Hey guys, hoping you can help me out. I am trying to figure out what oil filter to use on a stock 41 Buick straight 8? It's the dual carb motor. The manual says it's an A-11 but I can't seem to find anyone that makes a filter that corresponds to that name. I've read that a filter might not be nescasary but that sounds off to me. And when I fill it back up do I fill the canister as well? Is that counted in the amount of oil I put in the engine total? I've never worked on anything this old so please excuse my ignorance. This car is just so nice and I don't want to screw it up!
Well, there have been several debates on the HAMB about the utility of the old style "by-pass filters". I have been a party to some of those discussions. That style filter only gets a very small percentage of the oil in circulation at any one time. The bulk of the oil is unfiltered until, eventually it makes it's way through. The by-pass filter certainly does no harm, just a limited amount of good. That is quite unlike 'modern' full flow filters, through which all the oil flows from the pump, through the filter, and then on to the engine bearings. So, in my opinion, on older vehicles, driven on a casual basis, periodic oil changes are as good as needed to maintain your engine. so, lacking an appropriate filter element, you could just put the cap back on the canister without an element, but you'd have to increase the oil quantity a bit. All that said, you should be able to source a filter from one of the antique Buick parts suppliers. Bob's Automobilia, for one, possibly Kanter in New Jersey.... There are others I can't recall at the moment. GOOGLE is your friend. Ray p.s. That Super (and Roadmaster) Coupe is a fine looking automobile. I have had several older Buicks, a '40 Super Coupe (same body shell) among them. It was a great car. I now have '38 Special and '41 Special Coupes.
Your not the first guy to offer "going commando" as an option. Like the prospect of rollin sans chonis the thought of no filter just feels wrong. That said I am gonna give it a try. I mean worst case scenario I am the shithead responsible for completely destroying a beautiful piece of American history right? I'll post with the outcome or, you know a pic of all the oily bits scattered on the ground mixing with a puddle of my tears.
Filter on this motor is useless as stated, I usually don't even bother with it and just by pass the canister all together clean up the eng compartment a bit why your at it. But you can get a filter if it's bothering you try an equipment parts supplier if the resto guys don't have any tell them you need a cartridge filter for oil and give them the size if the old filter or the canister. I did this once before and once we found on that worked I just ordered the filter off the net and no more problems Good luck
There weren't all that many sizes of canister filter elements for the add on filters. Here http://www.wixfilters.com/Lookup/FilterBySize.
The Jalopy Journal
