Re-usable Oil Filters

[CH53Driver]

I saw an add for these in one of the Hot Rod Mags:

 

http://www.gopurepower.com/

 

After some research, I also found another brand:

 

http://www.trufilter.com/products.htm

 

While they are a bit "pricey", they make total sense to me since they are very similar to the types of filters we use in aircraft. I like the trufilter one because it has a magnetic base to help accumalate the small ferous particals from your oil system (and it's a bit cheaper).

 

I was wondering if anyone has used either of these or a similar filter and what there thoughts are. Thanks.

[ShelbyPilot]

I had thought about but the initial cost has stopped me for now. Maybe in the future.

[LuisA]

Careful here......in their spec sheet they call teh filter a 25 micron no restriction, this is impossible, a filter will have some sort of restriction or pressure drop......it's tehlaw of physics at work. They also say that it filters down to 5 micron particles, how can it do that if it is a 25 micron filter?

 

The proper way to denote the filtration ability (efficiency) of a filter is by stating the particle size (5, 10, 15 ......microns) and the Beta Ratio; then you woudl know the % removal rate of a specific particle size.

 

LuisA

[LuLu]

Again...Caution needs to be employed during the warranty period. Any non-OEM component in place at the time of major power train failure will result in a denial of coverage. Doesn't matter how great an improvement the component is over the OEM part, if it doesn't meet FMC specs prior to the failure, you lose.

 

And, don't waste your time citing the "Magnuson-Moss Act" This "protection" requires you to be the plaintiff and bring your case to court at your expense, while, your broken car sits idle.

 

Last but not least, if you are really anal enough to examine the contents of your oil filter for bits and pieces in the "micron" range, remember that engines do wear out from normal wear and tear. Thus, you will always find something to look at, but it won't have a return address.

 

IMHO, why bother with the expensive "tinsel". Stick with the recommended Motorcraft "approved" filter, and you will be fine. It keeps the chunky stuff out just fine.

[Webba]

Never heard of a re-usable oil filter for your car. I am into recycling but that seems excessive. It makes me think of reusing toilet paper and Im not about to do that either

[clark17357]

Never heard of a re-usable oil filter for your car. I am into recycling but that seems excessive. It makes me think of reusing toilet paper and Im not about to do that either

 

Are you guys not old enough to remember that the oil filters in the 60's included one that used a roll of toilet paper as the filter element? No joke, this is back before unleaded gas and a car's oil got very black, very fast. This toilet paper filter kept the oil new looking. When it was time to change the filter, you took out the old toilet paper roll and put in a new one, added one quart of oil and were good to go. Somebody out there back me up on this one. LuLu? Jim

[khogle2]

 

yes. the toilet paper filter was sold thru JC Whitney and others as I recall

[stormeaston]

 

yes. the toilet paper filter was sold thru JC Whitney and others as I recall

 

 

 

Yeah........I remember those! There was a commercial, Mr. Whipple was the guy who said "Charmin is so soft and makes a great oil filter replacement" Yeah.....it's all comming back to me now. :D

[stump_breaker]

Are you guys not old enough to remember that the oil filters in the 60's included one that used a roll of toilet paper as the filter element? No joke, this is back before unleaded gas and a car's oil got very black, very fast. This toilet paper filter kept the oil new looking. When it was time to change the filter, you took out the old toilet paper roll and put in a new one, added one quart of oil and were good to go. Somebody out there back me up on this one. LuLu? Jim

 

You aint got to be older than dirt to remember them . I'm 35 and have seen 1 or 2 of 'em....

[LuLu]

Are you guys not old enough to remember that the oil filters in the 60's included one that used a roll of toilet paper as the filter element? No joke, this is back before unleaded gas and a car's oil got very black, very fast. Somebody out there back me up on this one. LuLu? Jim

 

I indeed remember them very well. Very popular in our neighborhood for one summer.

This toilet paper filter kept the oil new looking. When it was time to change the filter, you took out the old toilet paper roll and put in a new one, added one quart of oil and were good to go.

Sorry, I do not remember them as very effficient. Toilet paper is biodegradable, and once dissolved by hot engine oil, it flows back into the lubrication system as contaminated oil.

[CH53Driver]

All, thank you for the inputs. However, maybe I should have been more specific as to the what I was looking for. I was curious to see if anyone out there had bought one of these filters or a similar brand and what their thoughts were on the quality of the product, ease of installation (I have heard the oil filter is located in a dificult position on the Mustangs), ease of cleaning, etc.

 

I am pretty confident that these filters are superior to the conventional auto industry oil filter. There is a reason that we in the aviation industry use such filters. While aircraft engines due operate at much higher temperatures and are made with more exotic metals, they still need to successfully filter out as much contaminants as they can for several reasons. First, aircraft engines are not cheap and you want to get as much use out of them as you can before overhaul/replacement. You also want a way to detect contaminants before it is to late, let's face it, engine failures in aircraft are far more dsiconcerting than they are in a car! Remember, a lot of our vehicle technologies have "trickled" down from the aviation/aerospace industry (think DVD based Navigation/GPS, HUD, LCD's, "black boxes") etc, but usually after quite sometime allowing for the technology to become more affordable.

 

There are many reasons why the manufacturer wouldn't put these expensive filters on their car, but the main one would be economic. It is much cheaper for them to install the $2 cardboard filter knowing full well that your engine will be fine for the warranty period of 36,000 miles. So why spend the extra money for a much better filter when the cheapo will do? If 100,000 miles down the road you have engine problems they know full well that the customer will most likely bring it in to the dealership to be fixed or to trade in. Good for them either way.

 

However, for those of us that want to protect our investment, I would want the best protection I could buy. Of course, I did not take the time to read all their literature and like all advertisement, there could be innaccuracies in it. A micron is one millionth of a meter, so I don't get to wrapped up around the verbage because any filteration system is going to let things through. The hope is that it will collect the majority of the contaminants and also allow for visual inspection to ensure you catch a problem before it becomes catastrophic. When you look at the FRPP catalogue, a case of 12 filters is around $160+ dollars, or enough for 12 oil changes that equal 36,000 miles (about the time the warranty will expire assuming a new vehicle). Or you can spend the same amount of money for a filter system that will last you the life of the engine for the same cost (eventually saving you money) and allow for visual inspection of the filter element every time you change the oil.

 

Sorry for the long post, but I thought it was something worth thinking about for those people who might be planning on keeping these cars for a while (and I am not associated so no kickbacks for me :D ). Eventually all engines will need to be overhauled/replaced, but who wouldn't rather do it at 200,000 miles vice 100,000 miles (ok, no hard data on when and how long these engines will last whereas an aircraft engine is rather predictable these days). :D Thanks!

[69dejavue]

I also remember the toilet paper filters. If I remember correctly it was the J.C. Whitney Catalog. Concur with LULU, broke down easily from heat and fluid.

 

The video is certainly impressive but I did notice the filter does not appear to have a silicone anti-drain back valve. Do you know if this will meet ford requirements?

 

Is anyone using this in racing?

[LuisA]

CH53,

Some of the best filters in the world are made by Pall Corporation.They are in many industries including oil filtration.

You cannot determine the quality of the filter w/o knowing: The Beta Ratio at a given micron size when new, the same Beta Ratio at their terminal Delta P (in other words, just before by-pass mode), colapse rating, flow rating, temperature rating, dirt holding capacity, pressure drop, media construction etc. I assure you that all this is known about the filters used in aircraft.

So, if you are talking about protecting your investment, go ahead and ask them to answer these questions.

 

Note that some of today's cellulose (commonly reffered as paper) filter manufacturers, use some type of bonding compound to "fix" the media and keep it from migrating. Media migration causes sudden release of prviously contained contaminants.

 

Most wire mesh filters, as those shown in your link, are NOT rated or capable of removing contaminants in the 5 to 20 micron size; which should be removed to provide proper protection of bearings. Some beaqrings when loaded have tolerances in the 1-5 micron range, therefore, removing particles that can cause wear or "work hardening" is desirable. Most of these filters also do not offer a bonded media.

 

LuisA

[CH53Driver]

Good points Luis. I emailed a couple of friends of mine that are Engineers in the aviation industry and included these links to see what they have to say about these filters. I also emailed TruFilter so I will see what they have to say. I was unable to email Pure Power as they didn't provide an email contact info on their website. I'll let you know what I find out.