Stock oil filter vs spin on filter

[dvu101]

Each time I change oil with my stock filter I think about switching to the spin on filter.
But...

Several times I have asked around and have been talked out of switching.

I have been told the spin on does not clean the oil as well.
Is this true? Is there anything to worry about?

It seems to me that I would be more willing to change oil more often it was not so messy.

Any thought or suggestions?

If I switch, which spin on is best?

Thanks Scott

 

[glemon]

I don't know which is best, but I have heard from more than one person about having leaking issues with the housing or housing seal when changing to a spin on filter.

The cannister filters are certainly a bit more fiddly, but you can adapt and get used to them with perserverance.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

...

I have been told the spin on does not clean the oil as well.
Is this true? Is there anything to worry about?
...

Consider that most modern vehicles--with tighter clearances than a Healey engine--use spin-on filters (although I've heard some engines now use a cartridge-type, for economical and environmental reasons).

The canister type can use either corrugated paper or fiber--wound cotton gauze, from the looks of it--cartridges. I would expect the paper type to be about the same, or possibly less, effective at filtering than a modern spin-on filter. Conceivably the fiber cartridges filter better than paper, but as long as the remaining particles are smaller than bearing clearances it doesn't much matter. At some point you can have too much filtering, either decreasing flow or triggering the bypass mechanism anyway.

I have a spin-on in my BJ8. It's the machined disk type, just a plain adapter between the block and the filter. It came with 2 Allen-head bolts and a gasket; I installed it and it hasn't leaked a drop in approx. 20 years/100K miles (can't say that for the rest of the engine). I've never regretted installing it, and the original canister filter sits in a drawer should I ever need to sell the car.

 

[John Turney]

Like Bob, I have the spin-on type that I purchased from Moss (?) several years ago. It has worked just fine. I use a Fram Tough Guard filter, but I don't recall the number off the top of my head.

 

[57_BN4]

A properly made adapter and quality spin on filter will outperform an original filter hands down. The spin on has a anti drainback valve which goes a long way to preventing dry starts. Dry starting is where most bearing wear occurs so fitting a modern filter will add many years to the useful life of the engine.

The original filter housing has a bypass valve that sticks open and allows unfiltered oil to the bearings. It is there to ensure some oil gets to the bearings if the filter becomes completely clogged but after many years it gets carbon stuck in the seat and it leaks. I would not start an engine with an original filter unless I knew this valve was functioning correctly. It trashed the bearings on my engine after only 2000 miles because the PO didn't have it cleaned during a full overhaul.

I didn't like the look of the available spin on filters so opted to make my own adapter to fit inside the original housing so it still looks stock.

Andy.

 

[Lin]

Hey Andy,
Got a photo?
Lin

 

[Ed Kaler]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]It seems to me that I would be more willing to change oil more often it was not so messy.[/QUOTE]

Scott, not the first time I've heard that (nor said to myself :hammer:

And somewhere around 30ish years ago I was at a show/swap-meet and as a pal and I checked out the swap meet we ran across a couple of COMPLETE, from block out, filter assemblys. PURCHASED in a HEART BEAT ! ! !

Haven't done an "on car" filter change since ! ! ! :laugh:

That even includes Customer Cars and there have been a couple go out the door with what I believe to be the closest to Factory Engine Colour matched with some serious UGLY & MIS-matching coloured motors ! ! :cooler: :lol:

Cheers............


Ed

 

[BigGreen]

There is a lot to be said about filters.
I use the FRAM, no idea if it is the best

https://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/reference.html

Hans

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey Scott,
Like others have said, used a spin on filter and adapter on several Healey's through the years and never had a problem. Just make sure you have everything lined up properly with the gasket and holes when you install it. If you mess up the gasket you can buy another one, just use the standard gasket that fits the original filter assembly as it mounts to the block. I painted mine Healey engine green, both adapter and the filter so doesn't stick out as much as not being original.
Regards,
Mike

 

[Randy Forbes]

Spin-on filter. I tend to use the Fram HP-1 hilter, though the way mine is mounted on a remote base and hanging downward, it doesn't need the anti-drainback feature. This allows the filter to be saturated and filled with oil when I put it on, eliminating the engine run time required to fill up the filter before getting pressure.

Nobody would mistake (or be fooled) that my oil plumbing is standard, with the remote filter, oil cooler, thermostat/bypass and engine block adapter, but I do like the idea of painting them green__just never thought of it!

 

[AUSMHLY]

This topic comes up from time to time, here on the BCF. If you do a search you'll find many posts about it, including which spin on filter is best too. One of the highly recommended filters is the K&N 2009 filter. It incorporates the anti-drainback feature. There's more to a filter than just anti-drainback, and that was discussed in one of the posts. The write up was good, so I use that one now. It's canister is larger than most of the other filters, so there isn't as much wiggle room getting it in and out. Not a problem, just pointing that out.

 

[BlueRidge1]

I also use the K&N 2009, the same as Roger uses.
BR1

 

[57_BN4]

Hey Andy,
Got a photo?
Lin

Hi Lin,

I only have a couple of pics from when I was testing it on an old sedan engine. The bowl is held on by a magnet stuck on the back of the filter but it doesn't stick on quite as strongly as I had hoped so I may do another version with a thread on the ali adapter to hold the bowl on.

All the dyno tests I did a few months back were with this setup and it worked very well with instant oil pressure at cold start even on the old sedan engine.

Andy.

 

[elrey]

A fine solution. :eeek:

 

[Johnny]

I like the K&N 2009 filter also, because it has a "NUT" on the end which really makes it easy to remove and tighten.

 

[Hoghead]

All oil filters are not created equal and I like Purolator Pure 1 and use them in all my machines

See Cal Scientific

 

[John Turney]

...
See Cal Scientific

I stopped reading when he couldn't explain the metal flakes in the used OEM break-in oil.

 

[dvu101]

Thanks for the info guys. I never thought of a lot of the info I learned.