Originally called the Purolator (a portmanteau of the phrase "pure oil later"), the modern oil filter was invented in 1923 by Ernest Sweetland and George Greenhalgh. The Motorcraft FL-400S, like most oil filters produced after 1970, is a full-flow, spin-on oil filter, which means that it is disposable and easy to change, in addition to filtering the main flow of pressurized oil in the engine.
The Motorcraft FL-400S is a spin-on, canister-shaped oil filter. Its case is white in color. The diameter of its circular ends measures 2.98 inches. It measures 4.72 inches in height. Prior to use, it weighs 0.8 pounds. The thread size of its perforated steel center tube is 3/4-inch. Its relief valve pressure is set to 14 pounds per square inch.
Motorcraft oil filters are designed and engineered by the Ford Motor Company. The FL-400S has bonded end plates and consistent pleat spacing, as well as an anti-drain back valve and a bypass valve. Its gasket is made out of nitrile, and its filtering medium is composed of cellulose phenolic resin. It does not have a non-slip grip.
Although the Motorcraft FL-400S is still available and in production, there are several other filters that will fit anywhere the FL-400S does. These filters are essentially the same, having the same thread size, dimensions and filtering medium. Examples of these filters include the Fram PH-8316, the Mazda YF09-14-302 and the Valvoline VO59. The differences are in the manufacturing, the color and the price.
