Power Steering Filter Assembly

A power steering fluid filter comprising:

• a housing defining an interior chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end;
• a fluid inlet communicating with the interior chamber at its upstream end;
• a fluid outlet communicating with the interior chamber at its downstream end;
• a thimble filter disposed within the interior chamber, the thimble filter having a rim and a mesh screen and being movable within the interior chamber between an operable position against the upstream end of the interior chamber wherein fluid flowing through the chamber passes through the mesh screen and a bypass position displaced from the upstream end of the interior chamber wherein fluid flowing through the chamber bypasses the mesh screen;
• a spring disposed in the housing yieldably biasing the mesh screen to its operable position, the spring being at least partially compressed between the downstream end of the interior chamber and the rim of the thimble filter;
• an annular magnet in the interior chamber and positioned such that fluid flowing through the interior chamber passes through the annular magnet;
• the housing being formed by a first housing portion and a second housing portion telescopically coupled together together;
• and
• a locking clip holding the first and second housing portions together and being selectively removable to release the first and second housing portions from each other to permit replacement of the filter element.