Choose your oil filter carefully

Robert Perkins
Jan 20, 2024
1 min read

Learn from my stupid mistake. My local AutoZone stopped carrying the Fram PH16/TG16 filters that I've used for forever, so I bought the STP S16XL that advertises itself as a direct replacement.

(For reference -- I drive a '73 B that uses spin-off oil filters.)

It's *close*... and on the outside, identical. But inside it has a metal platform that reduces clearance by about 1/2" to 3/4" -- enough to block the oil output tube on the oil filter adapter.

That blockage created an air bubble that killed oil pressure on my engine and touched off a month's worth of trouble-shooting and came within an ace of me removing my entire engine to pull it back apart -- until a friend of mine suggested the obvious solution, which I'd already dismissed.

Don't me like me, and don't make this mistake.

2 Comments

wbacall

Jan 20, 2024

Glad you figured it out before the engine was damaged. This has been a known issue since the cars first came with that filter head. I use the Mobil 1 M1-204 filter. However always check for clearance between the sand tube and the inside of the filter.

Robert Perkins

Jan 21, 2024

Replying to

A good call, and would've saved me some grief. Seriously -- I'd pulled the oil pan and the oil pump looking for issues; the oil pressure regulator (the worst part on the engine to reach, IMHO); and the timing cover -- all searching for a leak. I was moments away from yanking the engine when my neighbor ran up with an MG Experience link on his phone talking about this very problem. Dumb mistake on my part, but the resolution was good.