Technical Oil Change '51 Ford - help

I'm new to this '51 Ford shoebox,
just got it and wanted to change the oil. Took the plug off and drained it. Then went under the filter cap and notice two things. (1) there was no filter (2) it was full of oil even though I drained it.

Is my oil pump bad or is this a normal?

Thanks,
C

 

Sometimes those cartridge filters could not be be found very easy today; the part # was on the top cover if I remember my old lube rack days and we sucked out the oil canisters with a syphon gun.... you do have a syphon gun don’t you? Remember the first flatties didn’t have a filter.

 

Some canisters have a drain petcock some don't. Go to the grocery store and buy your wife a nice new Turkey baster. Then use the old one to suck the oil out of the canister. Napa 1080 is pretty much universal element for the various can and filter deals. I believe that the engine uses a bypass system so only about 30% of the oil flows through the filter at any given time and there is no drain back at idle or engine off, as the bypass is closed.

 

My Chevy 6 has the old external can filter...check with NAPA, my filter is an 1100. Might give the counter guy
a point of reference to use.

 

Wix 51006 oil filter

 

That's it ^^^^^ and they don't drain back, you need to suck it out.

 

Wow. There's been a lot of '51 Fords lately.

Ignorance is bliss.
After having a flathead since 1995 I did not know the following until recently, (thanks Moriarity) that a restrictor is required for the oil pressure inlet line. Without this restrictor the bypass filter "could" rob pressure from the main gallery of the oil system.
The oil filter cannister and the oil filter itself may restrict the oil flow some. You definitely need to have a filter in the canister, especially if you do not have this restrictor.

Above is a simplified drawing of the oil system with the bypass filter. This is pre-'48 since the restrictor is at the inlet of the filter canister, just downstream from the pressure sending unit. On these models the sending unit/line connection to the filter cannister had the restrictor in that fitting.


Above is another common configuration. Notice that the oil sender is mounted vertically. Notice that the line come out of the side outlet of the block. Likely there is no restrictor here, there should be.
The reason you will see such a variation is that the oil filter was an option, not standard. It could have been added by the dealer or later by the owner.

The bottom line is,
There needs to be a restrictor between the block and the oil filter cannister inlet.

This is a restrictor. The Weatherhead 1512 or part number WH 1512 from NAPA.

This restrictor reduces the line hole to roughly 1/16 or around .060.
That NAPA fitting can only be ordered online. The store will claim it's discontinued...it may be. I was able to order some. They claimed it was shipped. We'll see Monday when it gets here.
There are other similar fittings from other makers...for a turbo oil return line....
Another option is to make your own restrictor.
Some have soldered a oil line and drilled a 1/16 hole through the solder.

Check you oil line to see if you have a restrictor. A visual should tell enough.
I don't have one on mine and that's the next issue for my '51.

 

or just delete it, no real need for it with todays oil, and you will probably change oil every 2k-3k miles anyway

 

You do have a point but the cannister by pass filter does filter all of the oil. I do recall it takes about 10 minutes for all the oil to go through the cannister.
The cannister will filter out finer particles than the full flow filters.
I do believe it's advantageous to have one, but needs to be set up correctly which is simple to do.

 

I deleted the filter on my 8BA, they aren't full pressure. I change the oil regularly and don't put that many miles on it anyway.

 

I believe that removing the stock bypass filter is a big mistake, They provide finer filtration than full flow systems, and with the pampered use most of these vehicles get these days, the stock system is ideal. It will take out the smaller particles it encounters, and there really aren't any large particles to worry about. When was the last time you drove your car down a dirt road?

Surprisingly, these filter cartridges are not that hard to find, as they were also used on tractors.

 

The bypass filter on Buick straight eights filters the oil to the rocker arms. I did full flow when I built the 263 engine, and use both. Why not?

Ben

 

I wouldn't delete an oil filter, rather, I would make sure a filter was available before I changed the oil and clean out the canister at the time of change. For the trouble and cost of doing a filter change each time it's just good maintenance. Ford put a filter there for a reason.

Oh, and the Wix number given above (51006) is correct and should be readily available.

 

Indeed, why not? Most over the road trucks use this system.

 

Filter cartridge for '42 thru '53 Ford flathead, is Fram C4.
Now let the Fram bash begin.

 

I've got the filter already so I'm going to use it.

Now the brass fitting on the bottom of my filter canister is a small tapered one like the Weatherhead 1512 restrictor. Should I remove it and use a regular brass fitting since I'll be using a filter?

 

Any filter is better than no filter. The bypass filter works like a pool filter which takes out part of the water, filters it and returns it to the pool. Notice how it will filter a murky pool clean in a day or 2. Your bypass filter keeps the oil clean the same way. It takes about 15 minutes for all the oil to go through the filter. Studebaker V8 used a bypass filter from 1951 to 62, then a full flow from then on. A Studebaker expert who has rebuilt dozens of them says there is no difference in engine life, wear, or sludge buildup between the two.
The filter does not need to be replaced at every oil change. Manufacturer recommends every 5000 miles or every second oil change.

 

The restrictor fitting goes on the inlet side of the filter not the return line.

 

Would I even need the restrictor if I used a oil filter? Would the filter slow the flow down or does it not work like that?

 

Absolutely. Without the restrictor,, enough oil would go through the filter to starve the oil flow to the rest of the engine.

I would suggest that you educate yourself on the differences between "Full Flow" and "Bypass" oil filter systems before proceeding.

 

Will do. Appreciate all the patience and help. This old car is new to me.

 

Not to be rude, but I don't see how "today's oil" makes any difference. A filter is to remove particulate contaminants which old cars get a lot, but new cars do not.

 

Hi, can you tell me the steps to follow for eliminating the oil filter cannister? Thank you! [email protected]

 

Really simple, the filter is fed off the back of the block where the oil pressure gauge is fed so remove the line and install a plug. The filter drains back into the oil pan just above the oil pan on the left side and just remove the line and install a plug.