Cartridge vs spin on oil filter?

[TJ Hopland]

I have never dealt with cartridge oil filters before, the few engines under my care that were old enough to have em had been converted to a spin on.   The cartridge filter looks to be a decent filter and with the drain plug in the canister it seems like its even a less messy job to change than a spin on.   Is there really a down side to keeping the cartridge?  Do they tend to leak?  Filter was in stock at my local Napa for about the same cost as any other gold class oil filter. 

[Jon S]

Spin ons are designed for Full Flow filtering systems; cartridges were not.  I'm from the school of keep things for how they were designed to work.  Cartridges filter the oil just fine.

[dplotkin]

Cartridges used on Chevrolet automobiles were also full flow, and changing them often involved an armpit of oil. Don't know if Cadillac used them or if after the bypass canister type they went directly to spin-on's.

Dan

[Coupe Deville]

I know 1960 was the first year of the spin on type filter.

[savemy67]

Hello TJ,

My Cadillacs had spin-on filters, but my Chevrolets had cartridges.  I do not think there is a down-side to the cartridge type filter except that my Chevrolets had three pieces to contend with instead of one: canister, cartridge, gasket.  On my Chevrolets, the bolt in the bottom of the canister was not a drain plug.  It was a through-bolt to attach the canister to the block.  When the canister was removed it was important to keep the canister in a vertical position or else you would get an armpit of oil as Dan said.

When I was a poor college student at the University of Minnesota, the price of cartridge filters was less than spin-on filters, and I was pretty faithful when it came to changing the oil and filter every 2000 miles in the old Biscayne.  Some people contend that cartridge filters, being larger than spin-on filters in some cases, actually have more filtering area.  I haven't done any research lately on this topic, but I have heard that cartridges are making a come-back (BMW, Toyota, Chevrolet) for a number of reasons.

Christopher Winter

[Jon S]

Cadillac recommended changing the cartridge every other oil change or at 4,000 mile intervals.   I always changed the oil and cartridge at 2,000 miles.

If one uses a suction pump or even a turkey baster, cleaning the old oil out of the housing is quite simple and only requires a paper towel to assure all old oil is removed.  No mess, no hassle.

[Jay Friedman]

I siphon the old oil out of my '49's cartridge filter to a drain pan after removing the old cartridge.  However, it seems that no matter how careful I am with everything, I still manage to get small amounts of oil on the floor or motor.  My wife would say it's just because I'm a slob, but with all the gooey old oil being transferred from one place to another, I think it's inevitable.  I can also drain the old oil from the filter housing's drain plug, but this means putting a funnel under the housing and running a hose from the funnel down to a drain pan under the car which is also a mess waiting to happen. 

I haven't dealt with a spin-on oil filter in some years since my modern car's oil gets changed by a pro, but I think they are less messy.

[Jon S]

I siphon the old oil out of my '49's cartridge filter to a drain pan after removing the old cartridge.  However, it seems that no matter how careful I am with everything, I still manage to get small amounts of oil on the floor or motor.  My wife would say it's just because I'm a slob, but with all the gooey old oil being transferred from one place to another, I think it's inevitable.

Next time try a turkey baster and a jar.  It works quite well!

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Next time try a turkey baster and a jar.  It works quite well!

And make sure you wash the baster before putting it back in the kitchen cupboard.

Bruce.

[Jon S]

And make sure you wash the baster before putting it back in the kitchen cupboard.

Bruce.

LOL

[David Greenburg]

I used a small suction gun ( sort of a reverse grease gun) with my '59.

[TJ Hopland]

I assume a full flow vs. bypass filter can't be easily converted?   That would require internal plumbing changes to the engine?   The conversion kits I have seen appear to be what looks to be an adapter plate.   I assume these just make a spin on filter fit and don't change how they work?  So if its a full flow it will still be and if it was a bypass its still a bypass?   If its still a bypass wouldn't you want a different filter?   Aren't bypass filters usually different material than the full flow ones?  Or don't they make the conversion plates for bypass systems? 

I remember a late 80's or early 90's GM 4 cylinder that the oil filter was a cartridge that fit into a big cap in the oil pan.  It wasn't my car so I don't remember the details.    My 13 VW TDI is a cartridge.  On that you unscrew a cap from the top and the cartridge lifts out with the cap.   One thing I don't like is if there was crap that was not trapped in the filter it then would be floating loose in the cup which could then get into the in port to the engine.   When I do that one I use my 'mighty vac' to suck all the oil and hopefully crap out of the cup before I drop the new filter in.