I bought a CoolCat spin-on oil filter adaptor for my '69 Series II E-Type. The kit looks to be well made BUT I noticed that on the side that fits against the engine block, there’s a small press-fit pin which has me puzzled. What is its function, how does it work, is it necessary, how do I know it’s not going to dislodge from its place and get inside the engine? Should I take it out? Anyone here who has bought and installed this kit (J-96666) from CoolCat have any ideas or comments? I’ve decided not to proceed with the installation until I’m confident that this mystery pin is meant to be there and what it’s meant to do.
Thanks in advance to all who respond.
Ric
Call or email Mike Frank to discuss. He’s a regular here and a good guy. Many of us buy from Coolcat without issues.
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Yes check with Mike @Michael_Frank but FWIW I’ve used his adapter for almost 10 years. Excellent product.
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This is the pin in question. Mike wrote: “It’s no mistake, but I can’t remember its purpose.” So, I’m appealing to those like Ahwahnee who use the product to chime in please, either here or to my email for help in dealing with the darned pin.
THX
It has been many years ago that I installed the Cool Cat unit in my series II. I do not recall a pin, but could be wrong. Roll pins normally will not move easily if done correctly.
Maybe the pin is used to act as a stop for any rotation?
Glenn
It’s only installed on the late S2 filter mod, and that’s the one that allows the plate to remain in place. It may have been to prevent rotation, or to prevent the plate from coming loose and blocking the ports. I really don’t remember, and I can’t put my hands on a late S2 base at the moment. These days, I just hope they find my name tags and send me home if found. However, I’ve been producing these for 20 years just this way. There are hundreds in the field, and no blown engines. The pin is not going to come out, but if it did, it’s on the inlet side of the filter and would be trapped. It’s not going anywhere. I promise, it works.
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And while you’re at it… the filters that fit come in both long and short versions. I use the long ones and paint them to look somewhat correct to the casual observer:
Mike: That’s just what’s giving me pause–said mystery pin is NOT ON THE INLET side of the oil filter, it’s on the other side, on the (concave) side, that goes right against/faces the engine, so it if falls out (unlikely admittedly) it’ll go right into the upper crankcase. And yes, it may be to keep the adaptor plate from rotating but that’s just a guess, at least for now. Additionally, it doesn’t look substantial enough to do that.
Consequently, I am still searching for a convincing answer that will make me want to install the device without feeling that it’s a risk to my engine internals.
George: The filter that’s waiting to be installed is a NAPA Gold 1231.
Ric I have a different design that uses a lock nut that actually became loose.
The plate started to spin so the filter could back out or the entire adaptor assembly from the filter block. I red loctited the nut to the tube so it could all be torqued to the block in excess of a hand tight oil filter. Loctite can be loosened with heat. So from where I sit a roll pin looks pretty good ?!
George, Mike
I am having a issue in finding the long versions of the oil filters.
What type are you using?
I used the info that Mike Frank sent with the kit but the long versions were not available.
I don’t know that the longer filter is better, I just preferred how it looked.
I had been using the Fram which was a long style until 6 or so years ago. When I ordered some from Amazon and got the stubby version (though the long version was pictured) I returned them and shopped around.
I found that Rockauto was closing out their stock of the long ones (very cheap) and ordered what I think will be a lifetime supply.
I do not know if all brands have gone to the short style. BTW, it isn’t a conspiracy – many brands really come from the same manufacturer so a move to a different style can happen all at once across much of the market.
The problem you may encounter is the same one I found – the part number is the same and the photo may not have been updated.
Your local parts store may be able to help… ordering one based on the photo and seeing what they get.
Or… just accept the new normal.
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Try a Purolator PL30001 about 50% longer than the Wix 51085 I just installed.
Logic would dictate more filter media area for more useful life in the larger filter but I didn’t research it.
I used an ACDelco pf964 last year, still 5.1”high
I use a WIX 51515. Suggested by another lister a while ago. Longer than your average spin on.
Geo, I thought most people liked the spin on filters because the canister style is more work to clean out. It almost seems to me it would be more effort to paint a spin on than to clean the canister???
Tom
Have you ever held a can of spray paint? 
It takes about a minute to spray a spin on oil filter.
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As I said earlier I use the neighborhood NAPA store for all my generic auto supplies and the filter that I bought to use with the Cool Cat adaptor is their Gold Series # 1231 which is only 4 1/4" long but a fat 3 3/4" wide. I will paint it green, as George suggested, just for grins.
Ty very much,
You are correct, they show the longer version but ship the shorter
I’ll do 4 to 6 at a time (these are for the TR):
For them to hold up I use engine paint and let them dry a long time (years).
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Well, I can see I have been missing out!!!
Tom