I replaced the stock partial flow oil filter on my 8ba with a firewall mounted beehive unit recently. It got brought up to me that I need a restrictor in the line on this setup cause the stock filter has a built in restrictor . My question is does the beehive unit also have this built in restrictor or do I need to install one in-line? If I need to install one in-line what diameter restrictor is recomended? Thanks.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would think the fiter element, by itself, causes restriction of oil flow. I've never heard of any other restrictors, but then, i'm only here for the beer.
There was a .040" restrictor in the filter inlet(which answers one of my questions) ,I had read . "-->Without a restrictor somewhere between the block and the filter the pressure to the important parts of the engine will be very low. " namely the rear main I assume.The stock type canister uses the same filter so why did Ford add the restrictor if it wasn't "worth the tooling cost".Now since I know the size of the restrictor I'm more curious to know if the Beehive units have it built in or if I should run one in-line OR if they make different types of restrictors. Any thoughts?
I think the beehive can is a full flow and will not have a restrictor.I have heard of putting a adjustable on off valve on tha pressure line and adjusting the oil pressure with it.Without the restrictor the oil pressure will be low.
I don't know if the beehive has the restrictor or not, but it was actually in a fitting and you absolutely must have a restrictor or an endless supply of bearings and moving parts. Unlike other oil filtration systems, a flathead's partial flow filter system dumps the oil back into the crank case rather than the oiling system like other systems do. If there isn't something restricting the flow of oil to the filter, there will be a dramatic loss of oil pressure. If you can find the right fitting in your old system, I believe you can screw it into the beehive. I haven't dinked with this for over forty years, but I believe the restrictor is in the fitting that screws into the stock oil filter on the supply side.
Get whatever standard fitting that does the hookup for you, thread its inside, and put in a drilled screw. Just in case, stake the ends so it can't come out of there. The system kinda restricts itself with the high-density filter (much finer filtration than a full-flow) and the tiny holes in the center post, but I'd use an inlet restrictor as well so you KNOW what the choke point is. I don't like the valve in the system as a restrictor--that makes the gland seal of the valve handle part of your oil system, and I flat wouldn't trust it not to leak long term. Even a small leak here will empty your pan quickly.
Didn't the original restrictor reside in the hose fitting of the hose comming off the back of the block that ran to the filter housing? I just ran a stock hose (new repo) to my Beehive and things seem to work OK.
Early flatheads, up to maybe 1941, had the filter as an accessory, and used special terminated hoses and a variety of odd hollow bolt locations to return oil to block. I don't actually know where the restrictor was on these setups. Later engines, including all 59A's, had factory installed filters with steel lines and a couple of different built-in return locations on pan. These had the restrictor at the input fitting on the filter. Anywhere on the "in" side should do.
Figured I'd throw this out there. I made a restrictor as Bruce recommended, threading the fitting and putting a screw in it with the appropriate hole drilled in that. On my 59a with stock filter I made my own lines a few years ago, and just added the restrictor to it today. I didn't see any difference in oil pressure. I'll probably leave it in there anyway...
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