Hey All !! On my 1975 Cat 931, I'm finished on the Steering cluch and rebuilding the cylinders , and now going over the engine. I unscrewed the front cover from the housing then removed the wing nut from the end of the element,but I am not able to pull the element out , It rotates but does not come out,I did try lightly to pry it out to no avail !:Banghead I dont want to bend the housing Just wondering if I am missing something or if there is a trick to removing it??? Any suggestions will be Great !! Thanks, Mike M.
The element will be stuck somewhere either on the long stud that comes through the filter housing that the wing nut screws to or maybe a bit of the seal is stuck behind something. If the element rotates then there can't be a lot holding it from coming. Try putting a bit more weight behind it and it'll come. If you are replacing the element (why would you be removing it if you weren't..?) then don't worry about damaging it during the removal process. A pair of replacement elements are only about $60 or so.
Thanks Nige ! Since it is the first time with this machine for me ! From what I can see the outside end cover of the element looks in new shape I th0ught I might get a better look at the element itself before replacing it ! As long as you say it just needs to be persuded to come out , that is good enough for me, I did not want to mangel anything being it is my first time removing it, Thanks again, Mike M.