Oil filter or not 36 21 stud

Phatt

Phatt

Member
1936 21 stud flathead. Just wondering how many run without an oilfilter. I know not much being filtered. I have done full pressure drilling passages on other motors during rebuilds. Probably wont be doing the current motor. Probably only goes 1000 miles between oil changes.
 
Phatt said:
1936 21 stud flathead. Just wondering how many run without an oilfilter. I know not much being filtered. I have done full pressure drilling passages on other motors during rebuilds. Probably wont be doing the current motor. Probably only goes 1000 miles between oil changes.
Click to expand...

I do not run a filter on any of mine; never have. Factoring the quality of modern oils and fuels as well as the short periods between changes, the wear is going to be so minute to be, in my opinion, not worth serious consideration.
 
I run the stock bypass filter in my '51 for several reasons. They provide finer filtration than full flow systems, and with the pampered use most of these vehicles get these days, the bypass 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 any distance down a dirt road? In addition, it holds an additional quart of oil which can't be a bad thing.

Surprisingly, these filter cartridges are not that hard to find, as they were also used on tractors.
 
tubman said:
I run the stock bypass filter in my '51 for several reasons. They provide finer filtration than full flow systems, and with the pampered use most of these vehicles get these days, the bypass 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 any distance down a dirt road? In addition, it holds an additional quart of oil which can't be a bad thing.

Surprisingly, these filter cartridges are not that hard to find, as they were also used on tractors.
Click to expand...
I think thats a plus one extra quart.
 
It will keep your oil cleaner longer and it also helps cool the oil and any way to help pull heat of a flathead is good in my book.
 
With regard to the mention of modern oil quality, you must remember that modern oil is detergent oil, which keeps impurities suspended, to circulate over and over again through your bearings. This is a game changer when deciding whether to use a filter or not, as the older non-detergent oil settled out impurities into sludge, never to circulate again.
 
I would definitely agree with Tubman on down with the rest. my '51 with the bypass filter keeps the oil cleaner longer than my '37 did with no filter which looked ready to change in 500 miles.
 
The point about detergent oil is well taken; I had missed that part. Someone on this forum (or maybe the H.A.M.B.) did a test and found that all of the oil goes through a bypass filter on these Fords in about 10 minutes. which means that on a nice Sunday drive, ALL of the oil goes through the filter many times, removing the suspended contaminants.
 
Anyone who has cleaned all the fine crap out of the bottom of the filter housing would surely like to have a filter on the motor.
 
tubman said:
The point about detergent oil is well taken; I had missed that part. Someone on this forum (or maybe the H.A.M.B.) did a test and found that all of the oil goes through a bypass filter on these Fords in about 10 minutes. which means that on a nice Sunday drive, ALL of the oil goes through the filter many times, removing the suspended contaminants.
Click to expand...

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236820&highlight=By-pass+oil+filter&showall=1

This was from 51MERC CT…….his test showed all the oil went thru the filter in 11 mins at idle……..Mark
 
I rebuilt my engine 5 years ago and did not put a filter housing on it.

If I drive a lot, I put 1000 miles a year on it. Yearly oil changes.

This engine, without a filter, will outlast me. I agree with Kube. I don’t think filters are worth it for how we drive them and with modern oils.

But certainly fine if you do decide to run a filter.
 
No filter on my '34 21 stud since 1993. And, I use the "slipperiest" motor oil - full synthetic Mobil 1 - Leaks are not significant...
mobil115w-50pdpimages200x311.png
 
Let's see. 1000 miles a year on a car owned by one of us would result in somewhere between 10,000 and 40,000 miles total use. Actually, you probably could get by with no filter and never changing the oil, just adding a quart when needed. But that's not the point (at least for me). I want to do the best I can with everything I have. I think the way detergent oil works requires a filter as a component of the total lubrication system.

These days, non-detergent oil is a poor choice for automotive use.
 
No filter, but I did high temp epoxy a Neo magnet to the drain plug. It helps to collect some of the stuff floating around. I bet I don't put 1,000 miles a year on the engine. I use VR-1 20W-50, change the oil twice a year and don't look back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top