E: Engine Paper Oil Filters for Comets/Meteors

[Trickymicky]

If using a paper oil filter on a Comet/Meteor, it's worth checking the crankcase is machined suitably where a paper filter will seat, mine and some others i have heard of do not have a suitable contact area, leaving no choice but to use the original type.

 

[Graham Smith]

If its a Comet, i'd check that the crankcase is machined suitably where a paper filter will seat, mine and some others i have heard of do not have a suitable contact area, leaving no choice but to use the original type.

When Ian was MD at the Spares Company, I think he produced some sort of tool they used to loan out, so the rough casting could be cleaned up so it was possible to use the paper type filters.

I'm sure there's a post here somewhere, but as we currently can't search, I can't find it.

Maybe Ian can tell us?

 

[Ian Savage]

No, the VOCSC did not have a tool for this. A method was described on this forum but I can't remember by who. It was some kind of end mill arrangement made from a hole saw, but I could be making all that up!
This only applies to Comets. To check, there is a raised boss at the far end of the chamber if it is concentric with the threaded hole all's good. If not you need to see if the filter will fit over the boss, we enlarged the holes in the ends of the filter as much as we could possibly as long as 8 years ago.
The old felt fitter is fine as it deforms to fit.

 

[Ian Savage]

Hi All,

I had a few NOS felt filters, I have soaked one in new oil to use. The question is would you use it in your machine after a long time on the shelf?

What’s the general preference of owners felt filters or single use filters?

Cheers

Gene, the felt filters were made from wool, so long as there not been infested by bugs you are ok to use them however old they are.
Felt filter are small surface area but thick, paper filters are large surface area but thin. When the VOCSC commissioned the specialist oil filter manufacturer to make the paper type we gave them all the data we could find and samples of the felt ones. They were a bit taken aback when they were told some owners washed out the felt filter and reused them.
We had to explain that some owners so tight they squeak when they walk.

 

[lee_812d]

It was on here, #24 Oil Filter Woes

 

[Graham Smith]

No, the VOCSC did not have a tool for this. A method was described on this forum but I can't remember by who. It was some kind of end mill arrangement made from a hole saw, but I could be making all that up!

Yes, I remember a hole saw being mentioned.

 

[Peter Holmes]

I have to confess it was me that used a hole saw, I am aware it sounds awfully crude, but I kept the hole saw central to the filter chamber using a thick plywood disk the same diameter as the filter chamber, with a central hole the same diameter as the hole saw, and then very carefully removed the eccentric rich casting. I do not consider this to be the perfect solution, I am aware that there are far superior engineering solutions out there, but I was just able to use tools that I already had in my toolbox, the teeth of the hole saw were set just enough to remove enough metal, and it enabled me to use the new type (at that time) paper filters, which due to the rich casting I was unable to do before I took my hole saw to it.

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

If its a Comet, i'd check that the crankcase is machined suitably where a paper filter will seat, mine and some others i have heard of do not have a suitable contact area, leaving no choice but to use the original type.

Mick,I have a tool which incorporates an end mill cutter which cleans the inner face of the oil filter chamber on a comet so modern paper oil filters seal perfectly flat and any strange enriched casting are machined to fit the modern paper filters. It can be used on a fully assembled engine and takes 5 minutes max. Can pop round one day and apply it to your bike if interested.
simon

 

[ericg]

Mick,I have a tool which incorporates an end mill cutter which cleans the inner face of the oil filter chamber on a comet so modern paper oil filters seal perfectly flat and any strange enriched casting are machined to fit the modern paper filters. It can be used on a fully assembled engine and takes 5 minutes max. Can pop round one day and apply it to your bike if interested.
simon

Any picture of the tool Simon?

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

Eric
Here is the tool. Its actually an old piloted counterbore tool I had. I just took a grinder to the inner edges of cutting face so to leave the protruding boss at the bottom of the filter chamber but if the boss has been cast a large irregular shape it will trim it so the centre hole of the paper filters goes over.

I sleeved the pilot end so it fits nicely in the hole in the bottom of the oil filter chamber where the long banjo bolt goes into through the timing cover. The large diameter disc fits nicely into the oil fiter chamber open end to add support. The cutter is rotated with a hand held battery drill and because the cutter is not too sharp once the face is flat you can feel it skidding so very difficult to remove too much.

It can be used on a complete engine. Just clean the oil fiter chamber then block the oil hole in the chamber side that goes to the oil pump with some blutack or kiddies play-doh to stop swarf and when finished clean up and remove the play-doh. It took longer to type all this than it takes to do an engine.

Please note this is for single crankcases only as the twin cases are different inside the bottom of the oil filter chamber so they are not a problem.

Simon