Standard oil filter vs Spin on

[MarkB]

Hi all

I am in the middle of restoring my Mk2 Vitesse and hope to get the engine running soon. I have a Mocal spin on adaptor with the take off's for an oil cooler which I intended on fitting to the Vitesse but means I am at the point of ordering an oil cooler and pipes. In order to save spending out at this time I was going to borrow the spin on adapter I have fitted to my GT6 mk2 which does not have the take off's for an oil cooler and revert back to the standard paper oil filter on the GT6. The GT6 engine is well worn and rattles on start up anyway and I am in the process of building a 2.5 engine to fit in its place. I know the car ran for years on a standard filter, but a bit concerned if not having an anti drain filter fitted is it going to finish off the bottom end even quicker. Whats your thoughts?

Mark

[glang]

Hello Mark, cant you just cap the adaptor take offs temporarily until youre ready to splash out on the oil cooler? And with the GT6 engine what about a change of bearings - its really cheap and easy to do with the engine in the car. If you do it in time these sixes can go on for years with out the need for expensive regrinds.....

[Nick Jones]

You can't (MUST not!) just cap off the oil cooler take-off points as this version of the adaptor has no internal path for the oil so not oil would get to the important bits!  What you can do is just to connect the two oil cooler outlet and return points together with a length of suitable hose.

Nick

[glang]

Youre right of course Nick. Ive got the adaptor without cooler and it looks like the same casting but must have something different inside.... However in Marks case fitting a hose should be even easier(woot)

[Nick Jones]

The non-cooler version has a hole drilled through the internal partition to provide a flow path.

Nick

[MarkB]

Hi all

Thanks for the replies. I've ordered a paper filter and dug out the original canister as a temporary measure, and once I have completed the 2.5 build i'll fit it to the GT6 along with an oil cooler. The Vitesse will be fitted with the adapter from the Gt6 and new anti drain filter. If i fit an oil cooler to the Vitesse it means I need to buy one now when the MX5 turbo I am building needs one first. It also means  i'll have to modify the front valance etc. on the Vitesse and at this stage i am determined to focus on getting the Vitesse engine running and back on the road after 10 years and lots of other mods.

Here is a pic of the adapter for an oil cooler

[nang]

If the hole on the right is drilled right through. you only need to blank off the cooler fittings surely. (hand)
Tony.

[Nick Jones]

Quoted from nang

If the hole on the right is drilled right through. you only need to blank off the cooler fittings surely. (hand)
Tony.

No, that's the point.  The hole in the picture is not the one in question.  They all have that one.  The non-cooler adaptors have another hole to pass the filtered oil to the engine oil gallery whereas the cooler version needs the oil to pass between the two drillings via an external route - ie through a cooler.  As I said above, you can simply link the connections with a length of hose as a temporary measure and that is what I'd do myself....

Nick