The problem I have is the oil filter. Early versions of this engine had a cotton type filter apparently, in a torpedo shaped tin holder, with the inlet in the middle of the top, outlet at the side. At some point in it's history the owner had someone convert this holder to take a modern spin on filter.
Now, I think this is where things went wrong. To make it work, a plate with a circular series of holes was brazed into the top part, with a threaded adapter in the middle. So, the flow comes in at the top, down through the middle of the filter, and once through the filter, out the side. Except - the filter element has a silicone rubber drain down valve at the top which allows oil in the holes around the outside, but doesn't allow oil out! Is it a "feature" of these filters that oil should allways go from the outside in?
It would seem that the poor engine this was fitted to never had an oil filter! There is a relief valve in the base of the pump which is designed to lift if the filter blocks, this probably masked the problem.
My question,
what to do now?
One option would be to fit a filter without this anti drain down valve - but the oil flow will be from the middle out - is this acceptable? Looking at what's available from Moss, B&G etc, their offering seems to be centre fed.
My preferance would be to get some imperial copper pipe and make up some new pipes, but it won't look original, and that matters.