1940 346 engine oil filter P/N

[pauldridge]

Who has the common part number for the canister-style oil filter on the 346 engines?

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

By the colors, that looks like a Fram aftermarket unit. I have a similar one on my 1940 LaSalle. It uses a Fram C-4P element. These are easily sourced and have crossovers in NAPA and other brands. If you want to be sure, the element that is in yours probably has a readable brand and number still on it.

[Doug Houston]

The V8 cars from 1936 thru 1948 were not equipped with oil filters from the factory.  There were oil filters offered as aftermarket kits from Fram and Purolator. They were by-pass types and, while not the perfect solution to filtering, they were better than nothing.

Note that in 1937, there was an oil filter located in the feed pipe from the oil gallery to the lifters. It appears to have been dropped during the model year. and never serviced in the parts books.

[markl]

Phil,
Was just up where my LaSalle stuff is stored and I dug out the box that has a new oil filter cartridge waiting to be installed.  My LaSalle is a 37 and is one of the few V-8's (346 or 322 ci) that originally was fitted w/ an oil filter at the factory.  So w/ that factoid in mind (yours may be different), here is what I have:  The filter cartridge  and the box clearly state that it is a NAPA 1100, made by Gard Corporation of Gastonia, NC.  Believe that is the underlying manufacturer for NAPA filters to this day. It also gives the following interchange information: GM 5573607 & 5576139, WIX PC-100 & PC-100P, AC P115, FRAM C-21 & C21P, HASTINGS 207 & PUROLATOR P-51.

Now granted, this box is probably 35-40 years old, and some of the manufacturers may be out of business or may have changed their numbering systems.  But it is a starting point, and certainly the NAPA number should ring true or at least give you a current number in their system.

So, most importantly, let us all know what you come up w/.  In particular, it would be of interest to know if your Fram (presumably) retrofit filter can uses the same cartridge as the 1937 factory installed filter set up.

Mark Lowery, CLC #25216

[Doug Houston]

As far as te replacement cartridges go, I'm gonna throw out a wild guess that the cartridge in the Fram and Puirolator was the P-115. Cadillac did put filters o their engines way late in the game, and there is one on the '56 engine. I seem to recall that the cart for it is also a P-115.

I'm having the engine o my '41 Chevrolet rebuilt now, and it has the same aftermarket  filter and I think it's a P-115

Check it out