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TR2/3/3A A rigged TR3a oil filter housing

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Afrodesia

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Good day y'all. I pop in once-in-a-while with a query about my '59. In the past few years, I have rarely had a chance to work on it but as of this weekend, he's coming home with me.

Yay.

I'm terrified.

I need to change the oil first before I even dare drive it up on the tow dolly...probably been about 427 years since last change, and as with everything else on my boy, all is not as it should be. The 'person' that had it before rigged so many things that whenever I delve, it is basically a sh?tsh0w.

Upon removing the housing and filter cartridge, it looks like whomever was in charge of the shindig just put things in some random order, and likely did not have all adequate parts. A spring fell out but doesn't look like anything was there to keep the cartridge from basically just floating around in there for an eon or two. There are willy-nilly washers and gaskets and of course, to keep it from leaking, they just tightened the works down to within an inch of everyone's life so there's a lovely bent brass washer that looks like it has seen better days.

I have a PDF of the service manual, but other than the suggestion of using rainwater to fill the cooling system, there isn't much of anything specific for anything. Is there anywhere I can find a diagram of what SHOULD be there so I can buy whatever parts may be available at the auto parts store, up in the NC mountains, before I crank him over and drive him all of 12' forward?

Thanks a bunch as always.
-TRACY
 
Hello Tracy

Welcome to the forum.

There are PDFs of the parts book out there on the internet. This is a good place to look or parts drawings. https://mossmotors.com

It may be difficult to get the original style of filter from the local parts stores. A lot of people convert to the spin on filter.


David
Oil filter picture s.jpg
Oil filter s.jpg
 
I agree with David. Just go with the spin on filter. Readily available oil filters at auto stores and so much simpler to install.
 
Thank you much. I believe the small, circular pressure plate is what's missing (or at least the main part that's missing). The filter wasn't being held up by anything, just floating around in the housing effectively filtering nothing.

I am planning to switch over but I have to leave before I'd get any of the parts here. I'll see what they can come up with at NAPA.

Thanks again!
 
The canister consists of the following parts:

The can itself.
The long through bolt.
A rubber seal in the bottom.
A spring that holds both the seal and the:
Large washer pressure plate.
A wire clip to hold all the parts in the canister, so all the above comes out as an assembly.

It sounds like all your parts are there, but the clip broke or came loose. I would have to see pics to verify, though.

Also, the block the filter canister mounts to also has a square o-ring seal, which is frequently forgotten. The result is one or 2 get jammed home in the groove, so eventually it turns hard and has to be dug out with a pick. Be sure to double check that there are no old o-rings in your groove.

I personally like the canisters, since you get a visual look at how your engine health is doing. In a spin on filter the signs of impending doom remain hidden unless you take the time to cut them open...and if you do, then they are just as messy as a canister during oil changes.
 
No luck at auto parts store so I went down to Lowes and got a washer that fit perfectly and a clip that was quite a b!t$h to get on but managed.

Then the real problems began.

I think I will have to sell the old boy. The task to get him where I'd like him to be is insurmountable given my abilities. Sad realization but he's better off with someone with the bandwidth to do it to it.
 
+1 on the spin on. I took the advice of a fellow poster and spray paint the K&N filters with Duplicolor Detroit Diesel Alpine Green which matches the OEM canisters.

Jim
TS44743L “O”
 
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