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'53 B Series 3/4 Ton pickup - Filter woes

69DodgeMan

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Went to change oil and filter in my recently acquired '53 B series and ran into a problem with the filter element.

I've used Wix filters for years without any issues but those were all spin-on's. This truck has the replaceable filter sock in the canister type filter. (Old style before spin-on's became commonplace) So I order up a Wix 51011 for the truck as that's what they call out, and the pics look like it is correct too. Don't think anything more of it, so then in the middle of the oil change, pan empty, canister open and old sock out, viola, the new Wix won't go in! WTF? So I figure, well it must fit tight and you have to use a little muscle to get it to slide in. Nope, I was pushing on it hard enough to get that 3/4 ton rocking back and forth, and it still wouldn't go all the way in. (and I'm not a lightweight at all) I could just get it started an inch or so and then it was like shoving 10 lbs of you know what into a 5 lbs bag. Obvious "no go" situation so I had to reuse my old filter to get the truck mobile again.

So the question is, "What brand & p/n oil filter do you use that actually fits a B series truck".

Needs to fit in this......

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Being filters were often an option on something this old you may have to drain the filter down and clean it up a little to possibly find a number on the old filter. Or just take the old filter in for a size comparison. Some times the canister listed a filter size. You should not have to force the filter. There should be a spring in there some where that does that.

Honestly have not changed a can filter in decades. Go luck with the filter quest.
 
Being filters were often an option on something this old you may have to drain the filter down and clean it up a little to possibly find a number on the old filter. Or just take the old filter in for a size comparison. Some times the canister listed a filter size. You should not have to force the filter. There should be a spring in there some where that does that.

Honestly have not changed a can filter in decades. Go luck with the filter quest.

Thanks, some good thoughts there. Although I don't think there is a p/n on the old filter (its mostly fabric) I'll take a look at that possibility as well as looking on the outside of the metal canister for filter info. Don't think there is any there either, but it won't hurt to look again.

Best I could measure, I think the new Wix is about 0.150" larger in diameter than the old filter. Tough to accurately measure a flexible sock! :rolleyes:

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You may want to try another brand to see if there is a difference in the size

Yep, that's exactly my plan of action. Unfortunately it appears that not many manufacturers offer a filter for this application. Fram may end up being my best option. Still looking around for possibilities.
 
This is the first one I have seen in a sock. Most of that age where gravity feed filters and dropped oil back into the oil pan. On the 59 Chevy once owned the 235 filter was a factory option.
 
Well that may be for Chevy, but I believe all the B series had this same filter setup as on my '53. My dad had a '49 with the same filter setup. The "B" series trucks started in '48 and continued through '53 before a major design change came about in '54 which led to the "C" series trucks. If filters were ever an "option" on Dodge trucks, I'm betting it would have been before the "B" series.
 
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