I ordered a couple of tools from Amazon to help extract that rusty mystery oil filter canister. (Amazon link)
The ratcheting three prong thing gripped really well, but was just crushing the end of the canister and was starting to twist the canister, so I switched to the pliers. Locked on at the very top and with barely any force or damage, was able to twist it off.
Not sure what I thought I was seeing before. There’s no blue text and it definitely doesn’t say Bosch or Bo… It’s a Hastings filter.
I had previously purchased a Wix 51515 filter, based on lots of info I found online saying that the standard PH8A filter for a Ford 302/5.0 liter (and many other makes and models) would work. When I tried to mount the new filter, it wouldn’t go on. There’s not a lot of room under there with the car on the ground to be able to see what was blocking it, but I tried for a while and gave up.
I drained the oil out of the old Hastings filter, popped it in a big Ziploc freezer bag and headed off to the O’Reilly Auto Parts down the street from my house. The staff were super helpful. They got out a pair of calipers and started measuring things, making several trips back to the oil filters wall trying to match the model.
I ended up with a Wix 51521, which is the correct oil filter canister for an 80’s model Nissan Pathfinder. When I got it home, it spun right on with no issue. Oddly, it’s the same outside diameter and has the same threads as the 51515, it’s just not as tall. The height wasn’t the issue with the 51515, so I will try mounting that again at next oil change, as I like the idea of a little extra capacity.
