1956-67 V8 Oil Filter Conversion

In 1956, the oil filter used on a V8 engine was changed from a remote type oil filter that was mounted on the intake manifold to a block-mounted oil filter down low at the rear of the engine. This was a far superior design to 1955 as the oil was filtered before it ever went through the engine, and there were no external oil hoses to leak. In addition, the top of the engine was cleaned up quite a bit, making the engine even easier to work on.

The oil filter used was a canister type while the filter itself sat down in the removable canister. This design was used on V8 engines until 1968 when GM developed the spin-on type oil filter for V8 engines. This was the next step in developing a better oil filtration system by having the oil filter and canister as one disposable unit making it easier to change. The new filter was not so messy, and the spin-on design sealed better to the block than the canister type filter.

It is very easy to convert the old canister type filter over to a spin-on using a simple adapter and modern filter as outlined in this article. The kit fits small block and big block Chevy engines.

Parts List

• 18-327 Spin-On Filter
• 18-328 Spin-On Filter Adapter
• 57-132133-1 1956-66 Oil Filter Valve Assembly
• 57-132152-1 1956-67 Spin-On Oil Filter Adapter Kit
• 18-325 Filtermag Regular Oil Filter Magnet
• 18-326 Filtermag Heavy Duty Oil Filter Magnet

Tools Needed

• 3/4" Socket Wrench
• 7/16" Wrench

Time Frame

1 Hour

Oil Filter Conversion Images

Here are images related to the oil filter conversion process:

Image 1: The oil filter assembly on small and big block Chevy engines is located at the rear of the engine next to the oil on the driver's side of the engine.

Image 2: The oil filter canister is held to the engine block with a 3/4" right-hand thread bolt in the center of the canister.

Image 3: The original oil filter is a cartridge type filter that is installed inside the oil filter canister.

Image 4: The valve assembly, PIN 57-132133-1, between the engine block and the oil filter element allows oil to bypass the oil filter if the filter ever becomes completely blocked. This helps prevent engine failure on cars with lots of sludge build-up.

Image 5: There is a gasket that seals the valve assembly to the engine block. This gasket must be in good shape and leak-free. If the gasket is leaking, unfiltered oil will return to the engine.

Image 6: The spin-on oil filter adapter PIN 18-328 (supplied with kit 18-70) mounts up in the block over the valve assembly, PIN 57-132133-1. The outer ring of the adapter seals to the engine block using a new o-ring seal supplied with the adapter. There is a machined ring in the center of the adapter. The smaller o-ring seal supplied with the adapter should be installed here to seal against the valve assembly.

Image 7: Two 7/16" x 1 1/2" bolts are supplied with the adapter kit to hold it in place. Remove the two original bolts that hold the valve assembly to the engine block, but leave the valve in place. The two new bolts will go through the oil filter adapter, through the bypass assembly, and into the engine block.

Image 8: A 3/4" nipple and thread locker is supplied with the oil filter adapter. Place a few drops of the thread locker on one end of the 3/4" nipple and screw it into the filter adapter. Allow the thread locker to dry for one hour.

Image 9: The new spin-on filter, PIN 18-327 (supplied with kit 18-70), will now screw onto the filter adapter and provide a clean, leak-free seal.

Image 10: For the final step in your valuable engine, you may want to consider installing a Filtermag, PIN 18-325 or 18-326. This high-power magnet wraps around the oil filter and traps any metal debris throughout the engine. This will help the filter do a better job of cleaning the oil and extend the life of the oil as well as your engine.