Hot Rods Oil filter on flathead

Ok. I know this has been asked and debated before. But hear me out. I have a hot 8ba with merc crank and all old goodies. And I’m almost ready to run it. The only thing is...... I need to hook up the oil filter. But I can’t mount it on the head since it would hit the fuel pump. And I can’t clock the fuel pump because if I do it in any other direction it will hit soemthing. Sooooo I was wondering if it would be ok to run it without filter just in the meantime so I can fire it up before I loose motivation. I will be hooking it up one day. I’m just saying for the meantime.


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I guess the risk is that approximately 10% of the oil circulating for that “meantime” won’t be filtered. The reality is the way these filters are plumbed in they don’t do much as I understand it. FWIW I have one mounted on the firewall.

 

lets start by saying I,ve been running my 32 sedan with a built 8ba for 3 years . like most hot rods only sees less than 6 or 700 mile per year and has no oil filter . since the flatheads didn,t have a full flow oil system only a portion of the oil goes thru the filter anyway. I run quality BRAD PENN 10-40 OIL and change every year.

 

So I’m good


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1932 to 1934 flatheads didn,t come from the factory with an oil filter. in my opinion you will be fine !

 

It shouldn’t hurt a thing,,,,besides you can always hook it up later.

Here is a question I need answered ,,,anybody,,,,,what is the filter number to use on a stock filter housing ?
I have seen where Wix 51010 is the filter for the Ford tractors,,but I can’t find anything specific for the V8 car engines,,,is this the same filter ?

Tommy

 

A Wix 51006 is what I have for a 1948 ford flathead.

 

There's a fix for that.
http://www.midstateantiquestockcarclub.com/flat-heads10.html

The busted GTE link showing the partial filtration system is > http://myplace.frontier.com/~wgmumaw/Full Flow Filter/FFfilterBills.htm

And BillM was kind enough to post the Canadian/Military full flow system
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ew-flathead-siezed.419661/page-5#post-4590066
DL the two pdfs for better reading.

 

You will be fine running without a filter for the initial break-in. I would suggest you change the oil after the 20 minute camshaft break-in period. To be clear; while only 10% of the oil in a flathead p***es through the stock filter at any one instant, all of it goes through the filter every 11 minutes. This was empirically proven by a member of "The Ford Barn" several years ago.

 

@Desoto291Hemi I use wix 51006. You can get them through Rockauto

 

Thanks guys,,I have been wondering about it,,,just wasn’t sure which one to use.
Every time I would do a search for it,,,it would always pull up about the tractor filter.

Tommy

 

Since talk is cheap I'll answer your question with my wallet. This is my 8BA, no filter, none planned for it.
Some new cars don't even run one; Teslas, Leafs...but unlike them I change the oil often

 

Teslas, leafs, funny!

 

No filter it is!


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I never ran one on my '51 Merc flatty. Beat the ever-lovin' hell out of it, too. Just changed oil every 1,000 miles or so.