What's in the Canister in the Oil Pan?

[BobMGT@aol.com]

I have the oil pan off of the engine in my TD. I see there is some sort of 
canister that has a pipe that goes to a fitting on the side of the pan. Is 
there some sort of filter in that canister? Does it need to be cleaned or 
replaced? I removed the nut on the bottom of the canister, but I'm having 
trouble getting the darn thing apart.

Bob Donahue (Still stuck in the '50s)
EMAIL - BOBMGT@AOL.COM
52 MGTD - under DIY restoration NEMGTR #11470
71 MGB   - AMGBA #96-12029, NAMGBR #7-3336