Hello all,

I'm trying to install the original oil filter canister on my 66ss and had a question about tightening it. I have the bypass valve body installed and have the square cut seal in too. I then put the canister with the bolt through it in and try to tighten it but it doesn't get very tight until it loosens again...kinda like when you strip a bold. I'm assuming that it gets threaded on the valve body since I don't see any threads in the block or anything.

How tight should this thing be. At the tightest I can get it, the canister still moves a bit.

Thanks much for any help you can give.

Corey

www.ChevelleSS.com (http://www.ChevelleSS.com)

Corey, I have the same set up on my 66 396 that I recently installed in my 66 Malibu. I also had the same identical canister installed on my original 66 283 for years in this car. I can assure you, you can smoke it down with a 7/8 LONG box end wrench and it will get tight, that is what I use. I have the torque value out in my shop if you need it. The threads are in the block for sure. I am wondering if by some chance yours has a short bolt installed. When you just get it started in the block you should have close to an 1" before the canister will make contact with the bypass valve. Hope this helps if not let me know and I can measure my 283 unit for you if that would help.
P.S. Now I am just asking, could it be that the bypass valve is in upside down, if so I would think that you would not have as much thread engagement. Just a thought.
Jesse Robertson

Thanks for the reply Jesse. I thought the bypass valve could only go one way, the flat side against the block and the gasket. I'll check the bolt size but it sticks out of the canister a few inches. I tried shining a light up in the block and I don't see any threads. Maybe I'll just put the bolt in to see if it engages.

Thanks

Corey

I am not sure either if the valve can go in either way. But I am WELL almost positive the treads have to be in the block, I could be wrong. Mine is in a box but if need be I can get to it later if that will help you compare or whatever. If you would let me know what you find out OK??

Good luck.

Jesse

With respect to how tight it should be there should be NO I repeat NO movement of the canister after it is tightened. I ran a 283 for years with your setup and changed oil many many times. Once you use the 7/8" wrench tightening properly you'll see what I mean. Your square cut gasket fits in between the oil filter bypass body and the block with absolutely no room to spare. There should be no issue of over tightening the can if you use reasonable common sense.

As best as I remember there is a wider flat circumfrential area on the bypass that goes against the block but its been a long number of years since I looked at one. As I recall the bypass body was held on the block with (2) 1/4" bolts. Perhaps you could look on the body for the origional seating area for those bolts to see how it was first bolted up. I am pretty sure mine had lock washers so there was never any question in my mind as to which side went to the block.

Finally unless I am badly mistaken the canister bolt threads into a hole in the block but then again its been several decades since I saw that setup. Removing the bypass body for a sec and looking at the block sure would clear the issue right up. smile.gif

Stupid question do you have the original 66 block
in the car or is it a later model? Like a 68. I just put a LS6 in my 66ss and I wanted to keep the look as a 66 block. I wanted to use the canister but I had to machine the block for it to fit properly. The threaded hole was there but the casting is different. If it is a 66 than there shouldn't be a problem. I have run the canister on my last two cars and never had a problem with leaks just a little messy when changing filters.

Well, I finally looked into the block to check the threads and they appear to be stripped. That would explain the bolt tightening and loosening. What would be the best remedy here, drill and tap an over size bolt thread, heli-coil, ???

Or am I better off getting a conversion kit for a spin-on type oil filter... does the conversion kit even use these threads at all???

Thanks for the help so far.

I broke the old bolt off in the block on my 65 so I had to go with one of the conversions. There are 2 conversions. One uses a ford filter sold by fram. Other uses chev filter. Both are held on by 2ea 1/4 bolts.