ByPass Oil Filtration/High Efficency Air Filtration

[atlanta_shooter]

Just a general query, I know that all here are are concerned about engine wear with regard to lubrication and/or lack thereof. If that is the case, why have I never seen the issue of bypass oil filtration or high efficiency air filtration discussed. Most all major diesel truck engine manufacturers recommend both, or their engines actually come with these systems installed. The majority of engine wear is caused by particles between 5 and 20 microns. A human hair is about 100 microns in diameter.

As Mike Kaufman writes in the "Motor Oil Bible", "...if I was relegated to choosing EITHER high efficiency filtration or synthetic oil for my vehicle, I would choose high efficency filtration, hands down. For the money, you will get more benefit from improved filtration than you do from improved lubrication from a synthetic oil."

Having said this, Mr. Kaufman is a strong advocate of synthetic oils and high efficency oil and air filtration. I have read his book, "The Motor Oil Bible", and he is a true expert in his field. He dispels many of the myths regarding synthetics, the "3,000 mile oil change", etc. with exhaustive test figures and references.

[forecast]

please expand a little on what you mean by "bypass oil filtration"

dan

[atlanta_shooter]

please expand a little on what you mean by "bypass oil filtration"

dan

Dan, in very general terms, bypass filtration uses 2 filters, your regular full flow filter (preferably high efficiency such as Amsoil or Mobil1) Then a secondary line bleeds small portions of your oil off and pass it thru a separate filter which removes particles less than 1 micron. This virtually eliminates engine wear. Per Amsoil's catalog, and no, I am not an Amsoil dealer, "Amsoil By-Pass Oil Filters filter all the oil in a six-quart system in about five minutes at an average engine speed eqivalent to 45 mph.

Before anyone states that this system will "starve" your engine of oil, save it because you are wrong.

[Q45tech]

The problem is trucks drive 120,000 miles per year so a 500,000 to 1,000,000 mile engine life is significant.

How many people are so in love with their car that they keep them beyond 250,000 miles? The technology changes and people want gizmos.

We have proved that a normal well maintain Q engine can go 250,000 miles with just 90 day conventional oil changes [we have 4 - 94 Q customers withe 240-250k] sure the engine blow a little blue smoke on startup but not after warmup.

What's 40 oil conventional changes~~$1,200 or $ 120 year.

Even with Mobil 1 it only adds $20 x 4= $80 more per year

Sure microscopic filtration works well but the 5 micron filters plug up fast and need changing also.

Do you use synthetic and change every 4,000 miles or do you extra filter it and change every 8,000..........for me just as easy to change it often.

PREMIUM Oil expense is such a minor minor cost factor in owning a lux car!

Even the most expensive $9 a quart stuff is still cheap.

[Highway Q45]

Maybe I'm missing something here which wouldn't be the first time.Under the bypass filter scenario are these assumptions wrong?1. Ignoring mileage, the 1 micron bypass filter would tend to clog up first before the main filter;2. Once the bypass lost it's filtering capability then all oil would again pass through the main filter; what filters out the new debris in the sub-5 micron category?3. Are both filters generally the same size and designed for the same duration of replacement.

I'm not questioning the concept here I'm just trying to see how the 1 micron crud would always continue to be filtered if the set-up is a parallel flow circuit.

[forecast]

Alright, so lay out for me what I would need to implement this on a typical passenger car. I'm not really interested for my Q, the body will give out long before the engine will with normal oil changes.

Is this a special filter, or a dual filter setup?

But I've got a another car with questionable service history and if I can keep the engine alive another 150K, this may be worth it.

I'm also curious about the effectiveness on a car driven like mine. The average trip between starts is something like less than 12 miles. I cold start it at least twice a day (8:30 AM and 5:30 PM) I drive more than 50 miles straight less than once a month.

[Jberger]

In the Amsoil config, the oil is filtered by the regular filter, just like the factory setup. Then about 5% of that filtered oil volume is then sent over to the secondary filter for processing. The secondary filter then performs additional filtration and returns the oil to the system.

So only a small portion is filtered at a time, and all the large particles are already filtered out by the regular filter.

The secondary filter is larger than the average OEM filter and does not have to be changed on 3,500 intervals.

I've got no problem changing engine oil regularly, but if it's possible to further reduce the wear factor, I'm all for it. Heck, that's why I use Synthetic oil, it's not mandated by the factory, but I believe it offers better protection for the incremental costs.

Dennis, I'm suprised your not very interested in bypass filtration, I'd have thought you'd be one of the first to try it out. Just for the advantages in filtration of particles, not the extended oil life economics.

[Q45tech]

Multiple filtration is used on brand new engines from day one to extend life. Kind of impractical to begin at 100,000 miles when significant wear has already occured.

For short trips a pressurized preoiler [to allow oil pressure at startups] and some kind of block/oil pan heater to keep oil at 120F or higher prior to start might make more sense.

[Chally]

The best bypass filter I've seen has been on heavy equipment. It is the centrifigual type, & they remove the most crap & don't block easily, if at all, but it is very impractable for cars, as Dennis said.

[Jberger]

Pre-lubers, I had forgotten about those. . .

I'd bet that would prevent the valve clatter at startup.

Anyone here running a pre-luber on a Q? The models with build in reserve pressure tank might be useful if you want to autocross the Q.

[landtodd]

I added one of the Amsoil bypass filters to my first MR2. The oil stayed very clean, but that huge filter (don't know where you could find room to mount it on a Q) needed 1500-mile changes. You could tell it was time when the oil started to darken and the bypass filter didn't get hot to the touch. If my car was perfect, I would consider it.