VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 37-39 Oil Filter

I would like to fit a canister oil filter to my original 37. I have the canister but need to know where to connect it into the engine. I would appreciate if anyone could help.
I guess that it connects into the oil distributor somehow on the side of the engine.
Ken

Ken , the canister is mounted to the intake manifold , aft of the carb , using U bolts like you get on a muffler bracket . The oil intake is taken off the oil pressure gauge line , you may have to fit a T fitting there , and the return drains into the block via the plugged lower on the R/H side under the oil distributor , you will need to get a brass fitting for that too .

Thanks for the help Kiwi but i don't understand where to connect in on the oil distributor end. I cannot find any spare plug in that area on my 37. I use the car regularly on interstate trips and would like to have an oils filter.

37 Master Deluxe

Ken , follow the oil line from the oil gauge , down to where it comes off the motor , that is where you fit a T connection , that is the oil line into the filter ,,,, the drain from the filter goes back to the block at any convenient low point .
You understand that this is NOT a full flow system ,, but a bypass filter ,,, that means only some of the oil that is pumped around the engine goes thru the filter ,, this is , of course better than nothing , but is still only a compromise system .
I would not be too concerned about the distances you wish to drive it , only the speed at which you plan to do it at .

Thanks for the help, I understand what you mean.
A friend has a 36 that has a filter and the return line goes into a fitting that has been fitted to the centre of the large brass nut on the oil distributor - but the 36 distributor is a bit different to the 37 one. His appears to be an original accessory as it is very well made. His pressure line is fitted via a hollow bolt that holds the oil distributor on to the block. This bolt appears to go into the oil gallery in the block.
I can work it out, thanks for your interest.
By the way, I usually travel at 55 mph.

Ken.

Originally the oil filter received oil from the "T" fiting where the gauge line met the block and returned to the crank case on left side center via hole drilled in block. I like to return clean oil to the rockers using the line attached to oil distributor on 37 - 39 engines.
As well as providing clean oil to rockers, it slows the volume and leaks from the valve cover.

Hi Lou,

I went away for the weekend in my 37 and did 470 miles so had a bit of time to think while I was cruising along admiring the countryside :) )
I was thinking that it might be a good idea to tee into the oil line to the rockers with the return line. Did you Tee into the line only or block it off at the oil distributor and send all the return oil from the filter to the rockers ??
I would have thought that the return line from the filter would send more oil to the rockers than what comes out of the oil distributor. Did you restrict the oil filter line in any way ??

Thanks Lou

On one 37, it was already installed on the oil gauge with a needle valve restircting the flow into the filter. I simply plugged the hole in the block and oil dist. Then attached oil filter out let out to the rocker tubing at the Oil Dist.
On the "new" installation, I came out of the Oil Dist, thru the filter and to the rockers. Both restricted the flow to the rockers that was excessive any way. Most mechanics crimp the oil line to restrict flow.
Good Luck, Lou

One other thought on the oil filter question. My 29-- 39 Master Parts Catalogue for Chevrolet lists a different oil distributor end cap (large brass cap) , and a brass T fitting for cars with oil filters. Since the oil behind the brass cap is at the higher pressure used to oil the main and cam brearings, the input to the oil filter can be taken off a line tapped into the brass cap.

Since the oil feed for the rod troughs and nozzles in the oil pan, and to the valve mechanism, is at a lower pressure, a T can be put into the line going to the valves. Connect the output from the oil filter to this T. I believe the output line is the one coming out the bottom of the filter at the center. I have used this type of connection on my '35 and it works well.

Partial flow filters I have seen have only a small hole in the center tube of the filter assembly, so this controls the amount of oil that can flow through the filter. No other restrictions are required.