I was priming my new 67 396 last night and while watching the lifter bores and pushrods for oil,all my new oil and EOS dumped on the floor past the oil filter.After letting my rage subside I took the filter off and found a crack in the adapter and crusty O rings.I went to the local parts store this morning and picked up a new trans dapt adapter but have some questions about the install.There are two large holes in the adapter clearly marked to be used as bolt holes on big blocks,the problem is the holes themselves are MUCH larger than the 1/4in bolts,the bolts are super sloppy in the holes and the heads of the bolts can almost pull through the holes,i dont understand why it is made this way?Am I supposed to put a washer underneath the bolt heads so the bolt doesnt pull through the adapter?,none were included,it just doesnt make sense to me !

Dean,
More details please. Your engine, if it is a 67, should have a canister filter on it. Do you still have the canister, or has it been converted to a spin on filter ? If it has been converted, you should still have the original canister mount/bypass valve mounted to the block also ? I have a Wix spin on adapter sitting in front of me and it comes with both size bolts ( 1/4 & 5/16) and has both size holes in it also. Cant say about the Trans Dapt one.

Dean,
Here is a picture of the Wix adapter:

Hi Bill,yes my motor has been converted,it has the original bypass valve and then a trans dapt filter adapter.If I use the 2 large holes like it says to then the bolt heads will pull thru the holes,they are too large,your wix one looks as though the holes arent as big.I have 2 options,either use two of the smaller holes or use washers on the large holes,i dont know why it says to use the 2 large holes only on big blocks?Do later big blocks use a larger bolt to fasten the bypass valve?Do you have a part # for the wix version?Maybe I can score one at napa,heres a link to a pic of the trans dapt one,
Dean.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Trans-Dapt-1059-Adapter-Oil-Filter-13-16-16-Thread_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1 247QQcategoryZ46098QQihZ014QQitemZ330217221811QQrd Z1QQsspagenameZWD1V

Dean,
The Wix part number is 24061. I dont see any reason that you cant use the one you have and just turn it to use the correct size holes. That is what the Wix instructions say to do. I cannot imagine that it would not work. I think some of the last big blocks with canisters might have used the larger bolts.

Thanks Bill,I will just use the smaller holes,makes more sense.i found out the original adapter cracked because the bolts we used to mount the engine to the stand were 1/4 in too long and one went right against the adapter and cracked it !

What was that again? bell housing bolt went into the oil filter pad? This is making me real nervous. Can you post a pic of this deal?

I don't recall seeing bellhousing bolts going into oil filter mount. How would that not leak like a big dog?

Bill, are you up on this deal?

Tom,
A lot of the small block bellhousing bolt holes go into the oil filter mount area. They are not in an area where they will cause a leak.

Thanks Bill,I will just use the smaller holes,makes more sense.i found out the original adapter cracked because the bolts we used to mount the engine to the stand were 1/4 in too long and one went right against the adapter and cracked it !

Good catch, it's something happens more often that people realize!

Bill: It affects the BB's as well!! That single tranny hole goes clear through to the filter area!!

Short story:

We delivered a '67 396 BB 100% "resto", except for the oil-canister. Customer asked to supply finished build with filter-adapter.

All went fine, he took delivery and mounted on his own engine stand for prepping and painting! After he installed it he had a slight leak at rear area. First he condemned rear main seal, but we had no issues in the dyno room! I told him it couldn't be the rear main!

About a week later he stopped over with filter-adapter we supplied and showed me the crack in the side where he coudn't see it while in place. The engine stand bolt from his stand was just long enough to put a very slight crack in the casting.

First time I'd seen that in all my years of doing this "stuff"!!

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. The bolt size for mounting the original G.M. adapter on the canister style SB's and BB's was 1/4"-20 threads, when G.M. went to the "spin-on" filters they increased the mounting bolts to 5/16"-18.

A real good way to tell an early block is by the dia. of the filter mounting holes. 1/4in is an early block and 5/16s is a later block. I have not looked at the Wix part but the older style adapters have 2 different part numbers for early and later blocks. Aside from the bolt size difference the adaper for the later block won't allow any oil to go through the filter of an early block.