well with it. Thanks for your comments.
George
'65 bj8

 

[Keoke]

Hey George, that's great! next time you drive it and it is warmed up good just reach down and feel the filter if its hot I think that means it is filling up.--Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif

 

[bob hughes]

Hey George, that's great! next time you drive it and it is warmed up good just reach down and feel the filter if its hot I think that means it is filling up.--Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif

Its either that ot heat is being nicely conducted from the lump to the oil filter via the metal to metal connection.

Well done George, lets hope that all was caught in time and there are no after effects.

Bob

 

[Keoke]

---Well Yes Bob, there will be some thermal conductivity via the metal parts. However, the cross sectional area of those parts is relatively small and the contact between their faying surfaces is not necessarily uniform . Consequently, they will have a high thermal resistance to heat flow and the filter should be at a lower temperature than if it were filled with hot engine oil.---Keoke

 

[Ed_K]

George,

I am just curious, what AC filter number did you get for your car ?

Ed

 

[George_Haywood]

Hi Ed,
The AC # is PF-13. It has to work better than the Unipart filter which did nothing.

 

[Keoke]

Hi Ed,
The AC # is PF-13. It has to work better than the Unipart filter which did nothing.

Hi George, if you have acess to a dealer that carries "WIX" oil filters their model 51085 is a good choice for your application. OH! ED you might try one too- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif --Keoke-AZ /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cowboy.gif

 

[Ed_K]

PF-13... I'll add that to my list. I had a PF-20 on my car when I got it. They are not usually stocked at most parts stores.
I already had that wix part number on my list.
Thanks to both !
Ed

 

[Keoke]

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif

Hey ED, I did a bit of checking when you mentioned you had a PF20 filter on your car. This suggests that you have a different adapter than George who uses the PF13 unit unless you changed it for a later adapter. Anyhoo, for the PF 20 filter replacement if required you will need a WIX # 51068.--Fwiw--Keoke

 

[George_Haywood]

Keoke, sorry for such a late return. I have been working on getting the last few things done on the Healey in preparation for the longest drive of its resurected life. Things like front and rear bumpers, apron and badge bar, interior panels, and those little angled brackets with the rubber bumpers that go just in front of the top frame attacing points at the top of the shut pillars. What are those things called and what do they do just kind of close up that vacant area there between the door seal and the top seal? Anyway we had a nice drive Sunday with my friends and put about 120 miles on the car without a single problem. It drove smoothly, had good oil pressure, and the temp. ran @ about 190 the whole time.

Thanks for the WIX oil filter number, I know that Wix has been recommended many times on the different forums concerning Healeys.

Take care,
George

 

[Keoke]

Keoke, sorry for such a late return. I have been working on getting the last few things done on the Healey in preparation for the longest drive of its resurected life. Things like front and rear bumpers, apron and badge bar, interior panels, and those little angled brackets with the rubber bumpers that go just in front of the top frame attacing points at the top of the shut pillars. What are those things called and what do they do just kind of close up that vacant area there between the door seal and the top seal?---------->

OH! they just be whachamacallits /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
But on the hood sticks that rest just above them are supposed to be two foam rubber pads, Together the pads and the rubber bumpers close up that vacant space.--- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cheers.gif---Keoke

Anyway we had a nice drive Sunday with my friends and put about 120 miles on the car without a single problem. It drove smoothly, had good oil pressure, and the temp. ran @ about 190 the whole time.

Thanks for the WIX oil filter number, I know that Wix has been recommended many times on the different forums concerning Healeys.

Take care,
George

Good un on you--Keoke-AZ- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cowboy.gif

 

[Ed_K]

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif

Hey ED, I did a bit of checking when you mentioned you had a PF20 filter on your car. This suggests that you have a different adapter than George who uses the PF13 unit unless you changed it for a later adapter. Anyhoo, for the PF 20 filter replacement if required you will need a WIX # 51068.--Fwiw--Keoke

I am not an expert on this subject but I was led to believe
that several different oil filters from each brand will screw on and work just the same as long as the base size and threads are the same and there are no clearance problems with the longer filters. For instance, even though an AC PF-20 works just fine ( it was very large compared to the napa gold and the K&N ), an AC PF-13 will probably also work if the base size and gasket location/geometry is the same. I remember reading someones post in this forum that said they use a different size K&N than most of us because of clearance problems. A PF-20 was a heavy duty application for trucks and thus had a larger filter area than an average filter for a car. It would be a better choice than a PF-13 if the PF-13 is smaller. It probably is if it is used mostly in cars. I like to know all of my options for parts in case of emergencies or in case one maker/vendor gets real proud of them buy raising his price !
Ed

 

[vette]

Hello George and Everyone, Why George, I had a similiar concern this spring when i prepped my Healey for the Summer season. When I changed the oil and filter, having removed the filter It appeared to be devoid of any residual oil. It Is a spin-on. Ran the car all the previous summer with no issues and good pressure. Engine still if fine today. But I was very worried. I let the filter drain upside down on the bench and got no oil out of it. I was really worried. Discussed it with friends, one clue to what was going on was that the oil that I removed from crankcase wasn't that dirty, I believed it had to have been getting filtered. I inspected the adapter in place. I was sure it was on right. I then took a 1 foot piece of 1/8th or 3/16th clear plastic tubing, the kind you would use in aquarium pumps, I slide the tubing into the holes in the adapter as far as they would go into the block, they went in many inches, I felt no resistance. I had to concluded that the passages were open with no restrictions. The only reason that I can conclude that the filter had no oil in it was that the filter is mounted horizontally, maybe even a slight downward angle towards the block. Having set all winter the oil just ran out of it. What I should have done was run the engine till warm, shut the engine off, and removed the filter immediately to see if it had any oil in it. but alas all summer again the engine is fine and the oil is not that dirty. I am sure the passages are open.
Dave C.