Abstract: A liquid filter as disclosed which includes a housing in which a filtering media is disposed. A relief valve permits the liquid filtrate to bypass the media when the pressure differential across the media exceeds a predetermined level. The relief valve includes a valve member consisting of a valve disc from which four legs extend. The valve closure spring engages the legs to maintain the valve closed until the pressure differential attains a predetermined level. The legs are designed so that only two of the legs engage the spring during normal operation of the valve. Accordingly, the other two legs remain unstressed by the valve spring, but can engage the edge of the valve aperture in case of failure of one or both of the other legs to prevent the valve member from falling into the liquid filtrate, thus blocking the flow of liquid filtrate to the engine, causing catastrophic failure of the engine.