VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 "40 chevy ---engine

HELP !!!!---On my rebuilt 216 engine i've got 2 threaded holes (on the left side,driver's side) one just in front of and slightly below the oil dist. cover--the second one directly in back of the oil dist. cover) i've hooked up a bogus oil indicator(just to see if i get oil pressure when i start it up ) to the rear one but whats the front one for ?????

John,The front hole is for the oil filter return line if car is so equipped.A 1/8" pipe plug was installed at the factory.The rear hole is for the dash oil pressure gauge and if an oil filter is installed a Tee is used there to feed the oil filter.--Your gaskets are in the mail ....Gene

OK. Did I miss the memo? I've been through my 40 Chev acessory mini-brochure and I saw no mention of an oil filter option. Didn't know they were available in 1940. But then I also didn't know that metallic colors were also available back then. Duh! I check this site every day for any additional knowledge I can gain in the restoration of my old '40'.

Jerry

Oil filters were a factory installed option on 1940 Chevrolets.They are very seldom seen.The 1940 parts book lists no oil filter for 1940 that a dealer could add on .It could be purchased thru AC United Motors Service Distributor.It was never listed as an accessory-right up thru 1961 as for some reason they were never considered an accessory..But they were listed in the parts book from 1941 and up.Also for 1938 and earlier.In the '50s the later orange and blue filter was listed as fitting back to 1940.Is this confusing.Well the filters were available all of the years from the AC Division of GM.When not available directly from Chevrolet a dealer could order them thru a UMS distributor.(All in the family),There were also many other brands of hang on filters available.I believe that the pre-war AC filters were a light gray color.I have Ac pictures of the but in black and white.Light gray is from my memory.The 1946-49s were yellow and black and the 1950 and up are orange and blue..From at least 1950 and up they were black if factory installed.1961 is the first year a 6 came standard with a filter and all were black.

1940 Chevrolet oil filters are listed in the AC Oil Filter Service Manual dated April 4, 1940. It shows both AC L-1 and AC L-4 as the proper ones for the 1940 Chevrolets. The L-4 is 6.125" in height, while the L-1 is 8.375" in height. They both mount onto the intake manifold with AC Fittings Kit #4.
I have an NOS L-4 that I am installing in my 1940 coupe. If you want an exact color match, send me an SASE and I will try to get you a color chip.

Is it a light gray?

The 1940 Chevrolet L-4 AC Oil Filter is painted a light grey. It is very close in color to the body color chip "Kingston Grey" which is in the Dealer Showroom Album. The Oil Filter has a round 2.25" diameter AC Oil Filter decal on the side. It also has an AC Kleer Kleen Oil Filter L-4 decal on the removeable lid.

This agrees with my pictures and memory.