CMP Ford Flathead/Sidevalve V8 oil filters

[Jacques Reed]

I am going to use the original bypass oil filter on my Ford F15A CMP. I feel some filtration is better than no filtration at all. Not being a hot rodder (or intending to use the truck in the dusty outback) I do not see the need to modify it to a full flow type as is often done- most early civillian Flathead engines didn't have filters anyway. While researching replacement elements for it I found some peculiarities. The ID of the cannister is 4.125". As per the photo of a sample NOS element the dimensions are 3.813" OD x 5.50" long. The closest match I could find for a bypass element was a WIX 51001 which is listed for 60-61 GMC's and is 3.72" OD x 5.50" long.
The WIX 51006 is the one quoted for the flathead V8 and is 4.09" OD x 5.00" long (1/2" shorter). It also seems many filter elements listed for the 40's flatheads have a greater diameter than 4.125" and therefore will not fit, such as Fram C4, OD 4.20" and Purolator L30034, OD 4.21". They often are only 5.00" long too.
The cannister is a different design too, to most US Flathead engine filters, It has female threads on the lid retaining nut as opposed to a male retaining screw on US engines.
This is more for fellow Australian restorers, but I have found the WIX 51001 is not available here but the 51006 is- at a price. I am using a Fleetguard LF510 which is listed for the Flathead V8, and is 3.97" OD x 4.87" long and is available here. Anyone in Australia know of any other elements that fit?
Questions for our Canadian restorers: On the remains of the decal on the cannister it read: "Ford Oil Conditioner" "Made Expressly for Ford Motor Company Canada"
Then it looks like "Pres.....something. Prestolite maybe? Does anyone make decals for Ford Canada Flathead engines?
My original air cleaner servicing decal also says "Made in Canada"
All decals sold by Mac's, Dennis Carpenter, etc, are for US engines and say "Made in USA"

[Jacques Reed]

Since the previous post I found the Australian agents for WIX filters, Engine Australia, and low and behold they have some 51001 filters in stock and at just $10.60 each so I got a couple. Even with domestic air freight from Brisbane they were cheaper than the Fleetguard 510 I had bought locally.

Even though they are listed for 60's GMC trucks, Clark lift, and Graymarine applications I am 99.9% certain it is the right one for this particular oil filter cannister as it is identical diameter and height as my NOS sample on the left in the picture. It is a bypass type filter too.

There is a slight difference in the bottom hole diameter: 0.552" and the top hole diameter: 0.480" and when I had a good look inside the cannister there is a thin collar at the bottom which would account for the two different size holes.

It fits like a glove so between the three new ones I have a few years supply of this consummable.

They can be contacted at: sales@engineaustralia.com.au

Mark Bryers, who I dealt with, was very helpful and said he was also ordering in some 51006 elements which are listed for the Ford sidevalve V8's. They are shorter like the Fleetguard 510's and are a closer fit in the cannister. I believe the later 8BA Ford engines used a more squat cannister than the earlier wartime engines so these may refer to them. They will be coming in in January. Same price as the 51001's.
Hope this is of good use to fellow Australian CMP truck restorers.

Cheers,

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here is a NOS filter I bought from LWD parts. Other than the first example I had, this one has slight rust from storage (what to expect after 70 years?) so I'll keep it for show.

This is what was listed on the label:

Wix oil filter element

NA/AG 172
Ford C11Q-18663
G.M. 853472
Chysler 923768

Dimensions are (approx.):
Diameter: 96 mm / 3.8 inch
Height: 133 mm / 5.2 inch

Ford oil filter element.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Cross reference to the thread Purolator oil filter N-51 .

Apparently this is the "Junior Military Filter".

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Jaques,

RE your decals: if you know what the decal originally looked like, or can get someone on here to provide you with a good digital image, you could use Photoshop/Powerpoint to re-create it and the appropriate printer paper to make what you need as a slide-off transfer.

Stephen White has done it in 1/6th scale for the fire extinguishers on his Centurion tank model. Check out the process he used at:

http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/vi...bb12&start=885

Mike

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for that info. Unfortunately I do not have any good image of the decal required other wise I would spend a few cold days this spring with Paint.net reproducing it as I did with the switch plate decals last year.

The only thing I have is the photo of the remnants as show in a previous post.

I tried to guess some of the missing wording. "Oil Conditioner" "Made Expressly for Ford Motor Company (of Canada?)" seems OK but after that all I see is "TR---" "PRES---"

Perhaps "Transportation Division" and "By Prestolite" but only an educated guess.

Anyone out there have a photo with the missing words? I could probably do a reasonable repro if I know the exact wording and I can estimate dimensions from the photo fairly accurately. Don't want to spend hours doing a "Chinese" interpretation. There is enough of that junk out there in the market. I won't add to it.

I have seen a couple of American decals for the Oil Conditioner but they are substantially different.

Cheers,

[Keith Webb]

I spoke with them a couple of days ago (August 2022) and they told me their entire stock of oil filters was lost in the recent floods and they are getting out of the oil filter business.

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

Since the previous post I found the Australian agents for WIX filters, Engine Australia, and low and behold they have some 51001 filters in stock and at just $10.60 each so I got a couple. Even with domestic air freight from Brisbane they were cheaper than the Fleetguard 510 I had bought locally.

Even though they are listed for 60's GMC trucks, Clark lift, and Graymarine applications I am 99.9% certain it is the right one for this particular oil filter cannister as it is identical diameter and height as my NOS sample on the left in the picture. It is a bypass type filter too.

There is a slight difference in the bottom hole diameter: 0.552" and the top hole diameter: 0.480" and when I had a good look inside the cannister there is a thin collar at the bottom which would account for the two different size holes.

It fits like a glove so between the three new ones I have a few years supply of this consummable.

They can be contacted at: sales@engineaustralia.com.au

Mark Bryers, who I dealt with, was very helpful and said he was also ordering in some 51006 elements which are listed for the Ford sidevalve V8's. They are shorter like the Fleetguard 510's and are a closer fit in the cannister. I believe the later 8BA Ford engines used a more squat cannister than the earlier wartime engines so these may refer to them. They will be coming in in January. Same price as the 51001's.
Hope this is of good use to fellow Australian CMP truck restorers.

Cheers,