Re: Does my '56 Clipper needs an oil filter?

Posted by Ross On 2013/4/24 12:53:05

A bypass oil filter gets around to filtering all the oil about every five to ten minutes--have been meaning to time how long it takes for a hot quart to go through one, but haven't gotten to that yet. That's to remove fines, little carbon bits and what have you.

If an engine is not throwing chunks internally that seems quite OK to me. The idea is to keep the oil from slowly transforming into grinding paste. Of course, a bypass filter is no help if chunks are introduced by some accident or sloppiness at assembly or oil change.

But once things are up and running an engine that is not already in its death throws is not going to introduce such a quantity of fines into the oil during any given mile that can't wait to be filtered within the next five. In addition, Packard used floating pickups so if chunks did somehow get in, there was a good chance they would sink and not get sucked up.

All that said, I will sell you a filter with the rather fiddly to make lines and fittings included for $45 delivered to your door.