[rob mcdonald]

Originally Posted by CarlG

Of the several types of filter "kits" available, which one seems to work the best and is user friendly when changing the filter?

You may want to read the article in the “Model A Times” Volume One, Issue Three, July 2005.

The first filter kit reviewed, “A Ford Able Full Flow” is nearly a full flow but the filter is in the horizontal position with the bottom pointing outward. This kit is sold by most of the Model A suppliers.
I presently have one and recognized immediately that about 50% of the oil in this filter position drains back into both the valve chamber and some % of that backward into the pump. This means that after the car sits the oil pump must pump maybe 6 to 10 ounces to refill the filter before any oil is fully flowing into the valve camber and then to the mains.
I do not like the delay of oil flow! I have just purchased an expensive adapter to mount the filter vertical to keep the filter full and able to push oil into the value chamber immediately. Also less mess with the vertical.

The second filter kit reviewed was the “Timing Gear Cover” partial flow and I do not know if this system is still sold. But the review by “Model A Times” stated “ineffective”.

The third filter kit reviewed, “A Very Oil Filter” was sold exclusively by Mike’s and I had two prior to the “Model A Times” article. I liked this option because of the vertical no mess position of the filter with no major oil drain back plus the partial bypass instant flow.
This filter kit provided a copper sleeve to place around the oil pump drive gear that forced roughly 65% of the oil through the filter.
The drawbacks I heard for this filter is the “uneven mounting” of the filter adapter on an original valve cover that turned the filter into a vertical no mess position. Also the copper sleeve was not tightly mounted by one buyer.
This filter is no longer sold by Mike’s but he has had several people ask for his design primarily due to the no mess no drain back design.

If you could see the inside of the first filter I replaced on each of my three installations you may be amazed at the amount of heavy dirt particles the filter trapped. I kept the first filter on my last installation to try to find a camera that will capture the dirt.

This points out how effective a filter may be for our dirty old Model A’s. Also it is important we change the filters frequently until we are confident the filter will not become blocked and depending on the type of filter kit starve the engine of oil.

I am interested in the experience from others with filters.

And I realize there are many who have driven 100,000 miles on the original Babbitt and only change the oil twice. Oh and the oil was 2nd hand from the family sedan.

The FordBarn is great.