By-Pass Oil Filter
212rowboat
Member Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
I wrote about this in another thread, but I think it was lost in the sauce of others comments about general engine health and maintenance.
I installed an engine oil bypass filtration system fairly recently on my diesel truck. I pamper that thing and never do anything to it or with it that hasn't been carefully researched, and tested by someone else- I don't care to play lab rat with something I've near $100k invested in.
Amsoil has had an oil bypass filter available for a long time, but I've often just ignored it existed because anything it can do is generally done better by simply changing the oil and filter, right? Well... No.. not right.
Using the truck as my pilot program, I am SO going to put one on the boats engine... here is the down and dirty:
how it works:
For the Marine application, it can be done several ways. If there is any interest generated by this post I'll outline those ways, but just allow me to leave it dangling by simply saying "It's simple, and about a ten minute job".
The full flow filter will remain in place. The concept of a bypass is to sip off the full flow of oil, and pull <10% of the flow out and send it to the bypass filter, and to reintroduce it close to where you removed it, so as to retain 'volume' of flow, as well as the intended pressures throughout the circuit.
Oil doesn't deplete, unless it's being consumed or leaked... Oil contaminates... It picks up ash and debris from the engine such as metals and insolubles created by combustion gasses mixing with it. Most engine full flow filters filter to no more than 25 micron, and only at about a 40% efficiency, and because filtering can't interrupt the flow of volume to the point it robs precious lubricants (and cooling) to moving hard parts. Most engine scarring and wear is due to contaminants in the 5-10 um range. These contaminants are not filtered at all by even the best full flow filters, and are the reason you have to change your oil.
The 2 um rating on the Amsoil Bypass Filter and the efficiency at north of 98% allows just about every single piece of debris and ash to be removed as it passes through. Those remaining are small enough that the amount of damage they can do is negligible at best. The 'bypass' doesn't rob the engine of too much volume of flow, nor does it create pressure points. As far as it's being installed, you won't notice one way or another. I have the filter head mounted on my truck near the rear fender well on the passenger frame rail, or likely 7 or so feet away from where I draft it from, and an equal amount of distance where I put it back into the flow circuit. This is to say that mounting it a sensible distance from the engine is acceptable, and you can locate it where it makes the most sense.
performance:
I wish I would have done this long, long ago... I installed the system @ 90k miles, and I have 99800 on the clock right now. I usually change oil like my life depended on it every 5k miles, along with filter. I usually see the oil start to turn from deep green (the color of the oil I use) to black within 1k miles, and being fully black by 1500miles. I have 9800 miles on this interval, and, it looks like less than 1k miles did prior to the bypass filter... The oil still has the decided translucent green tint to it, and at 9800 miles... that is ridiculous.
The biggest seller to me was, "even though I would change the oil every 5k miles, this is like having a constant new oil ALL the time, which equates to a better lubricated and cooled engine, with less wear"...
so... issues worth mentioning:
I've been running the Amsoil HD oil in my boat for a while, now, as many of you may recall... It is still honey, right now, but has started that slow transition to black... I'll be putting a bypass filtration system on that thing this fall... But this isn't about my beat up old 4.3, it's more about you fellas running the big blocks that are silly expensive to repair and replace... my only regret with introducing this thing on my truck is that I did it at 90k miles instead of mile 1. I'm betting you'll be amazed at the results, and I bet your analyst with be, too.
I've got a sample of the 9800mile oil at Blackstone right now, and, I sent a virgin sample to them for a baseline when I put the stuff in... I'll share those sample analysis's, if anyone here shows any interest.
I installed an engine oil bypass filtration system fairly recently on my diesel truck. I pamper that thing and never do anything to it or with it that hasn't been carefully researched, and tested by someone else- I don't care to play lab rat with something I've near $100k invested in.
Amsoil has had an oil bypass filter available for a long time, but I've often just ignored it existed because anything it can do is generally done better by simply changing the oil and filter, right? Well... No.. not right.
Using the truck as my pilot program, I am SO going to put one on the boats engine... here is the down and dirty:
- amsoil 2 micron filter w/ >98% efficiency.
- Schaeffer's Supreme 9000 (group four) full synthetic in 5w/40
- filter head by NUC, which unlike a full flow filter has only a tiny orifice for oil to enter, which is engine specific and intent to disallow too much oil to bypass internal passages, this is maybe the most crucial thing about implementing this set up.
- Oil Analysis Sampling kits on stand by for various interval testing
- (2) standard full flow filters for this oil change interval period.
how it works:
For the Marine application, it can be done several ways. If there is any interest generated by this post I'll outline those ways, but just allow me to leave it dangling by simply saying "It's simple, and about a ten minute job".
The full flow filter will remain in place. The concept of a bypass is to sip off the full flow of oil, and pull <10% of the flow out and send it to the bypass filter, and to reintroduce it close to where you removed it, so as to retain 'volume' of flow, as well as the intended pressures throughout the circuit.
Oil doesn't deplete, unless it's being consumed or leaked... Oil contaminates... It picks up ash and debris from the engine such as metals and insolubles created by combustion gasses mixing with it. Most engine full flow filters filter to no more than 25 micron, and only at about a 40% efficiency, and because filtering can't interrupt the flow of volume to the point it robs precious lubricants (and cooling) to moving hard parts. Most engine scarring and wear is due to contaminants in the 5-10 um range. These contaminants are not filtered at all by even the best full flow filters, and are the reason you have to change your oil.
The 2 um rating on the Amsoil Bypass Filter and the efficiency at north of 98% allows just about every single piece of debris and ash to be removed as it passes through. Those remaining are small enough that the amount of damage they can do is negligible at best. The 'bypass' doesn't rob the engine of too much volume of flow, nor does it create pressure points. As far as it's being installed, you won't notice one way or another. I have the filter head mounted on my truck near the rear fender well on the passenger frame rail, or likely 7 or so feet away from where I draft it from, and an equal amount of distance where I put it back into the flow circuit. This is to say that mounting it a sensible distance from the engine is acceptable, and you can locate it where it makes the most sense.
performance:
I wish I would have done this long, long ago... I installed the system @ 90k miles, and I have 99800 on the clock right now. I usually change oil like my life depended on it every 5k miles, along with filter. I usually see the oil start to turn from deep green (the color of the oil I use) to black within 1k miles, and being fully black by 1500miles. I have 9800 miles on this interval, and, it looks like less than 1k miles did prior to the bypass filter... The oil still has the decided translucent green tint to it, and at 9800 miles... that is ridiculous.
The biggest seller to me was, "even though I would change the oil every 5k miles, this is like having a constant new oil ALL the time, which equates to a better lubricated and cooled engine, with less wear"...
so... issues worth mentioning:
- the filter head must match the application. the orifice is small, and should be in direct relation to how much oil you can 'safely' intercept... "Safely", by my reckoning, is not enough to alter the flow of volume during high stress events, i.e. wide open throttle. At wide open throttle, I don't want to rob my engine of oil.. pretty simple...
- the interception and replacement points- removing the oil from the full flow filter is the safest, be it by using a sandwich plate or by using a different cap set on it (if equipped), seconded by removing it just beyond the filter at a port or at the pressure sensor/sendor (and by using a T fitting)... there are many ways to do this, but you must be careful of intercepting a suitable volume. Returning the oil can be done either through the valve covers, the dipstick port (directly to the sump), or by tapping into another port.
- oil doesn't break down, it contaminates, but.... detergents in the oil does chemically alter throughout the expected life. for instance, ZDDP clings to hard parts and does a good job of protecting them.. the compound breaks down over a period of time, though, and leaves you with just the Z (zinc) and the P (phosphate) as it separates.. those two then begin fighting for surface area, and stop protecting. so... you can extend the change interval so long as analysis of the oil says you can.... to put this into perspective, though, many over the road trucks use these filters, and trucking companies have extended intervals to 400k miles and beyond, when running only full flow filters the recommended intervals are 50k miles. These guys make a living off their fleets... I doubt they'd do anything that would invite harm.
I've been running the Amsoil HD oil in my boat for a while, now, as many of you may recall... It is still honey, right now, but has started that slow transition to black... I'll be putting a bypass filtration system on that thing this fall... But this isn't about my beat up old 4.3, it's more about you fellas running the big blocks that are silly expensive to repair and replace... my only regret with introducing this thing on my truck is that I did it at 90k miles instead of mile 1. I'm betting you'll be amazed at the results, and I bet your analyst with be, too.
I've got a sample of the 9800mile oil at Blackstone right now, and, I sent a virgin sample to them for a baseline when I put the stuff in... I'll share those sample analysis's, if anyone here shows any interest.
Comments
I'd be interested to see the details of how it's installed.
But I wonder if it would really make sense for me. I typically log 70 hours a year, with one end-of-season oil change. The bypass system would reduce engine wear, but ... would that really extend the life of the boat? I mean, when the boat is 30 years old, won't it be ready for retirement even if the engines still have life?
Now, if I was fortunate enough to be logging 120 hours a year, the bypass system seems like a great investment. It would save me a mid-season oil change, and maybe even avoid an engine rebuild.
I'll add at this point, that the oil will stay in the rig unless there are some serious issues with it as identified by analysis, and will just be refreshed with a quart of archoil or revX, both of which I have and another product I HIGHLY recommend... it would be a really good additive to use in your engine, too.
the biggest thing to remember, is that capturing 2um @ 98+% efficiency for 10% of the oil on every pass on a sump holding less than 10 quarts allows all of the oil to be scrubbed at least every ten minutes of run time, using a standard volume oil pump... that means your engine will be pristine on the hard parts and the little trash bins (lifters) will be clear of debris.
I only wish I had started using archoil and this bypass system earlier... there is a (insert fancy metallurgical term here) coating on all hard parts that generally wears off in the break in period... that coating allows these parts to remain corrosion free while on the shelf.. that coating would remain if the conditions were right, but tiny abrasives in the oil prevent that. ....
Al, I'm expecting the analysis to arrive today or tomorrow on this 9800 mile run, and I have the virgin analysis to compare it to... I'll post both when it lands... I can tell you, though, just by looking at the oil that the filter has done it's job... the stuff looks pristine. The pic attached is when I pulled the sample, and realize the oil I use is green tinted, so much of the darkness is the oils color with doesn't translate real well in a photo.
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
the key with using a universal kit is to introduce a valve that can be opened or closed enough to maintain the proper pressure (which is a bad indicator of volume, but the best we have).... set the valve, and once it's dialed in, forget it.
sipping 10% of the volume and passing it through the 2um filter will filter your entire crankcase in less than half an hour, meaning you'd be running perpetual 'new' oil.... there was one (and this is apples to oranges, somewhat, but still applicable here) independent laboratory test where a system was used on hydraulic fluid (automatic transmission fluid), and where the ATF had 150k miles on it of normal use... after 300 hours of 2um filtering, it once again met ISO standards for that particular product..... understand that hydraulic fluid doesn't have to contend with ash or combustion gasses, so this is logical and something I didn't have to question too hard... we're talking motor oil, here, but my personal experience right this second is that the nearing 10k mile oil in my rig 'looks' to be equiv to less than 1k oil without it... I'll have a Blackstone report to back it up, soon, so it won't be just my opinion.
the key with using a universal kit is to introduce a valve that can be opened or closed enough to maintain the proper pressure (which is a bad indicator of volume, but the best we have).... set the valve, and once it's dialed in, forget it.
sipping 10% of the volume and passing it through the 2um filter will filter your entire crankcase in less than half an hour, meaning you'd be running perpetual 'new' oil.... there was one (and this is apples to oranges, somewhat, but still applicable here) independent laboratory test where a system was used on hydraulic fluid (automatic transmission fluid), and where the ATF had 150k miles on it of normal use... after 300 hours of 2um filtering, it once again met ISO standards for that particular product..... understand that hydraulic fluid doesn't have to contend with ash or combustion gasses, so this is logical and something I didn't have to question too hard... we're talking motor oil, here, but my personal experience right this second is that the nearing 10k mile oil in my rig 'looks' to be equiv to less than 1k oil without it... I'll have a Blackstone report to back it up, soon, so it won't be just my opinion.