Does anyone use bypass oil filters? Bypass filters divert a small sidestream of oil for a very thorough cleaning and return clean oil to the crankcase. Over time all the oil is filtered to a much finer degree than the normal 100% filters since the 100% filters have to deal with a large volume of oil and can't filter out the finer particles.
If so what are the better brands / models to use?
I like the concept of better oil cleaning, and since I sometimes drive in very dusty conditions, it seems to me that this would be a good addtion.
It is a good addition if you are putting on some major miles weekly. If you are like most, just change the oil at 10,000 miles, or once a year and call it at that. The bypass filter, like a Luberfiner 750 is great, but always can create another leak point. Good Luck, TomC
I change my oil each year, and I ususally have less than 10,000 miles since the last change - well within accepted parameters. However, I go out reguarly to the desert, and sometimes its very windy and blows a lot of sand out there. Two years ago when I had my oil tested it came back with 125 ppm silica, which is fine sand. It shouldn't be over about 10ppm. I've replaced my air filter, and checked for any air leaks between it and the engine and did not find any. All other oil parameters were fine, nothing even near where I should be concerned. Maybe that says that even with the silica, that the filters were doing their job and no abnormal wear is happening. last year the silica was slightly elevated, but not too bad - around 25 ppm. All other parameters were fine.
It makes me nervous due to these long time periods between changes / oil analysis, and its possible that the first I will know I have an issue is that I have to rebuild the engine. So I thought a by pass filter might be good to look into.
I know of two makes,
Luberfiner
Spinner II
Does anyone know which is better, or if there are any others recommended to look at? does anyone have experience with them?
I've got a LLLubrifiner bypass filter that has never been installed, email me if you might be interested
Jim, The best luberfiner filter easily avail to me is 2 micron. That is probably to big for your sand. I think a spinner may have a chance to help. My model 20 NJT came to me with one. I am going to work a luberfiner 750 into my engine area just for the extra gallons of oil capacity. It can't hurt the oil temps to increase the volume. The lines do carry hot oil and eventually get brittle where the pressure out side leaves the engine. I changed one of those on one of my trucks a while back. The line went into service in 1989 and started leaking in 2006. The line was aeroquip. It worked 5 days a week.
I don't know how much it might cost, but we're using a toilet paper filter; it's good to below 1 micron. We installed it mainly for soot control, and it does a good job.
There are larger versions available that use a roll of paper towels.
Good luck with your filter.
Tom Caffrey
Tom, Bet you didn't know the New Years booze missed the barge this year! Thank Alaska Air!
NJT 5573, you're right, I didn't know. Which way was it bound?
I take it that you were in Alaska this winter. Do you live in Washington?
Tom Caffrey
Jim Check out Gulf Coast Filters, very good reputation in the trucking industry. BUR
Tom, I'm in Seattle, I truck the Northland Services Barge. The newyears alcohol missed the southeast barge. (Yours). There was a major panic! Think we paid over $1 a pound to Alaska Air to keep Southeast from being dry. (This wasn't the beer loads).
NJT 5573, I can believe the panic, all right. I didn't hear anything about it, however. The per capita consumption is pretty high.
When we get a chance, I might email or post you since we go through that area fairly often.
Tom Caffrey
Quote from: BUR on February 07, 2007, 10:51:15 PM
Jim Check out Gulf Coast Filters, very good reputation in the trucking industry. BUR
Yep... you took the words right out of my mouth! I know a guy who has 468k miles on his original oil -- with a Gulf Coast filter. His last oil analysis rated his wear the same as an engine with less than 50k miles on it! They work, plain and simple.
H3Jim, You may want to also check harvardcorp.com. Their filters are patented. They clean everything from 1 micron up as well as a large part of silt which I think relates to your desert driving problem. I tried to order from them a few years ago with no luck. I tried to order from one of their distributors also no luck. Finally gave up. They have a drop in for the 750 Luberfiner.