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Haven't gotten much done this week unfortunately. I did have some time to mess with a couple of things last night, one of which was the fuel filter in the bowl.

The original ceramic element has been soaking in acetone for 2 days and none of the dark oil contamination has come out. So looking at the parts cross reference I found NAPA Gold 3943 fits the Carter long bowl. Amazingly, my local NAPA had it (they haven't had anything else I've gone in for).

The old gasket was hard, and all the openings were almost completely closed. I guess that would explain why the bowl was often nearly empty. There are two sizes of new rubber gaskets in the NAPA kit, one of which is the perfect size. So, off with the old and in with the new.

I lost the original look, but I'm happy to find a filter that fits. I'll keep the old ceramic element around to see if I can figure out a way to clean it later.

-Kevin

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It looks fine although I'm not sure that these were intended to run full. At least none of mine ever did! The point is (unless someone states to the contrary) don't worry too much if it continues to show only a little fuel in the bowl.

Couple of suggestions for the ceramic filter... if you haven't given up on it.

May be worth putting in an ultrasonic cleaner. They work quite well. If you have a friend that reloads ammo might be worth a try, but I wouldn't buy one for that. Another suggestion would be to backwash the filter. I use to work for a couple companies that utilized a high pressure casting process for ceramics. The mold itself was a resin and high-purity silica with a very specific particle size distribution. Once cured it had very uniform porosity that would allow for dewatering of slurry and leave clay particles behind. After each casting cycle the mold would go through a cleaning of air and water that was pulsed through the mold pushing any residuals back out. So my suggestion would be to reverse the flow and run a solvent of your choice back through it for a while.
Maybe use a peristaltic pump or something similar. If that works it would probably take a long time. But then again, I thought someone reproduced those..

Mike

Good afternoon...I had a similar problem with the one that came on our 1949-288 engine. I removed it and put a good sized magnet, about the size of a quarter and several times as thick from ACE Hardware in the bottom of the glass bowl. It works great and I can easily see when it is time to take it out and wipe it off and put it back in...learned the trick from a Japanese Gardner, George Ibushie in Huntington Beach, California...he had one on his lawn mower...Go Figure...Ernie in Arizona

Thanks all for the advice regarding the fuel filter. I'm hoping to get everything back together and get the car started in a week or two. Finding out how much was incorrect (or missing) is setting me back as I wait to try and obtain parts.


Drained the oil today and it definitely smelled of gas. Fairly dirty, but nowhere near the solid black that came out the first time I changed the oil.

Going to put Rotella 15W-40 in this time and have a new filter as well.

I'm looking at the filter canister though, and I'm not sure the filter I put in there is doing anything. The canister appears to be an old Fram, and the filter I have doesn't fill the space. I have another filter canister in a box of stuff that came with the car, and I'm assuming it's original to the car. On that one there are two holes in the center pipe, but I see no such holes on the Fram. It almost looks like the exit for the oil is below where the filter sits, so oil comes in, skips the filter and goes back out. Am I missing something here?

I'd probably rather have the old canister back on, but I think the bracket is too big, and there are no other brackets in my box of spare parts.

-Kevin

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Not a great photo but this is what the stock filter looks like and unfortunately neither of yours is stock.

Oops! I can't attach the cropped photo as it gives an Protector detects attacking actions error. Here is the uncropped one instead.

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Oops! I can't attach the cropped photo as it gives an Protector detects attacking actions error.

Don, If the cropped photo that had the problem has a title like Apple normally puts on their full or partial screen captures it could be that the time numerals separated by periods are causing the protect issue and need to be edited out. The site sees the title as a stand alone element and the number and dots string as an IP address that might be trying to hijack the post. For example, if this was a photo title it would fail Screen Shot 2014-08-23 at 4.43.35 PM.jpg and this one would not Screen Shot 2014-08-23.jpg.

On the Fram filter you will need to determine which port is inlet and which is outlet. Some Frams such as those Packard used prewar had the inlet on the bottom with a flow restricting orifice in one of the brass fittings on the tubing going to the inlet side to limit flow to roughly 10% of the total available at the bottom port. The filter element should have a center opening that is sized to be snug to the pipe and bottom would sit on large washer like base near the bottom of the pipe. There would also be another washer on the end of a spring attached to the cap to seal the top of the filter and allow for different lengths. The spring also keeps the element pushed tight on the bottom seat. That snug center opening in the element and the top and bottom washers is what prevents the flow from bypassing the element. Oil enters the pipe, flows out to enter the element at the center and flows thru collecting around the outside of the filter then out to the engine. With that flow direction the small center area could clog quickly so some of the prewar filters for the 356 engine had a relief valve at the top of the pipe what would open if the filter clogged. The oil could escape the pipe and flow over the top of the element and back out. That style was not in use very long before Packard changed the plumbing and return flow back into the engine and eliminated the valve.

The black one with the small holes in the center pipe is probably postwar and correct for the car. On the postwar canisters, the function is about the same but inlet is on the side. Oil enters and surrounds the filter element then passes thru to the center pipe and back to the engine. Those filter element centers are also snug to the pipe and has the washer like base and spring top. For the postwar filters the supply side orifice in the fitting was eliminated and the small holes in the pipe are sized to provide the flow restricting orifice. They also ensure only a limited amount of oil (again approx 10%) can pass thru the filter and get out. Dirt and sediment fall to the outside of the element and because the washer the element sits on does not reach all the way to the sides it can collect at the bottom of the canister around the pipe.

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Howard, I presumed as much but with only my iPad available, renaming the image wasn't an option. I've uploaded captures before (they are in the png format) and never a problem until now.

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I suspect that this one is period-correct but from some other make so I suspect it might have a different flow rate. Better to use one from a Packard rather than guessing!

Howard, the inlet is on the side (labeled) and all the plumbing is correct from what I can tell by looking at pictures. I just don't see how the Fram assembly forces any oil through the filter. I don't see any way for oil to go from the outside of the filter, through the element, and into the center pipe. There are no openings along the length of the pipe, but it appears there are openings at the bottom of the canister, after the bottom seal of the filter. So oil essentially would come into the inlet, completely ignore the filter, then head out the outlet tube at the bottom.

I have to be missing something because that makes no sense.


****EDIT: Found it. I pulled the whole canister out and cleaned everything up on the inside. There is a single small hole on the center shaft. Couldn't see it because the hole was towards the center of the engine when the canister was installed. The bottom of the canister was covered in sludge, and is all clean now.


-Kevin

Ordering parts from Max Merritt hopefully today to get the fuel pump back on. So far no luck finding the vacuum lines, we'll see if Max has them. Going to hopefully get a heat shield, pump mounting spacers, flexible fuel line, heat riser thermal spring, and a correct battery ground cable.

Question....where is the ground strap supposed to mount? When I got the car the strap was attached to a bolt on the head that also held the oil filter assembly. Other pictures I've looked at look like a different setup. What is correct?

-Kevin