Help 220d part identification Purpose?

I have a 1976 240D with a 1972 EURO 220D engine in it. All of the 220D engines have this round plastic part in the oil filter housing except mine of course. I mention this because it might be important my engine did not have the oil cooler option if that turns out to be relevant. I have pulled the part and the long bolt that holds the housing on from the junkyard. I hope my picture uploads correctly. My questions are what is it what purpose does it serve and am I correct in assuming if I use it that the plastic prongs face the oil filter. Will I rot in #### if I just leave the bloody thing out?
Thanks for any help Dave S

The part is called a main flow filter element mine came with out this also came with out a spring that should be in the filter housing and mine has a different bolt then is shown In the picture I found. I now suspect my whole housing including the filter top are all off of some unknown car and possible do not belong on this engine causing the oil leak I am trying to fix. Boy, I love owning EURO cars that I bought from gas car mechanics after they sunk 2 or 3 grand into them screwing up every system. I cannot pass up the killer buy for $200 I cannot even order parts from fast lane because he shows no such parts were ever made and my engine # comes back no record found. No doubt it is a refer engine. The good news, this is a rare opportunity to move the oil filter housing from the terrible location it is in now to some place making changing the new oil filter a breeze. Now I just need to find w123 oil filter housings used up until 10 1976 to install that should be no problem sure no trouble at all. Any one have such filter housings they want to sell they have a single bolt through the lid as opposed to the two nuts you are used to seeing on w123 oil housing.
Dave S

[billrei]

Looks to me like a spacer to ensure the filter is properly seated. If it is left out most likely the oil will bypass the filter. Not a good thing especially in a diesel. Do a test fit with the disk in place. If it allows the filter to seal on both ends without crushing it it definately needs to be there.

[Lycoming-8]

Mattdave,

That part is exactly what you indicated in post #2 (The part is called a main flow filter element). It is a cleanable and re-useable part. Once you have it that is!! Does the filter can have room for this item and the normal throw-away element, which should be down at the bottom? Also as you say it needs the tension spring, which if I remember correctly, goes at the very bottom of the can.

The filter seemed a bit loose so I got this part still feels loose I now find I need a spring too so I will try to get one tomorrow the local pic-N-pull has like six w114 and w115 cars out which is rare so I am trying to get little details like this sorted out while there are cheap parts 2 miles away,
Dave S

[Lycoming-8]

I've thought about getting my 220D back on the road again, but the interior is in pretty bad shape from all of the years out on the company parking lot. Are the interiors of any of those cars any good at all? Probably too far away to be of much help in any case. However it seems like there are quite a number of the W115's being brought back lately. I even have a second W115 220D, but the interior is probably even worse in it and the engine is siezed as well.

NO, there were no complete or close to complete matching interior. There a few interior parts that are nice but it is like 2 parts out of each car are nice but all the cars have different color interior. The wood has already been ruined by some one who could not properly remove it. Pulls on it until the part snapped after there great success they move on to the next wood trim item breaking it to and they do not stop until it is all broken. It would not be so bad but I see w114 with fewer than 70K miles garage kept with fabulous wood that has been destroyed by these wonderful people
DHS