Bypass Filtration. Good or Bad?

[cojhl2]

Has anyone run a centrifical filter? My neighbor has one on a big truck. I've seen it cleaned. It traps a lot of soot,, looks like a good deal to me.



Waddya think?

 

[Arkapigdiesel]

Has anyone run a centrifical filter? My neighbor has one on a big truck. I've seen it cleaned. It traps a lot of soot,, looks like a good deal to me.



Waddya think?

$$$$$$$$$$$$



From what I understand, it pulls a lot of amperage also. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[rbattelle]

Has anyone run a centrifical filter? My neighbor has one on a big truck. I've seen it cleaned. It traps a lot of soot,, looks like a good deal to me.



Waddya think?

Not a bad idea. The definitive thread on the subject. I don't believe there's any electrical hookup.



Ryan

 

[Arkapigdiesel]

Not a bad idea. The definitive thread on the subject. I don't believe there's any electrical hookup.



Ryan

There is a motor that spins at high RPM's which spins the insolubles out of suspension in the oil. The motor is run off of 12 volts.



On edit: The particular model you're referring to doesn't have a motor..... I've never seen a centrifuge type of bypass setup that didn't have a motor that spun the oil. I was wrong. I know what I'm thinking of now... . the centrifuge that has the electrical connection has a heater that cooks out coolant and/or fuel in the oil.

 

[rbattelle]

There is a motor that spins at high RPM's which spins the insolubles out of suspension in the oil. The motor is run off of 12 volts.



On edit: The particular model you're referring to doesn't have a motor..... I've never seen a centrifuge type pf bypass setup that didn't have a motor that spun the oil. I was wrong.

The few centrifugal filters I've ever seen are simply powered by the pressure provided by the fluid they're filtering. Spinner II is the same. No electrical connection required.



Ryan

 

[Arkapigdiesel]

The few centrifugal filters I've ever seen are simply powered by the pressure provided by the fluid they're filtering. Spinner II is the same. No electrical connection required.



Ryan

I'm thinking of the centrifuge filters that have the heater within that cooks out coolant/fuel in the oil.

 

[Duluth Diesel]

I agree and appreciate the above posts. I live in the the northern tip of Wisconsin, where we will see -20 to -30 degree temps in winter. My truck starts a lot better in those extreme temps with synthetic on board. I am not able to speak for other brands, but I do know that since AMSOIL is not refined from petroleum/crude oil, it does not have the paraffin contaminants that make cold weather tough on conventional oils.



Anyway, back to the bypass filtration topic at hand, sorry to detour us a bit.

I have AMSOIL pdf datasheets on the two CTD approved bypass systems for your review, but alas they are too large to upload, so I'll just stick the links in there.



For 2004 and newer trucks:

https://www.amsoil.com/bypassfilters/instructions/BP082.pdf



For 2003 and older trucks:

https://www.amsoil.com/bypassfilters/instructions/BP174.pdf

 

[amsoilman]

So, I gather from the posts that with the unit I am considering (Amsoil Bypass BMK-11), there should be no oil pressure, flow, or volume issues?



As I understand it, the bypass setup has a restrictor to prevent pressure/flow loss to the engine?



Or, as good insurance, should a check valve be installed that would prevent the oil accessing the bypass filter when pressures are say 25 psi or below?



This is a very interesting concept on oil filtration. As someone mentioned earlier though, is it worth the trouble and complexity?



I think it may be. But then again, I have seen diesels disassembled that still looked excellent as far as wear on the mains and crosshatching in the cylinders with 200-300 thousand miles. Diesels that had regular oil changes with no bypass filtration.



However, as the recent TDR issue explained, the new oils that are going to be introduced (API CJ-4?) mean there could be wear issues that a bypass setup may be able to help minimize.



Diesel Thunder.

You might look at a by-pass filter as an addition to your engine’s security system. Your regular oil filter passes the full flow of oil from the pump and removes particles bigger than about 20 to 30 microns.



Left in the oil, particles smaller than this size can contribute to ring, liner and bearing wear. These same particles can also contribute to engine deposits, which can hurt engine performance and induce oil consumption.



If the regular “full-flow” filter were designed to filter smaller particles, there would be a risk of insufficient oil flow through the engine as particles accumulated in the filtering media of the full-flow filter element. In fact, regular filters come equipped with a “relief” valve, sometimes called a by-pass, to allow some of the oil to by-pass them completely. These valves insure the proper flow of oil is maintained to protect the engine, even if the filter media accumulates enough material to cause excessive pressure drop across the filter, or the oil is too thick to pass through it fast enough.



By-pass filters are an addition to the regular oil filter. They take only a portion of the oil pump’s flow, and can therefore be more efficient in removing even smaller particles than 5 microns. Eventually, all of the oil gets circulated through the by-pass element. Removing particles smaller than 20 microns is another step in reducing the risk of engine wear, and can also help in reducing risk of oil viscosity increase.



A side benefit of a by-pass filter is that it usually increases the amount of oil necessary to fill the engine oil system. More oil means contaminants are less concentrated and likely to cause harm to the engine. More oil also means more additives are available to neutralize contaminants and protect vital engine parts.



By-pass oil filters can add to your line of defense against engine wear and deposits, helping maintain engine performance and long engine life. When it comes to providing you with security for your engine, a high quality filtering system goes along way. But then so does high quality synthetic engine oil like Amsoil.



Here is a link that shows some installations on the CTD trucks. There is also a drawing of a by-pass filtering system, so you can visualize how it works. The restrictor, that has been talked about is in the return side of the by-pass mount, and is very small, so it will reduce the "flow" of oil going through it, as well as keep pressure behind it, so your oil pressure will not drop. The oil that is returned from the by-pass element, is not under any pressure, and therfore will just flow out the end of the line.



Hope this helps.



http://www.1gr8oil.com/singlebypass.html



Wayne

amsoilman

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Has anyone run a centrifical filter? My neighbor has one on a big truck. I've seen it cleaned. It traps a lot of soot,, looks like a good deal to me.



Waddya think?

One of the TDR members has installed one - oil analysis results have so far been rather UNspectacular as compared to the better quality conventional bypass filters...

 

[Arkapigdiesel]

One of the TDR members has installed one - oil analysis results have so far been rather UNspectacular as compared to the better quality conventional bypass filters...

I agree. I checked the particle count done on the centrifugal filter and was very UNimpressed by what I saw.

 

[Duluth Diesel]

I've heard the same thing. I was on the brink of becoming a Spinner dealer and determined on my own that the AMSOIL bypass system I already carry was better, so I said "bye bye" to the Spinner II.

 

[td182a]

Another good bypass filter

Wow, this information is great! So the general consensus is that oil Bypass filtration is good. I am looking into the Amsoil unit, but are there any suggestions as to other units on the market?



Finally, are there any warranty issues with DC or Cummins?



Thanks.



Diesel Thunder.

I would recommend the FS2500 bypass filter. Do a quick google on it, the website has a video they will send you. Very Impressive Video! They sell it with everything required for mounting on any application including CTD. I run synthetic JD 0W40 oil in all my newer engines (the ones that don't use oil) and send samples away every second filter change or so. I change filters (full flow and bypass) when oil change is book recommended. I usually chicken out around a 1000 hours and drop the oil too!! The samples are just fine (new oil specs) but I can't take it anymore!! Another good feature of the FS2500, is the built in oil sample port. I just ordered my 3rd unit yesterday, they have a bit of an 'end of year' sale on. I highly recommend them.

 

[Arkapigdiesel]

are there any suggestions as to other units on the market?

Go to Bob is the Oil Guy and scroll down to the "Bypass Filters" section. You'll find a lot of info. over there.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I would recommend the FS2500 bypass filter. Do a quick google on it, the website has a video they will send you. Very Impressive Video! They sell it with everything required for mounting on any application including CTD. I run synthetic JD 0W40 oil in all my newer engines (the ones that don't use oil) and send samples away every second filter change or so. I change filters (full flow and bypass) when oil change is book recommended. I usually chicken out around a 1000 hours and drop the oil too!! The samples are just fine (new oil specs) but I can't take it anymore!! Another good feature of the FS2500, is the built in oil sample port. I just ordered my 3rd unit yesterday, they have a bit of an 'end of year' sale on. I highly recommend them.

I've seen the video demo on that unit, and agree that it LOOKS impressive - I'd sure like to see some independent user results with full analysis and particle count tho'...

 

[DFranks]

Duluth,



What you speak of is the truth. A synthetic oil will flow better in cold temps. compared to a dino oil (when going through a full flow filter), BUT to say that it will flow significantly better through a bypass filter with a restrictor orifice isn't exactly true.



I've compared both dino and synthetic oils in applications where a bypass filter is used and the restrictor orifice just doesn't allow a lot of flow when temps. get cold in either syn or dino oils. Keep in mind that where I live we do see single digit temps. in the wintertime so I do have a basis for comparison.

Not to start a war but only too add to this conversation I have a bypass filter on my truck and recently when the temps got down -15C I checked my bypass filter return (filler cap) when I first started the truck in the morning and they was no oil flow from the bypass to the filler cap.



I let the truck run on high idle for 30 mins and then I drove to work (approx 30mins city driving) my truck was still not at operating temp yet but I was getting good heat approx halfway on the temp needle, and yes I have a cold front.



After I parked I checked the bypass return at the cap and there still no oil returning to the engine.



I then felt the bypass filter/housing itself and it was very cold to touch obviously no oil is making it to the bypass filter itself. With this information I can onlyguess that the oil was too thick and cold to flow even to the bypass filter, which is pretty much what was said in the prior post that I quoted.



I have since changed from the dino oil (valvoline 15W40 I think) that the dealer installed.



I now run Valvoline 5W40 full synthetic (which I purchased from the cummins dealer). I can tell you now in mild temps -0C - -5C with a cold start that the oil is flowing back through the filler cap as good or better than it did with the dino when it was warm.



I will update this forum when we hit our yearly cold snap Jan-Feb which can go as low as -40C. If I feel gutsy enough I may not plug the truck in for a one night test when it get's that cold.

 

[Pawpaw]

I just ordered my 3rd unit yesterday, they have a bit of an 'end of year' sale on. I highly recommend them.

So where did you order from that is having this sale? I can't find anywhere on "www.fs2500.com" to even order. They just point to their distributors.



Thanks,



Bob

 

[Arkapigdiesel]

I then felt the bypass filter/housing itself and it was very cold to touch obviously no oil is making it to the bypass filter itself. With this information I can onlyguess that the oil was too thick and cold to flow even to the bypass filter, which is pretty much what was said in the prior post that I quoted.

Usually, if your bypass element is cold even after the oil has had time to warm that means that the bypass element is plugged. What type of bypass element are you running and how many miles were on the element when it was still cold to the touch?



Most of the time a cold bypass element/housing means it's plugged and needs to be changed.

 

[DFranks]

I had approx 1500 miles on the "Oilguard bypass" it wasn't plugged (my concern as well) when the weather warmed up. I had oil flow again. My mount is under the truck next to the transfer case, being in that location may make it more suseptable to temperatures vs having the kit located under the hood as other bypass kits are.



In my situation I feel the problem was gettting the oil to either stay warm or get to operating temperature because of the extreme cold and possibly the short commute times to work.



Now that I have full synthetic installed I am hoping that this will solve the Flow problem. I will update when it gets colder here

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I had approx 1500 miles on the "Oilguard bypass" it wasn't plugged (my concern as well) when the weather warmed up. I had oil flow again. My mount is under the truck next to the transfer case, being in that location may make it more suseptable to temperatures vs having the kit located under the hood as other bypass kits are.



In my situation I feel the problem was gettting the oil to either stay warm or get to operating temperature because of the extreme cold and possibly the short commute times to work.



Now that I have full synthetic installed I am hoping that this will solve the Flow problem. I will update when it gets colder here

As much as we'd prefer that the bypass filters were operating at 100% at all times, fact is, temporary periods of poor or no flow aren't a serious situation - no engine damage, simply no added filtration down at the finer particle sizes.



Once things warm up, all's well and back to normal, and probably no measurable loss of oil purity that analysis would reveal in the relatively short time spans involved...

 

[DFranks]

As much as we'd prefer that the bypass filters were operating at 100% at all times, fact is, temporary periods of poor or no flow aren't a serious situation - no engine damage, simply no added filtration down at the finer particle sizes.



Once things warm up, all's well and back to normal, and probably no measurable loss of oil purity that analysis would reveal in the relatively short time spans involved...

I agree completely with you ... . I was just not happy of how the dino oil reacted in our cold spells (cold and dry start) The synthetic should help alleviate the dry starts and get a little better flow all around when it's cold.



If I lived in a warmer climate I most definately would stick to dino (Rotella)