Hd 63805-48 oil filter housing-in need of repair

[CAP'N BOB]

Thank you, Thank you! I feel a lot better, since I had measured 9/16"-24TPI, but could not find that to make sense in any site.

The seal is a great idea. I could not make this be vertical if tight, nor with the oil line on, so I just tried to work with it. Once "we" fix this, I will use a seal of some sort to take up the extra space and stop that source of leak. Thank you.

I have been unable to stop the bottom of the canister from leaking, too. In fact, I have a 1947 that I put together in the early 90s, using this type of filter housing, though a repop and not the 1948 style. I finally changed the filter housing to something that did not leak.

For my customer's bike, I really want to make this 1948 filter housing work. You have, once again, helped me learn, Tom. Thank you.

Bob

[T. Cotten]

We really need to know, Folks,...

What was the OEM seal?

It would be helpful not only to know its dimensions, but its compressibility.

There is enormous core-float on my two examples suggesting the seal may be as small as 3/4", so the next question becomes: Where upon the oil tank did it seal? (I barnyarded it.)

....Cotten

[Rubone]

There is an important part of the assembly that most people miss. Make sure the hole area where the rod comes through the housing is flat. The, "and this is the important part", run two nuts up the rod and adjust them to allow the housing to just crush the gasket before they solidly contact the housing. Lock them in place by the jam nut technique. (these are totally independent of the nut holding the filter). By doing this the housing retainer nut does not crush the end of the housing but instead contacts the end squarely. With this done any gasket will work. The factory used a copper washer but fiber works as well as long as it has something to tighten against.

[CAP'N BOB]

There is an important part of the assembly that most people miss. Make sure the hole area where the rod comes through the housing is flat. The, "and this is the important part", run two nuts up the rod and adjust them to allow the housing to just crush the gasket before they solidly contact the housing. Lock them in place by the jam nut technique. (these are totally independent of the nut holding the filter). By doing this the housing retainer nut does not crush the end of the housing but instead contacts the end squarely. With this done any gasket will work. The factory used a copper washer but fiber works as well as long as it has something to tighten against.

Thank you, I will print and retain this quote to help me.

Bob

[T. Cotten]

If I may ask again, Folks,..

How was the filter housing sealed upon the oil tank?

Thanks in advance,

....Cotten

[CAP'N BOB]

If I may ask again, Folks,..

How was the filter housing sealed upon the oil tank?

Thanks in advance,

....Cotten

While I cannot answer what seal was used (if any) in 1948, the housing and tank I'm working with is not sealed at the housing to tank interface, though that sounds like a good idea to me, because a seal(s) could be effective as a spacer and a seal, allowing proper oil filter housing alignment. With the oil tank on this 1948, the oil filter housing screws directly to the oil tank at the fitted/welded/swedged(?) oil fitting on the tank; that is a problem because I could not get the oil filter housing upright (besides the fact of the threads). I did have it on and the hard oil return line held it tight enough that I could run the engine, but the canister and housing leaked. Not a lot, but leaked (maybe because the oil filter housing was not fully seated). The canister was the worst leak, I think. I finally removed the filter housing and canister to be able to run the engine and work on the carburetor issues I've had. I connected a clear hose to the return oil hard line from the engine that had been connected to the oil filter housing and ran that hose into the oil tank fill hole, securing it with a wire tie, allowing oil flow into the tank and eliminating the leak. What I did after that was buy a hard oil return line that fits from the engine to the oil tank, and the oil filter is not on the motorcycle, now. The hard line from the engine to the oil tank is temporary, while I finish what needs to be done and rehab the oil filter housing and canister.

I tried shim type spacers between the tank and the oil filter housing to try to get the housing to be properly positioned, but that did not work well, either.

[Highlander]

Although I do not know how the factory intended for the canister to the tank interface to be sealed, I used a rubber donut fitted on the outside of the tank fitting sandwiched between the filter top and tank. This allowed the top to be clocked (tightened) to the proper position to accept the rigid line from the pump with no induced stress in the assembly. This also created a seal between the tank fitting and filter top by compressing the rubber. This seems to work as the filter has been installed on a rider for 12 years with no leaks or breakage.
Oil Filter2.jpgOil Filter.jpg

[CAP'N BOB]

Thank you, Highlander. Were the threads in the filter housing intact? The one I am working with has the threads hogged out.

[Highlander]

Yes, threads intact. I think the insert method discussed previously is the way to repair the one you are working on. Another insert idea would be to machine a piece of aluminum with the internal thread of the tank fitting with a no thread external diameter. The filter top would require a counter bore slightly larger than the OD of the aluminum bushing. The bushing would then be slid into the counterbore and TIG welded at the mating joint. Of course, one could possibly make the bushing with an interference fit and press into the filter top, therefore requiring no welding, except a tack weld, or a pin in the joint similar to the way case and cam cover bushing are retained to prevent movement.

[larry]

Perhaps aluminum solder would be of use.

[CAP'N BOB]

Thank you, Highlander. I now have two options that make sense to me and I think I can do, yours and the one from Tom.

Thank you, both, very much. I want to save this 1948 piece for my customer, and one of these two methods will most likely allow me to do that.

[CAP'N BOB]

Perhaps aluminum solder would be of use.

Thank you, that may work, too.

This AMCA Forum has provided me with a wealth of information and increased my ability to work on this motorcycle (and others). Thank you, all.

[joe fxs fxr]

If you go with an insert, you can clock it before soldering so the filter is vertical and the fitting is tight.

[CAP'N BOB]

Great idea, thank you.

[T. Cotten]

Here's what I meant by core-float, Folks,...

FLTRHSNG.jpg

It looks like a smaller seal would be better than larger, or best yet, cut the seal to match the housing. Butting up to the tank is the only way it can be sealed, so it remains a mystery what the factory was thinking.

I've had zero luck with aluminum "solders" (although I haven't put my MuggyWeld to the test, yet). Nonetheless, with a thin-walled insert with fine threads, any heat at all isn't a good thing, unless you've got the expensive tap. It would be safer to goober it with a Loc-Tite.

Indexing would depend entirely upon the thickness of a seal that is not only compliant, but also tough: Heat and oil proof at least.
A full revolution of the housing at 24tpi would be just under forty-two thou, so that's about a degree of rotation for every thou or so you sand off your seal spacer.

You would have to paint it to hide it from the judges, though.

....Cotten