Oldest filter you've seen

NCWayne · May 13, 2014

More precisely, what's the oldest filter you've ever changed out and knew for sure how old it was? I've seen a few old ones over the years, but I hit my all time oldest tonight. I was servicing an '89 Ford L8000 dump truck for a customer who had just purchased it from the original owner. Filter aside, it's a really nice truck, runs good, good inside the cab, good tires and brakes, etc, etc. Basically, just a nice old truck.

So, I got the oil and fuel filters changed out and then moved on to the air filter. When I pulled the cover the date written on the end hit me right off. The filter was hand dated, in magic marker, with a date of January 14, 2004. That makes that filter just over 10 years old.

I don't know how many miles were driven in those 10 years, or how many hours on that engine, but the filter was dirty.....but not just plain NASTY like you'd figure it would be. Of course I didn't try to blow it out or anything, so it may well be worse off than it appears. Either way, a filter being in use for 10 years, in a truck that a man used to make a living, simply doesn't compute when it comes to any kind of service interval I have ever seen....

Some years back Dad and I were working on an old F/A tracked loader for a customer.He said Dad had worked on it years before when he was at the dealership. When Dad pulled the air filter on it, there was a date from nearly 12 years before, and he said the writing looked just like his.

So, what's the oldest filter, on a machine, that ya'll have ever seen or changed? The replies ought to be pretty interesting.

Anonymous-0 · May 13, 2014

Some manufacture don't recommend to change the air filter before the minder says it's plugged I've seen filters that the minder didn't work and the air filter was plugged tight I was working for a farm that had just bought an 8400 John Deere with 9000 hours and the air flitter was plugged with sand weighed about 100 pounds but no light was on . The oldest filter I've seen and knew the date because it was written on the filter was oil and fuel filters on an ih 2t2 they were 7 years old at the time . I always change all filters annually I don't like cleaning air filters on machines that don't have primary and secondary filters .

DeltaRed · May 13, 2014

Last year a neighbor changed the air filter on a(newly purchaced) 656diesel. it was dated 1973.I was there,I saw it.

redforlife · May 13, 2014

I know of a guy that has a 40 plus year old tractor. He changes the oil, but never the filter. I guess that would make his oil filter 40 years old. Not a big stickler myself on air and fuel filters. Change if they need it. If they look good, use em. I do change oil filter at same time of oil change. I have run into 10 plus year old filters, but only on stuff that never gets used. Like say a vehicle that don't hit the mileage for an oil change, but years have went by.

Ultradog MN · May 13, 2014

Back in the mid 70s Ford donated some tractors to high schools and Vo-Techs around the country.
They were just the chassis - no tin, front axle or steering, wheels, etc.
I've messed with a few of them.
I'm running the engine from one in my 3000.
Last summer while mowing the engine in it starved out of fuel and quit so I installed a new filter, bled everything and it fired up again.
The filter in it was the original CAV - from 1974.

Kansas4010 · May 13, 2014

I bought a John Deere 2510 gas tractor about 10 years ago. The air filter was marked on it 1968. I assume it had been blown out at least because it wasn't terribly bad. I guess that's better than ex gf's dads IH 806. I guess it needed a new air filter so they just yanked it off and ran it without one for many years that way.

TractormanNC · May 13, 2014

I can't beat Steve but here goes. Bought a JD 4240 with about 3500 hours on it about 6 years ago. Now I am usually pretty good about staying on top of fluid and filter changes. This one has the air restriction indicator so I trusted it. Last winter I decided to check the air filter just because. It was THE ORIGINAL with a date of I think 1982. The inner filter was spotless. Needless to say both got changed.

IaGary · May 13, 2014

My 1086 gets the air filter blown out once or twice a year. It hasn"t been replaced with a new one since about 1985. The inner filter is the original from 1978. When I pull it out I can still see daylight through it.

I also don"t change fuel filters till needed. The 1086 fuel filters say 1993 on them.

Gary

Dr. Walt · May 13, 2014

A few years ago when I purchased my Buda Lanova 6 cylinder Industrial Diesel engine, the previous owner stated that the last time that the engine had been used was on a Mine Hoist back in the mid 1950's. The oil filter was the old canister type & the filter itself was a roll of cotton with a cloth covering.

Doc

Ken Macfarlane · May 13, 2014

When an air filter is new it lets the most dirt into the engine. It gradually gets all of its holes plugged up and becomes a better and better filter but eventually starves the engine for air.

showcrop · May 13, 2014

When I bought my International 5900i with C-15 Cat, the Caterpillar manual was VERY direct in the instructions to NEVER open the air filter housing until the restriction indicator indicated a level of restriction. The reason given was that they didn't want the housing to be even opened, due to the possibility of admitting small particulate matter and getting into the intake.

Sprint 6 · May 13, 2014

My Super 55 had 1200 hours on it when I bought it from my great uncle's estate in '07. The paint was worn off the oil filter when I serviced it, so I looked at the maintence log he kept. The last service written down was in 1984 and it had barely went 150 hours. I have since put more hours on it in 7 years than he put on it in 25.

Jeff NWOH · May 13, 2014

Changed this one out for a new one in my brush chipper a couple years back.

Sparktrician · May 13, 2014

I have a neighbor who has a JD 3010 gas....It has the original air filter in it.......seen it myself a couple years back

rrlund · May 13, 2014

I had the platform off of my 1966 Oliver 1850 about 6-7 years ago and the transmission filter was painted green just as it would have been from the factory. The tractor is original paint,so I have to assume it had never been changed.

Arnold Layne · May 13, 2014

I changed the oil and filter on a running F30 last year, it still had the brass oil filter.

D beatty · May 13, 2014

I have some Cockshutt (coop) filters for the Perkins L4 engine. I have several drop in filter for the flat head (239-V8) Ford and I have a 37 Farmall F-20 with the washable brass filter.

Roy Suomi · May 13, 2014

For giggles I went to a Bobcat service school one night, and they said a partially plugged filter will filter out more "fines" than a new filter...So boys , Quit changing any filters from now on......You don't need to.....According to them...

AG in IN · May 13, 2014

Not really about a filter being on a machine for decades or umpteen thousand hours but...

I did some work on a D-17 for a neighbor a couple of years back. Had a UNICO oil filter on it. Guy retired in the early 80's, but kept this tractor/loader to keep up the yard and a couple of acres. My dad was a Farm Bureau fuel man for a few years in the early 70's and delivered fuel to him. At the time he had 3 or 4 filters left from a case or cases of filters that had to be 35-40 years old he had bought from my dad, and he was going to use them until the last one was gone.

AG

John M · May 13, 2014

The hydraulic filter on my 154 LoBoy was the factory filter from 72 when I got it 02. Bought my Dads 89 Ford back in 2010, still had the oil filter I put on it in 97, shortly after my Dad had his stroke. Of course it hadnt been driven but maybe 1000 miles in all those years.

J.Wondergem · May 13, 2014

Neighbor had his 51 Moline R here for some work. I happened to pull the dip stick and the oil looked crappy. I asked him when was the last he changed oil. He said all he does is add oil to it, and it don't have an oil filter. I pointed to the oil filter and said what's this? He didn't know. He said he bought the tractor in 74, and this was in 08. Never had any thing changed in that time.

Mike (WA) · May 13, 2014

We had "the World's Laziest Man" in our National Guard outfit in the '70's. He and I were both deuce-and-a-half drivers. Summer camp was at Yakima Firing Center, which is a pretty fancy name for a plain ol' desert. Routinely 100° +, and so dusty you couldn't see past your hood.

The trucks had oil bath air cleaners, and we were supposed to change the oil in them daily, plus some other maintenance items. The First Sergeant suspected Mike wasn't doing it, so came and stood beside his rig one morning to watch him pull maintenance. When he took off the air cleaner pan, the oil was so filled with dirt that it just came out as a donut, which had a layer of dry dust on the top and didn't even break when it hit the ground. Sarge said, "Mike, go get So and So, okay?" Mike brought back So and So, and Sarge told him "Congratulations. You're a truck driver now. You'll be in charge of this rig from now on. Mike, go to the headquarters tent and we'll have us a little talk."

the tractor vet · May 13, 2014

I think it had to be the one i pulled out of a 1030 Case tractor back in around 1994 . And i did say PULL as it took two pry bars to remove it due to the amount of dust that had it stuck in the housing . And the date on it was from 1967 . Farmer called and said his tractor just quiet in the field . wonder why ?? He had just bought the tractor at and auction and he said he had changed the oil and filters but not the air filter . I asked him if it really smoked when it was running and he said oh yea but he just thought that the fuel was turned up . As he said he was going to call me to turn down the fuel. The new air filter solved that problem .

johndeerefan · May 13, 2014

I purchased my JD 4000 diesel in 2003. First thing I did was change all the fluids and filters. Only thing I have changed since then is the engine oil once. The tractor only gets used about 10 hours a year.

But this does remind me I need to change the antifreeze or at least test it. I bet it is bad. Last thing I want is a pitted liner.

Arnold Layne · May 13, 2014

I don't know if I would go as far as to quit changing filters, but yes, they are correct.

Deere54 · May 13, 2014

In 1998 I bought a 1978 White 2-85, and changed all the filters. The hydraulic oil filter had never been changed, in 20 years and who knows how many hours. Was a son of a gun to get off.

Kow Farmer · May 13, 2014

I bought my 1977 1070 Case tractor 2 years ago. As I was doing some routine maintainance I pulled the air filter out. That filter was so filthy. I looked on the end of the filter, stamped in ink was May 77. The tractor must have never had the air filter ever replaced. Needless to say that was replaced immediately. I don't know how people can never ever check small routine things like filters.
Kow Farmer Kurt

bison · May 13, 2014

The airfilter on my 1855 cockshutt has not been changed since the day i bought the tractor in 86.
Been in there for 4000 hrs, i clean it when needed and plant it right back in.

jeffcat · May 13, 2014

OK I went up to the farm and trailered down a cub cadet 107 to my place. Now I have a 108 And the 107 is hydrstatic. I hope I have this number correct. I serviced the machine from headlites to hitch pin. These were made up to 1972 I think? The filter for the hydro was the original. Yup I changed it and topped the fluid.

Anonymous-0 · May 13, 2014

In the fall of 1959 Dad bought a Ford 961. Don't believe anyone changed the fuel filters on that Ford for the first 20 years. Real particular about not getting any dirt into the tank when filling and apparently the fuel he purchased from the local jobber was clean. Not a chance this would work today particularly if using biodiesel.

waltdavies · May 13, 2014

My 1945 Case LA has the original air filter on it just take it out clean it and keep on tra tearing. When I pulled the oil filter out I was surprised to se it has Case in big letters on the paper side. Not sure when they quit making these but I haven't seen one in many years.
Walt

W_B · May 13, 2014

I've heard that on some old Cub Cadet hyros that some folks didn't know there was a filter on the hyrostat unit and never changed them, some dating back to the mid 70's or so.

DP · May 13, 2014

Don't know if this qualifies, but I have a 1935 A John Deere that has the original Brass filter in it yet that is just rinsed out and put back when the oil is changed. They offered a modification, but this one was never changed.

Don-Wi · May 13, 2014

I've had a free older than that. 2 years ago while chopping corn the light came on for the air filter on our 1855. Was the first time we changed it and we bought it in 2002. Like rrlund, the transmission filters on the Oliver's don't get serviced all too often either. Not like they should any way.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Frank 41 · May 13, 2014

I am close to DP by 3 years. I have a1938 BWH with the original brass filter that is better than you can buy today.

led · May 13, 2014

Dad bought steal canister that used roll of toilet paper for 1952 Chevy P/U. (Oil Filter)
Led

Mark - IN. · May 13, 2014

One night back in the mid '70's, this adult lady that I knew asked if I could change the oil in one of her girlfriends cars. I worked at a gas station at nights after school and asked the owner if I could barrow a bay, do her a favor, bill her for parts. Hey, it was a one timer, I wasn't a mechanic, he trusted me, didn't want any liability, and told me ok. It was Pontiac's version of the Chevy Vega, think called an Astra. She pulled in, that little four cylinder aluminum engine was smokin' hot, and I was getting burned to death just leaning over it before getting to the oil filter, and she was in a hurry. The car was a couple three years old, and the filter was original. Needs oil? Add it and fill the tank, get on with life. The seal had become a permanent part of the pad on the block. It so didn't budge that I ended up ripping the canister and guts of the filter off of its base that was so stuck, that I had to use a chisle, going around the edge of the base, tapping into the base to create an edge, then angle the chisle to tap it loose. It took forever. Forever. But, I got it. She didn't even pay me. She paid for the new oil and new filter, but not me a penny for me, the 16 year-old going on 20 that would have been happy with a hug and a kiss, but didn't even get that, and looking back, thats probably the only reason that I did it, and was all I was probably looking for in return. From memory, that was the oldest filter I ever encountered. The original filter on the car, a couple few years old, welded to the aluminum pad.

Mark

NCWayne · May 13, 2014

They are right, a filter with some dirt in it does catch more particles than a fresh one. What happens is the particles already caught in the filter make the holes that caught them smaller, therefore the smaller particles can"t get through the smaller holes. Ultimately though the holes get so small that even the material being filtered have a hard time getting through causing the engine to have low oil pressure, be starved for air, etc, etc, etc.

Oldest filter you've seen

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