Top Loading Oil Filter

[Bruce74B]

Hi gang,

I have been wondering about something...I see a lot of cars with oil filters sticking up nice and handily at the top of the engine right under the hood. My filter on my 74B, which I think is orignal, hangs down and is a tight squeeze through the suspension and body to get on and off. Is there a nice neat conversion I can do to mine to get the filter access from the top and does it adversly effect the "originalness"? In other words, do I need to save the old parts?

Any thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

Bruce

 

[adam90009]

I'm not sure but maybe you could fit a later style oil filter adapter. I have a 79B with a top loading oil filter.

 

[William]

What exactly do you mean by "top-loading"? The oil filter in ours is over by the side of the engine, but really easy to reach-you don't have to remove anything to get at it. Do you want it upside down (with the opening facing up, towards the bonnet)? In that case, you'd probably want to invest in the remote filter kit, which splices into the oil cooler hoses (assuming you have an oil cooler to begin with!)
-Wm.

 

[Bruce74B]

I see the confusion here...I mean I'd like to be able to change the filter from the top of the the engine compartment. My filter hangs down undersneath the mount and I have to raise the car and slide underneath (i'm 6'3" and weigh 250#) to reach up between the suspension and the fender to unscrew the filter to drop it down through the bottom of the engine compartment. I see pictures of other B's with the filter sticking up above the mount where it can be spun off and replaced from above.

Bruce

 

[William]

Sounds to me like you have a nonstandard oil filter mount to begin with. A quick flip through "Original MGB" by Clausager (invaluable book, BTW), shows that B engines from about 1967 had inverted oil filters, down on the left hand (non-inlet) side of the block. This includes the early engines with the Tecalemit replaceable element filters. A pic of a '74 or so has a plain old bright orange Fram filter. Pics after that all show the same thing, oil filter sticking up next to the block. To ask again, does your car have an oil cooler? (I'm under the impression that most Bs do-Dad's certainly does) Many companies have made "remote filter kits" for oil coolers that splice into the lines leading to and from the cooler. If you don't it's a worthwhile investment, and gives you a chance to move the filter at the same time. As for the question of originality, it would only really matter to someone looking for concours quality originality. Frankly, to many enthusiasts (and probably a lot of people on this forum), a good quality oil cooler, high quality lines, and a remote filter kit (it tucks the filter out of the way, near the cooler itself, I believe), merely shows that the owner knows a thing or two about cars. If you do it, and then come to sell the car, just be upfront about the modification-it's nothing that can't be easily reversed, anyway!
-William

 

[Gary Pope]

Most Ferrari's have two filters at the front of the engine facing upwards. Nice and easy to take off. I think all you need is a remote filter kit and then you can mount it anywhere.

 

[Bruce74B]

Thanks guys,

I do have an oil cooler...that is a thought. And my wife got me the Clausager Book for my birthday...that is where I saw all the B's with the handy inverted filter. Moss shows both inverted and hanging mounts, but both are Not Available ;( and British Victoria doesn't list them at all.

I see one one EBAYwith a bunch of parts...I wonder how to be sure that it will fit...any ideas anyone?

Bruce

[ 04-08-2003: Message edited by: Bruce74B ]</p>