Bypass filter element test run

[Gary - K7GLD]

Thru the years, I've submitted quite a few posts, as well as threads, concerning bypass oil filters in general, and more specifically, the Frantz toilet paper element filter I have used for over 50 years now, on a wide variety of vehicles.



There are newer, and improving, competing bypass filters now hitting the scene than seen previously, and a growing acceptance for their effectiveness and value in cleaning the oil and enhancing engine life - as well as allowing far greater distances between oil changes - and with the dramatic rise in fuel and oil costs, better economy is definitely a GOOD thing! :-laf



So, in the face of competing bypass filters, as well as my own need for better bypass filtration, here's my test - first a pic a bit different of my oil dipstick now, at the start of my test, with about 7K miles on the oil:



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HMMmmmm - not nearly as pretty and clean as others I have displayed here in the past - many short, stop/go trips that don't allow the engine to fully heat up, larger injectors and running the Smarty, until recently, along with the Edge Comp I had stacked with it - and am still running - all create FAR more soot than what I had previously experienced - much like what is happening in the newer 3rd generation trucks!



So, what's the "test"?



I recently have been running the Frantz TP rolls, instead of the Scott tissue I used for years prior - the Frantz stuff IS more expensive, but still a bargain as compared to competing filters used in setups. The Frantz TP is single-layer stuff that is very firm and tightly wound, and uses a core at least twice as thick as regular TP - and the core fits snugly around the center post of the filter body to better seal against oil migration past the TP at that point.



In addition to the above, I also wrap an additional 2 layers of the common blue shop towels around the outside of the filter, and THAT is folded over on the top inch or so, for added thickness and tighter fit into the canister, and the additional layers right at the top of the roll seal even more at that point, and as an added bonus, also compress the TP core more tightly to the inner post for even better sealing.



Our RV trip begins tomorrow morning, a new filter element has just been installed, and our trip down to California and back will involve a mix of mountain and flatland travel over a distance of about 1500 miles. When we get back home, I'll take another pic of the oil on the dipstick to see how the Frantz TP cartridges work out...



Anyone care to guess if the oil on the stick will look better, worse?





The rest when we return in about 10 days! :-laf:-laf



.

 

[MChildress]

Gary's truck must of broke down its been two months.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Gary's truck must of broke down its been two months.

SORRY about that - covered the results in another thread, neglected to get back to this one - my bad!



Results were, that once out on the road, and with a guestimated 7500 miles or so already on the oil as seen on the dipstick at the start of this thread, the oil DID clean up noticeably - to the extent the markings on the stick were legible, but not enough to be discerned from an internet pic.





Actually, while that wasn't bad, considering how dark it appeared at the start, in view of my larger injectors and running the Edge Comp, I decided to do what I had considered and discussed here before in other threads, and reduced the diameter of the Frantz flow restrictor from 1/8 inch, down to 1/16 inch.



Visually, even in the shorter around-town driving done since our return from the California RV trip, the oil is easily maintaining it's clarity - and perhaps improving slightly. The reduced flow will hopefully allow enough more time for oil to stay inside the filter, and impurities and soot to be caught. Time will tell, need more miles - and I'll try to remember to get back to this thread for an update when appropriate.

 

[CUMMINZ]

This is the system I just installed on my 6. 7L



AMSOil remote bypass. Both filters can now be changed in just a few minutes.



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[05mxdiesel]

Gary, after a couple tp changes I am more than happy with how much easier and quicker I can change a frantz roll compared to the scotts. No observation though since my oil is still black as any 04. 5 and up engine would look like.



I did not know that you were still running original 1/8 restrictor. I added the 1/16 right after I installed my frantz. Oil flow is much slower as you probably seen. I picked up a amsoil bp80a filter mount and billet valve cover cap used. I've been toying with the idea of installing a eabp90 before the frantz and just change the tp once a year.

 

[steved]

I found running the OE elements in my GCF seems to be better than rolling my own.

 

[steved]

No observation though since my oil is still black as any 04. 5 and up engine would look like.

My oil stays clear for quite some time using the much larger gulf coast. I'm at 3k currently, and mine's still clear like Gary's.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

The first several thousand miles, the oil stays pretty decent, but now - and especially with a few power mods, the inevitable increase in fuel/soot eventually takes it's toll. It's not a case of the SIZE of the soot particles, but how MANY of them there are - the accumulating volume of even sub-micron soot particles will eventually turn the oil dark, even though at those microscopic sizes, they are relatively harmless as far as engine wear is concerned.



Setups like Steve's GC are the ultimate as far as I'm concerned - overkill to some perhaps - but I'm an "overkill" sort of guy... :-laf:-laf

 

[steved]

Setups like Steve's GC are the ultimate as far as I'm concerned - overkill to some perhaps - but I'm an "overkill" sort of guy... :-laf:-laf

Are you saying its time for that garbage can by pass filter??

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Are you saying its time for that garbage can by pass filter??

UNSUSPECTING onlookers think that thing towed behind my truck is our RVing rig - but ACTUALLY... :-laf:-laf



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[mberry]

Please don't say "love shack".

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

HOOOOKAY - here's a renewal of this earlier thread - been running thru the winter with all the older mods to my Frantz TP bypass oil filter, but now have reduced the orifice down to 1/16 inch from the earlier 1/8 - so we'll see if it makes any difference on a 1500 mile run - changed the TP element with about 2000 miles on the oil - stick looks like this:



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While not as visible as I'd like in this Internet photo, oil is deeply darkened but transparent, and markings on the stick are still easily read.



We start our trip down to Lodi area of California in the morning - will see what the oil looks like when we return...

 

[moparguy]

Thanks for the update. I don't drive my Dodge eveyday now, actually it'll sit for weeks between starts. I had intended to change to a 1/16 orifice but forgot all about it. I appreciate the reminder.



Gary if you don't mind, how did you go about changing the size? I can easily visualize crafting something up with fittings, or brazing the current orifice up and re-drilling.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Thanks for the update. I don't drive my Dodge eveyday now, actually it'll sit for weeks between starts. I had intended to change to a 1/16 orifice but forgot all about it. I appreciate the reminder.



Gary if you don't mind, how did you go about changing the size? I can easily visualize crafting something up with fittings, or brazing the current orifice up and re-drilling.

I fabricated my own orifice inside the brass fitting directly where I tap into the high pressure feed from the OEM full-flow filter housing on the engine block that's going to the Frantz inlet side:



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I originally had it drilled for 1/8 inch, to match the orifice Frantz had inside the filter canister base:



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But have since the earlier part of this thread, soldered the orifice I use closed, and re-drilled to 1/16 inch. Using the orifice at the point I use, keeps all lines and the Frantz canister and a low flow/PSI potential, and less likelihood of pressure leaks.



I've seen substantial improvement in filtering efficiency thru the short haul winter driving - and I'm really expecting even more improvement on the longer drive down to California...

 

[moparguy]

Good info, thanks.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

WELL, have completed the leg of the trip down here to Lodi California - and wait until you see the pics of what the oil looks like after about 650 miles with the last filter element change - only perhaps 1/3 as dark as when I started - oil looks nearly new!



I have pics on my cell phone, but will have to wait until we return home to post it and the one I'll also take at the end of the trip...



Looking VERY good so far!

 

[steved]

I have been really tempted as of late to install a Frantz in place of the GCF, if for nothing else than to eliminate that huge volume of oil...

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

HOoooooKaaaay!



Finished this last test run on the Frantz bypass filter, only difference between this test, and the one at the start of the thread, was my recent reduction of the orifice in the filter from 1/8 inch, to it's new diameter of 1/16 inch - and the end result exceeded my expectations! Keep in mind that this test was nearly identical in route and miles to the earlier test.



Here again, is what the oil looked like after a winter's use, and 2000 miles:



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Not real pretty - but that pic is showing it a bit worse than reality, due to poor lighting - but still, it was pretty dark.



Here is the oil after a TP cartridge, and about 650 miles in distance from here in eastern Oregon, down to Lodi California:



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HEY - not too shabby - 10 hours straight running time at freeway speeds sure helps! :-laf



AND, here is the final dipstick pic - now after the return trip from California, and total miles of about 3500 miles on the oil, and 1500 miles on the TP cartridge:



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Not all that much worse than what the oil usually looks like after a fresh oil change and a trip around the block! :-laf



YUP - the new reduced oil flow restriction was WELL worth doing - and, how many competing bypass setups will do what you can see above?



WHO sez that NO bypass filter can effectively filter out soot?

 

[moparguy]

COOL COOL COOL GREAT GREAT GREAT, OH can I say very nice. Now I've got to do the same with my setup. But the question is Gary, if you replinish the additive package, do 10k analysis, when do you change the oil?????

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

COOL COOL COOL GREAT GREAT GREAT, OH can I say very nice. Now I've got to do the same with my setup. But the question is Gary, if you replinish the additive package, do 10k analysis, when do you change the oil?????

A few years back, I ran a test and posted results here on the TDR, about running Delo 400 CI 15/40 for over 20,000 miles, using the Frantz bypass filter of course. That was still using the 1/8 inch orifice, and without a few of the minor frantz filter mods I have come up with over the years - the final report on that longer run got this response from Blackstone labs:



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For the uninformed, the wear numbers seen above in that report are GREAT, regardless of what oil or filtering system is used - in fact, I've yet to see better in similar competing tests!



Based upon that test run, and especially with the even better lube quality of the later CI4-Plus Delo 400 oil, I have adopted a 12 month/12,000 mile lube change interval - my last oil change was late last Fall - and will occur again this next fall, unless miles pile up unusually fast. When I drain the current oil, I'll have another analysis done, and post results here in this thread.



The small amount - about 1/3 quart - of oil added at a TP cartridge change, seems to be totally adequate to maintain oil additives, TAN and TBN of the Delo lube I use.



It must be remembered that driving styles, climate, and specific year models of engines will have radical effect upon longer term oil deterioration - and the 3rd generation common-rail trucks have displayed a serious tendency towards increased soot buildup in the engine lube that will outpace the ability of most commonly available bypass filters to remove, possibly including the Frantz...