1950s Oil filter canister correct installation

[Bob Kielar]

Hello all,

I have a 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood. I would like to know the correct way the oil canister filter is installed and where the pressure and drain line connect. I have searched the forum and there are conflicting ways of doing this.

First: Where does the top hat/spacer go on the top or bottom of the filter if it's on the bottom and the flat side is down the tube of the top hat does not go in the Wix filter. Maybe wrong size o rings in the filter I have a couple of spares and they are all the same.

Second: Does the pressure line go to the side fitting on the canister and the return line on the bottom?

Thanks,
Bob

[J. Gomez]

Bob,

First: Where does the top hat/spacer go on the top or bottom of the filter if it's on the bottom and the flat side is down the tube of the top hat does not go in the Wix filter. Maybe wrong size o rings in the filter I have a couple of spares and they are all the same.

The spacer aka top hat goes down same way as you show on the pictures, the spring on the cap large diameter goes towards the filter.

Second: Does the pressure line go to the side fitting on the canister and the return line on the bottom?

I believe the 331 layout is the same as the 390 the fitting on the top of the head (pressure side) goes on the top side, the return is the bottom. The oil will drained down the center tube via a small hole at this tube (around a few inches from the top) but the canister will retained oil up to the hole level.

Hope this helps.

[tluke]

The spacer aka top hat goes down same way as you show on the pictures

So I think I'm confused about the "top hat" spacer. In Cadillac Jack 82's thread on a 1950 Cad, response #18 from 59-In-Pieces shows the spacer at the bottom of the canister. Cadillac Jacks Thread. That response has a picture with the spacer at the bottom of the cannister but the picture is ambiguous about whether the spacer is up or down. Bob's picture above has the spacer at the top of the filter. So is J Gomez saying it goes down but below the filter, not above it?

I ask because I don't have a spacer. I haven't been able to find a source for the spacer. Any ideas on where to find one or what can be used to replace it?

Thanks,
Terry

[J. Gomez]

So I think I'm confused about the "top hat" spacer. In Cadillac Jack 82's thread on a 1950 Cad, response #18 from 59-In-Pieces shows the spacer at the bottom of the canister. Cadillac Jacks Thread. That response has a picture with the spacer at the bottom of the cannister but the picture is ambiguous about whether the spacer is up or down. Bob's picture above has the spacer at the top of the filter. So is J Gomez saying it goes down but below the filter, not above it?

I ask because I don't have a spacer. I haven't been able to find a source for the spacer. Any ideas on where to find one or what can be used to replace it?

Thanks,
Terry

Terry,

The post with the picture of the placement of the spacer/top hat from Steve is correct it goes below the filter. This spacer is required for two reasons one to keep the filter above the pressure line (input) fitting, so when oil pressure fills the canister it will filter through, the filter oil goes out on the center tube via the holes down to the center fitting, and two it keeps the filter in tension (via the cap spring) to performed the filtration from above.

If you do not have this spacer/top hat the filter seats way too low below the pressure line input bypassing the filtration so oil just fills the filter. You still have the flow down the center tube with no filtration.

Frankly you may be able to make one with a metal tube that would fit inside the canister tube and a thin washer on top to seat the filter any type of welding/solder/epoxy should do the trick depending on the metal type you use. You would need the correct dimensions for the bottom tube as well as for the size of the washer.

Hope this helps.

[Bob Kielar]

So is the tube part of the top hat supposed to go in the filter? If so the wix filters I have the tube won't go in the filter.

Thanks,
Bob

[Jay Friedman]

I install the top hat on the bottom of the filter cannister (underneath the cartridge) with the wide part of the top hat facing up.

José, is that correct? 

[Roger Zimmermann]

I install the top hat on the bottom of the filter cannister (underneath the cartridge) with the wide part of the top hat facing up.

José, is that correct? 

I'm not José, but it's the correct way! I'm always amazed when this question is coming on a regular basis. How did people before Internet?

[J. Gomez]

I'm not José, but it's the correct way! I'm always amazed when this question is coming on a regular basis. How did people before Internet?

Roger,

Thanks for chiming in, the timing of Jay's post was during my regular "rem sleep" time frame.   

I install the top hat on the bottom of the filter cannister (underneath the cartridge) with the wide part of the top hat facing up.

José, is that correct? 

Jay,

Roger is correct as always  , that is the correct installation for the spacer/top hat.

[J. Gomez]

So is the tube part of the top hat supposed to go in the filter? If so the wix filters I have the tube won't go in the filter.

Thanks,
Bob

Bob,

No the filter seat a top of the spacer/top hat washer as Jay and Roger states above, the other side (tube side) seat at the bottom of the canister.

Hope this helps

[cadman59]

If I'm not mistaken, that spacer should also be present on a '59, but my '59 doesn't have it.

It doesn't seem that difficult to make such a spacer myself, but does anyone happen to have the correct dimensions for it? 

Total length, internal diameter and wall thickness of the tube, and the diameter and thickness of the large disk?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Feiko, as somebody suggested: take a piece of tube, slide it on the central tube and put a flat washer on the tube you inserted.
Of course, the question is: which length for the tube? That's the question I cannot answer for the moment as with inside temperatures near to °C, I'm not in a position to check that. I hope somebody else has an empty and complete oil filter and can measure that distance. The thickness of the tube is not important. It must be about 0.3 to 0.5 mm thick; with the suggestion above, you can take what you have on hand.

[dn010]

The spacer goes over the pipe and into the bottom of the canister first with the wide part intended to face "up" in order to hold the filter up. It acts as a spacer. If you don't have one, you don't have to go crazy to make one unless you want it to look "correct". You can just stack some washers on the bottom of the can until the filter is up high enough that it surrounds the hole that is in the upper portion of the vertical pipe. You may even have wear marks on the pipe showing how high up it is supposed to be after all the years of prior use.

If you don't raise the filter up, the hole in the vertical pipe is exposed: the oil comes out of the inlet hole in the side of the canister and goes right back into the oil return hole in that pipe without going through the filter.

It wasn't the best design and some of the oil is bypassed anyway, but anything is better than nothing.

[Lexi]

The spacer goes over the pipe and into the bottom of the canister first with the wide part intended to face "up" in order to hold the filter up.

That is also my understanding. Clay/Lexi

[tluke]

So is the tube part of the top hat supposed to go in the filter? If so the wix filters I have the tube won't go in the filter.

So here is how it should all go. The space slides down to the bottom of the canister then the filter on top of it. The "brim" keeps the spacer from going in the filter so it stays high enough to cover the pressure input line.

I need to make the top hat spacer. Anyone know how long the tube part is? I guess I can just measure to see how long it needs to be to make sure it covers the input fitting but the oil still goes down that center exit/return tube;  but if any one has access to measure one I would appreciate it.

[Bob Kielar]

Here is the spacer/top hat dimensions.

Keep Cruzin
Bob

[Lexi]

Bob, I was just wondering when someone was going to do that, (my car is not accessible right now). Good idea and good photos. BTW I got the same e calipers by Mitutoyo. Very reliable. Clay/Lexi

[Bob Kielar]

Here are the spring dimensions although the spring is used and has a little bend to it.

[Bob Kielar]

Here are some other measurements I took. Reading left to right.
Top of filter to top of canister spacer installed,top of spacer installed to top of center pipe, no spacer installed to top of pipe, top of center pipe to small hole in center pipe.
 
Keep Cruzin,
Bob

[Bob Kielar]

Here is the oil filter canister installed. Top fitting on side of canister is the feed pressure line bottom of canister is the return line. The reason for the loop on the return line is that the canister would empty itself. Now that  the canister components are properly installed I might try to remove this return line and put the original back in place.
    On another note in 1955 some of the return lines went to the oil filler tube the later serial number blocks the return line went directly into the front left side of the block.

Keep Cruzin,
Bob

[Bob Kielar]

Thanks Clay. Hopefully this thread will be of help to future Cadillac enthusiasts.
I have had my Mitutoyo calipers for at least 20 years and have never failed me.

Regards,
Bob