Oil filter conversion.

[54belvedere]

Good afternoon all! Thanks for the addition to the group first and foremost! I’m super excited to absorb the knowledge from this amazing community. 
 

I have started to tinker on my great grandpas 1954 Plymouth Belvedere and dumped the old oil, and added new Dino 15w-40 for the first fire. But I noticed the oil filter was the super hard to find sealed canister type… so I was wondering if anyone on here has converted theirs to where it would run like a generic small block mopar or small block Chevy filter? If it would be a small block Chevy I could get the filter for super cheap through my work at caterpillar. Any help is greatly appreciated!! 

[JBNeal]

this might or might not help:

 

 

[54belvedere]

That helped immensely! Thank you!

[Sam Buchanan]

Your filter is a bypass filter, adding a full-flow is somewhat involved. But a spin-on bypass is easily added, here is how I did it on my '48 P15:

 

https://p15-d24.com/topic/50622-installing-a-spin-on-bypass-oil-filter-photos/#comment-537063

 

If you pursue this path be sure you use a bypass filter, not one intended for full flow on a modern engine.

 

Edited July 7, 2025 by Sam Buchanan

[Loren]

The reason you should use a dedicated By Pass Oil Filter is they filter down to 10 Microns, while a Full Flow only filters down to 30 microns.

Thus they work very well indeed with modern oil. The trend is also to use thinner viscosity oil as it runs cooler. My diesel has been running on 15-40 synthetic for years until I switched to 10-30 synthetic and the fuel mileage has really jumped. If you have a lot of leaks that may not be a good plan however.

If you go to swap meets or visit eBay you might have a look at a Frantz filter.

They use toilet paper or they now make inserts in cellulose or synthetic material. On the older engines the cellulose works very well because it absorbs water which is a major cause of sludge. If your engine has a PCV system you can use either insert.

There's always a question of how to hook one up. The port in the block that is on the main galley goes to the input of the filter. The port on the block which is vertical near the pressure relief valve connects to the filter's output. 

[TodFitch]

20 minutes ago, Loren said:

If you go to swap meets or visit eBay you might have a look at a Frantz filter.

They are still in business so you can buy one brand new as well.

[9 foot box]

   Here is a tissue filter that I have.

[Plymouthy Adams]

tissue is barely adequate to wipe your butt....no way I would use in on an engine....this stuff turns to pure muck when wet with ANYTHING

[Ivan_B]

I suspect that this is referring to the old-days filter cartridges, which were literally looking like a stack of cloth tissues

Also, if the TS wants to keep the OEM look, there are plenty of used/NOS serviceable filter cans available, such as this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/226028956987 It looks like it takes the generic C3 filters ☺️

[Loren]

I mentioned eBay or swap meets as a source for "Pre-Loved" Frantz filters because the new ownership is pricing themselves right out of the market.

The inserts are not cheap but they are less than spin-ons. If there would be a problem with using TP, I would see it as the inconsistency of how the rolls are wrapped. Some are not wrapped very tightly and so I don't believe would filter as finely. The Frantz inserts are always the same and fit as intended. They remind me of the "Sock" filter from the Power Wagons the military used.

As for "Period Correct" I think they are pretty close. The 1950s were an age of Gadgets.

If there was ever a filter I'd like to see again, there was a belt driven centrifugal filter tested in one of the car mags of the era.

It looked like a generator. When they opened it up for cleaning the crud was as hard as concrete! You had to chisel it out!

The old FIAT 850s had a crankshaft mounted centrifugal filter and they packed up like that too.

For trucks they have a centrifugal filter but it uses the oil flow to spin it. They are expensive and so are the cartridges.

[kencombs]

3 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

tissue is barely adequate to wipe your butt....no way I would use in on an engine....this stuff turns to pure muck when wet with ANYTHING

Many years ago my father-in-law tried the TP filter.   Not the system being sold, just regular TP roll in a standard Chevy bypass canister.   and that was in a babbitt beater 216.   The residue plugged the oiling nozzles in the pan tray so that the rods didn't get any spray oil, just dipper oil.   Didn't last long.

[occmsrzr]

1 hour ago, Loren said:

I mentioned eBay or swap meets as a source for "Pre-Loved" Frantz filters because the new ownership is pricing themselves right out of the market.

The inserts are not cheap but they are less than spin-ons. If there would be a problem with using TP, I would see it as the inconsistency of how the rolls are wrapped. Some are not wrapped very tightly and so I don't believe would filter as finely. The Frantz inserts are always the same and fit as intended. They remind me of the "Sock" filter from the Power Wagons the military used.

As for "Period Correct" I think they are pretty close. The 1950s were an age of Gadgets.

If there was ever a filter I'd like to see again, there was a belt driven centrifugal filter tested in one of the car mags of the era.

It looked like a generator. When they opened it up for cleaning the crud was as hard as concrete! You had to chisel it out!

The old FIAT 850s had a crankshaft mounted centrifugal filter and they packed up like that too.

For trucks they have a centrifugal filter but it uses the oil flow to spin it. They are expensive and so are the cartridges.

Honda still uses the centrifugal filter concept in their entry level Recon 2wd ATV quads... I still get roped in to working on them for a buddy that owns an orchard, and their hired help is absolutely brutal on machinery. No brakes? No problem! They will literally ignore any problem and ride it if it runs... Anyways, they ran one out of oil a couple of weeks ago and it seized the wrist pin bearing. These things have thousands of hours on them... So I gambled  that all of the clutches, gears, electrical (all of this is inside the cases, it's total one unit construction) were ok and got a crank, valves, piston/cyl, bearings, gaskets and sundries. Cleaned it up  and got it going again. Won the bet- all else functional. I'd rather be lucky than good... All of this to say, the drum portion of the centerfuge was as Loren stated- concrete and gnasty! 13 years of 10 hour irrigation days and rare service (only holds 1.5 qts of oil, and usually a qt low)... pretty amazing. That "filtration" system really does work pretty good! I have a canister filter on my wife's 237, and depending on the annual miles after it's on the road, may use the Wix system down the road. I've had good luck with their products over the years. Thanks for the write up!

[Plymouthy Adams]

back before they changed the concept around a bit the original Frantz used off the shelf toilet paper.  NOW I WILL allow for the fact in the early 50's there were still chunks of wood in toilet paper and not the feminine stuff of today.  But as a young kid at the local service station doing oil and filter changes...I remember the one and only (less gullible people back them) owner who had one of these....no way you can convince me that filter was efficient in any manner....the wad that came out of the housing had settled at the bottom and was largely just sludge.   Puts me on memory road of the California water bumpers....guy came in with one on a wagon and claimed how effective they were.  My bud the Oz, kicked the bumper and water was every where.  The man was right, did not hurt Ozzie's foot whatsoever.

[Sam Buchanan]

I had never heard of the California water bumper....until now. For those who want a deep dive (no pun intended...) into automotive trivia here are a couple of links:

 

https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-water-filled-car-bumpers-20171031-story.html

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN57ISZDNz8

Edited July 9, 2025 by Sam Buchanan

[Ivan_B]

🙄 I've seen these a long time ago... Could've been an interesting technology before the airbags took over.

[meadowbrook]

You can buy new filter cans from Mopar Pro.

[Larry K]

On 7/7/2025 at 10:11 PM, Loren said:

The reason you should use a dedicated By Pass Oil Filter is they filter down to 10 Microns, while a Full Flow only filters down to 30 microns.

Thus they work very well indeed with modern oil. The trend is also to use thinner viscosity oil as it runs cooler. My diesel has been running on 15-40 synthetic for years until I switched to 10-30 synthetic and the fuel mileage has really jumped. If you have a lot of leaks that may not be a good plan however.

If you go to swap meets or visit eBay you might have a look at a Frantz filter.

They use toilet paper or they now make inserts in cellulose or synthetic material. On the older engines the cellulose works very well because it absorbs water which is a major cause of sludge. If your engine has a PCV system you can use either insert.

There's always a question of how to hook one up. The port in the block that is on the main galley goes to the input of the filter. The port on the block which is vertical near the pressure relief valve connects to the filter's output. 

Loren, Thanks-is there a pic maybe that shows were to connect hoses on block for a p18, Thanks for any pic's.

[Sam Buchanan]

23 minutes ago, Larry K said:

Loren, Thanks-is there a pic maybe that shows were to connect hoses on block for a p18, Thanks for any pic's.

 

[meadowbrook]

On 7/11/2025 at 7:54 AM, meadowbrook said:

You can buy new filter cans from Mopar Pro.

Quoting myself, I no longer recommend the Mopar Pro new filter canisters. If you look closely they do not completely seal the filter element so some oil will bypass the element and be unfiltered.

Better than nothing but im

just passing along what I learned.

Im curious about the full flow system here. On an engine that was only designed for bypass filtering , you can’t just add a full flow filter and use the same lines from the block, right?

[Larry K]

16 minutes ago, Sam Buchanan said:

 

Sam, thank You sir, any reason you use 1-hard tube and looks like 1-rubber line, is hard line go to in side of filter?

[Larry K]

13 minutes ago, meadowbrook said:

Quoting myself, I no longer recommend the Mopar Pro new filter canisters. If you look closely they do not completely seal the filter element so some oil will bypass the element and be unfiltered.

Better than nothing but im

just passing along what I learned.

Im curious about the full flow system here. On an engine that was only designed for bypass filtering , you can’t just add a full flow filter and use the same lines from the block, right?

Thanks, now I guess I'm looking for who"s kit to buy, would prefer a spin on filter unless told why not, can't tell by looking at pics who's to order??? wonder brand in Lorens pic...

[Larry K]

47 minutes ago, Larry K said:

Loren, Thanks-is there a pic maybe that shows were to connect hoses on block for a p18, Thanks for any pic's.

You mentioned PCV-that's on my to do list-but I can't find any video or help on HOW to make and install one on a 218 ???

[Larry K]

35 minutes ago, Sam Buchanan said:

 

Sam, who did you buy that kit from?

[Saskwatch]

12 minutes ago, Larry K said:

Sam, who did you buy that kit from?

  I , unashamedly, copied Sam’s installation, ….

do not mean to answer for him , but has been awhile since I read / reread his install , all of these pieces are purchased from Napa ….. im sure Sam even posted the part no’s  …. Which allowed me to march right up to the counter ( like I knew what I was doing (-;  ) and order everything by proper part number….. Thank you Sam! 👍👍

[Sam Buchanan]

Ok, things are getting a bit convoluted, time for some clarification in regard to my BYPASS filter installation.

 

There are two hard lines for the filter, you can determine which is "IN" by looking at the arrows on the filter adapter. The flex line is for the oil pressure gauge. 

 

There is no "kit", I fabricated the mount and the filter adapter is a common aftermarket item.

 

This is a "bypass" filter, not full-flow even though it is a spin-on filter. It is very important to use a filter that is specifically for bypass, the WIX I used is such a filter.

 

Everything you need to know is in my original thread about the installation:

 

 

 

Edited Friday at 03:52 PM by Sam Buchanan