oil filter conversion

[4thgen57]

I had this same problem with my kit from Macs. I figured out I was over tightening even though I was using the torque spec in the kit. Threw away the instructions tightened til it felt good and it hasnt leaked a drop in 2 years. Dont give up, It is soooo much easier to change the oil without the canister.

[clusterbuster]

I painted up the canister with a shinny heat resistant paint, put a new filter in and now done with that phase of work. I can't figure out how over tightening would cause such a bad leak. One would think that the tighter the adapter plate was against the gasket the better seal would be obtained. The oil gushed out of it bad. Maybe some day I will address the situation again. I noticed that the filter conversion kit for the 57 V8  on the Dennis Carpenter site had the slot in the adapter plate near the bottom. Do you remember if your slot was at the top or bottom? My kit came with it at the top as the original adapter that I removed. The kit came with no instructions.

[4thgen57]

If I remember right the slot is in the top. I still have the instructions somewhere with my canister. I will try to dig them out and give you any pointers I have missed.

[clusterbuster]

Thanks 4thgen. Appreciate it.  Don

[4thgen57]

According to the instructions in my kit, the slot goes to the top, and you torque the center insert to 25 ft lbs. This may have been too tight as it kept dumping out. I just used a 3/8 ratchet and tightened like I would the drain plug and it has been fine ever since. I also used a new o-ring from one of my canisters. nothing wrong with the seal that came in the kit. just did this to try something since it wouldnt seal. Hope this helps.

[clusterbuster]

Thanks for the info 4thgen. Sometime when I get all these other projects done, I will address the situation again. Ford Blueblood also mentioned an article about an over tightening issue.

[hiball3985]

I was seeing post on another forum about problems with the after market kits leaking also.
In the back of my mind I just couldn't remember any of my 57's having a canister filter. I finally located my 57 Shop Manual and it clearly shows the V8's and I6 as using a spin on filter.

[clusterbuster]

Your shop manual must be a later version. I have the newer 57 shop manual and it shows the spin on. All 57 Fords were built with the canister type oil filter. I worked on them for several months during the year they were built and for years afterward. If you go on Ebay you can find the old style cartridge filters for those people that have not converted the original over.

[hiball3985]

My manual is dated September 1956. I know my 55 had the canister. But I can't imagine the three 57's and one 58 I owned back in the 60's had been converted. Did Ford have some program to convert them when they came in for service? So this still confuses me.
Why does the Ford Shop manual show them as spin ons ?

[4thgen57]

Ive got a 1957 Motors manual. cant find any wording yet, but the diagrams clearly show a canister.

[clusterbuster]

Don't know. All I know is I worked in a Ford garage on all these engines and also had converted my 54 Mercury hardtop V8 engine to a 312 T-Bird engine back in the 5o's and none had a spin on oil filter. I don't remember any of the 50's cars having a spin on filter let alone the 54,55, 56 & 57 Ford engines. If you must know you could probably email Fram Corp or another oil filter company and ask them when they first built the spin on for Ford, Chevy etc.

[hiball3985]

I wondering why, if they had the parts to take pictures of in 57 why they didn't put them on the cars  Here is a scan from my Ford Shop Manual.

[Ford Blue blood]

The 292 in my 61 Unibody had a canister type, the 292 in my parted out 57 Custom was a canister....

[hiball3985]

The only conclusion I can come to is they were possibly a dealer installed option. I may have just been luck and got a few cars that were converted. The adapter has a 57 part number.
215/223/262 I-6, 239/272/292/312 Y blocks used the same "Spin-On" oil filter adapter kit: B7A-6882-A

[clusterbuster]

Thinking back last night and my 1960 Ford Starliner that I owned back in 1963 had the 292 engine with the canister type oil filter also.