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MG MGA - Oil filter head splash plate?

I have just changed my oil filter element - Baldwin P172 - and noticed the filter head does not have the splash plate as mentioned on Barney's site http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/of100.htm
Is this splash plate really necessary when the filter element has metal ends? Also the splash plate doesn't appear to be listed in the Moss catalogue or diagrams of the original oil filter setups. Is it supposed to be part of the filter head therefore not shown as a separate part or is it just obscured in the view.
Regards
Mike
PS If you have trouble lying under the car, trying to fit the filter assembly and you only have two hands and need three - give it away for the day and come back the following day with a new mental attitude and the bolt will find the hole first time - well it did for me! What an ugly job.
Mike Ellsmore (1)

Mike,

It is a bit difficult to understand what you have.
Do you have a felt type element with exposed sides, but with metal ends? If so, without the splash plate will not the metal ends cut off the oil supply through the square hole? This why there is a gap beteween the splash plate and the filter head, it allows passage of the oil from the square hole to the outside surface of the element.

Mick
M F Anderson

Mike,

I have found your filter P172 (image attached).
Even though it has a raised ring on the top surface of the element I doubt that it gives enough clearance from the square hole of the filter head.
I believe that the main oil flow from the square hole will be restricted with no splash plate.
You need to check diameters, but the raised ring on the top of the element could even fit over the bypass valve and totally block it.
If you cannot find a splash plate you could make your own.

Mick


M F Anderson

Thanks Mick,
Yes - your image shows the filter element I used. Even though my filter head does not have a splash plate, the mechanic who serviced the car for the previous owner (from a reputable Melbourne MG garage - no names mentioned) has fitted an additional fibre washer (about 1 mm thick) that goes against the base of the filter head (not on the spiggot like the splash plate) to increase the clearance between the filter head and the filter element metal top. It must be working okay as it has been running like this for the 3 years that I have had the car (5,000 kms a year) - this is my third filter change.
I will take your advice and make up a correct splash plate to be sure, to be sure!
Mike
Mike Ellsmore (1)

Mike,

If making a splash plate use a metal thickness that will not distort, or it could finish up worse than the current situation. Take note of the photos on Barney's site, the hole in the centre of the splash plate should should fit over the smaller diameter, but not the larger diameter. Another reason for using a thicker, stronger, plate is that it cannot be forced over the larger diameter.
Don't make the overall diameter too large as this is where the oil flows over the edge of the splash plate to then be evenly spread over the total element surface.
If you get the centre hole of the splash plate correct it will be a firm hand press fit so that it will not fall out every time you change the element.
One reason why a mechanic may have replaced the splash plate with a 1mm washer is that the filter element is a bit too long. Check that also.

Mick
M F Anderson

Does anyone out there in cyberspace have the thickness of the original splash plate?
Mike
Mike Ellsmore (1)

Originally 20 Ga. - 0.0359-inch
It wouldn't hurt to use 18 Ga. - 0.0478-inch
Barney Gaylord

Thanks Barney - I knew I could rely on you.
Mike
Mike Ellsmore (1)

Gents,
An update on the my splash plate saga -
Fellow Victorian MGA Register member, Jim McKenzie, had a couple of spare Purolator oil filter heads with the splash plates intact under his house. He graciously pulled one of these apart for me so I could have the splash plate (my filter head is nicely painted).
Lo and behold under the splash plate was a black fibre spacer washer 1 1/2" OD, 1 5/32" ID, 3/32" thick, similar to what was already on my filter head (that I had mistakenly estimated at 1 mm thick in an earlier post). This washer is used to hold the splash plate off the filter head.
Splash plate dimensions are 2 13/16" OD, 1 5/32" ID, 0.035" (20 gauge)thick. The splash plate is held in place by two burrs (maybe the correct term is "staking" as on Barney's site) formed by chiselling or centre puching the machined spiggot ring on the filter head (looks like it was done with some form of broach in the Purolator factory).
I hope this trivia is of some use to others.
Regards
Mike



Mike Ellsmore (1)

I cannot imagine why a fiber washer might be used, unless the factory thought it might be a seal. Note that there are two different spigot diameters on these adapters, and the splash plates will not be interchangeable. There are Late Tecalemit and Purolator type. So far I have not figured out which is which.
Barney Gaylord

Mike,

This is not trivia. It is very important as many MGA owners may be having very restricted oil flow if their filter fitting is incorrect.
You have introduced a new problem when you say "This washer is used to hold the splash plate off the filter head". Do you mean that the spigot on you friend's filter head did not have two different diameters to hold the splash plate away from the filter head?
If this is the case then the washer is critical for correct oil flow.
If it does have the two diameters then Barney's suggestion that it is a seal is probably correct. Eeven if the splash plate fits firmly around the spigot some oil could pass through there. It will not be filtered if it does.
Maybe the two diameters AND the washer are required.


Mick
M F Anderson

Gents,
On the (2) filter heads we inspected both are original Purolator type that had the splash plates intact.
The splash plate clearance from the oil entry hole is determined by the thickness of the fibre washer - this makes sense as it has a lot more bearing surface than the small machined section on the spiggot (or nozzle) of the filter head. The splash plate does not sit on the step of the smaller diameter of the nozzle but goes over the larger diameter and sits on the fibre washer. The step in the nozzle (or spigott) of the filter head is only there so it can be burred over (deformed) to hold the splash plate in place. On the heads we inspected there were two burrs (deformations) at 90 deg. about 2 mm wide that have been deformed to lock the splash plate in place (done with a machined tool - not a hammer and chisel or centre punch).
On Barney's site you can see one of these burrs (indents of deformations) on the right hand picture - the splash plate in the picture on the left doesn't seem to be far enough on the nozzle - it needs to be below this indent or burr.
When I remove my filter head I will scan it to show what I mean.
Regards
Mike
Mike Ellsmore (1)

The final word from me on the splash plate saga!
Firstly what I am saying relates to the PurOlator oil filter fitted to MGAs. Mine is definitely a Purolator - on the boss where pipe fitting goes into the filter head it has the words embossed on the casting "PurOlator reg. trade mark".

The nozzle on the filter side is 11 mm high overall, the larger diameter is 29 mm and reduces to 27 mm diameter 6 mm above the face with square oil inlet hole (sorry for the metric dimensions guys but Australia went metric in 1974). See image of the filter head showing the stepped nozzle.

On the next post I have shown the image with the fibre washer fitted (2.3 mm thick, 38 mm OD, 29 mm ID).

On the post after that I have shown the splash plate fitted (71 mm OD, 29 mm ID, 1 mm thick). You will see from this image that it is now sitting below the step (you can also do the maths to prove it). This assembly on the original units is held in place by 4 deformations on the machined step equi-spaced at 90 degrees (done by some form of mechanised press) about 3 mm wide each. You can just see on the image what is left of these deformation (I think they eventual wore away). I am now going to recreate with a specially ground chisel. Wish me luck!

Regards
Mike




Mike Ellsmore (1)

second image


Mike Ellsmore (1)

third image


Mike Ellsmore (1)

Ah, this is jolly good fun. With the additional information provided by Mike Ellsmore on the Purolator filter head, I have been able to clear up some more mysteries. I will now concede that the splash plate on the Purolator filter does indeed fit over the larger spigot diameter along with the fiber washer, and Mike's description of the assembly is spot on.

I have also found a late Tecalemit filter head and now have pictures and detailed dimensions of that one on my web page as well. The Tecalemit part has a larger diameter center spigot with three steps and a substantially stronger crimp design, and the splash plate there does sit on a shoulder with no fiber washer. See updated web page here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/of100.htm

Additionally I have been able to resolve some questions on the Think Automotive spin-on adapter which is used in conjunction with the original filter head. The final answer there is that is works with the late Tecalemit filter head, but not with the Purolator filter head, because of a difference in the spigot diameter. See here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/of100b.htm

I think it was John Twist of University Motors who once said that three out of four cars coming into his shop were missing some parts in these original oil filter assemblies. I can believe it. I have had four of them in my possession in recent years, two were missing the splash plate, one was missing the fiber washer, two were missing some of the parts in the bottom end required to support and seal ends of the filter element. The only ones that were complete and fully functional as received were the cars I drove in the late 1960's (nearly new then).

Anyone still using the original cannister type oil filter(s) had best review the entire assembly next time they change their oil filter (or sooner). I'm pretty sure there are LOTS of MGA running around without complete filtering of the engine oil.
Barney Gaylord

This thread was discussed between 03/10/2008 and 10/10/2008

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