stratapore VS microglass

[doodad]

I'm running Amsoil 15w 40. I've put on almost 9000kms and cannot keep the oil clean. I change the fleetguard microglass filter every 3000kms and it is still getting dirty? My question is will a stratapore filter keep it cleaner. I have considerded an oil bypass but not sure on which kind? The gulf coast bypass looks pretty cool in the last TDR issue, but will the paper come out and clog my engine. I have heard of it happening with FRAM cellulose filters. I rarely tow anything and 75% of my mileage is highway running. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Joe G.]

Your oil turns black because of soot in blow by. That's natural for a diesel. A bypass filter will remove the soot because of the finer filtration, but it's really no problem if you change your oil at reasonable intervals. I agree it looks bad. I don't think its anything to worry about.

 

[Lordsman]

Installing a timing box may help as fuel is burned more efficiently thereby less blowby and cleaner iol. The oils we use now have additives to keep blowby in suspension and out of harms way.

Food for thought.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Soot blackening of the oil is an unavoidable, natural phenomena of diesel function - bypass filters will at best only provide a moderate slowdown of the darkening process - and while SOME oils might SEEM to slightly reduce oil darkening, it's better to have the soot particles float suspended in the oil, than to have them settle upon internal engine surfaces creating sludge...



The particles themselves are so microscopically small, they don't contribute significantly to engine wear.

 

[JJW_ND]

Soot not an issue unless your very HP.

I have ran half a dozen 25K oil change intervals with just a stratapore change every 6K (miles) and the highest I have got soot upto was 0. 4%. It takes a reading over 1. 5% to get flagged.



My oil gets black in a couple K miles. By 12K it looks very black, by 18K it gets hard to wash off your hands, at 25K when I dump you don't want to touch it.



No problems with wear.



Black oil is not bad!



jjw

ND

 

[jlccc]

Originally posted by Joe G.

A bypass filter will remove the soot because of the finer filtration, [snip]

No, a bypass filter will not. A good bypass filter only takes out particles down to 1 or 2 micron. Soot particles are SUB-micron in size.

 

[Cooker]

Originally posted by jlccc





No, a bypass filter will not. A good bypass filter only takes out particles down to 1 or 2 micron. Soot particles are SUB-micron in size.

Oil Guard advertises that their bypass filters do filter fine enough to remove soot. Whether they do or not is another question.

 

[doodad]

Thanxs guys that was very informative, i thought it would be harmfull to the engine but it is only soot. Next step is doing oil analysis, any ideas on an aftermarket device that makes it easier to get a sample

 

[jlccc]

Originally posted by Cooker





Oil Guard advertises that their bypass filters do filter fine enough to remove soot. Whether they do or not is another question.

You are mistaken. Please see the following link on Oilguard's website:



http://www.oilguard.com/side_menu/bypass_filtration/soot_removal.php

 

[Cummins Corvette]

Originally posted by doodad

Thanxs guys that was very informative, i thought it would be harmfull to the engine but it is only soot. Next step is doing oil analysis, any ideas on an aftermarket device that makes it easier to get a sample

You can get a valve that replaces your drain plug from genos or www.fumotovalve.com. I have one from fumotovalve and it works very well, easy to use and no leaks.

 

[illflem]

Originally posted by doodad

any ideas on an aftermarket device that makes it easier to get a sample

All from the hardware store. Buy an 1/8" NPT X 1/4" compression valve, a 1/8"X3" nipple and 3' of 1/4"tubing, cost you less than $10. With the engine off but warmed up connect this setup to the plugged 1/8" port on top of your oil filter housing, hand tight no teflon tape is fine. Start the engine, open the valve and run oil though the tubing into your oil fill spout to flush it out for awhile. You can now take a sample with great control with the sample being the only loss of oil. Shut down the engine, open the 1/8 valve to let oil in the tubing drain back then remove it and replace the plug. If you like leave the valve in place and just remove the tubing.



Oil taken from the drain plug for a sample should be midway though the drain if you want any degree of accuracy. Sort of defeats the purpose if you have to drain half your oil.

 

[Steve Campbell]

illflem...Thank you

What an excellent idea!!!

 

[Blakers]

Back to the original question... . What IS the difference between Statapore and Microglass and is one much better than the other?



Thanks,

Blake

 

[FAllen]

When I contacted Fleetguard about this they told me that the Microglas filter is better that a standard filter but the Stratopore was the best filter. So standard filter they rate good, Microglas rates better and Stratopore rates best.

 

[Cooker]

jlccc,



Last time I looked at Oilguards website (a year or so ago) it was very different. At that time I thought they advertised their filters could remove soot



Blakers,

The Stratapore filter media is the best media that Fleetguard offers. It is better than the Microglass, but they are both quality filters. In either case, they do filter better than the standard filters.

 

[Steve Roseman]

Do the 12 and 24 valve call for the same # on the Stratapore? In Geno's catalog they don't list a Stratapore for the 12 valve, just the MicroGlass.

 

[Blakers]

Thanks Cooker. I've been using the Statapore, but I wasn't sure about the Microglass. Guess I've been doing the right thing.



Take care,



Blake

 

[Cooker]

The Stratopore filter is only offered for the 24v, but the 24v filters can be used on the 12v with no worries. However, the 12v filters cannot be used on a 24v.



I wonder why Fleetguard doesn't simplify things and discontinue the 12v filters and superseed the PN's with the 24v filters. It sure would make life easier for the parts guys and also simplify inventory.

 

[CAllen]

My Cummins shop has quit selling the microglass--they only sell the stratopore for 12 or 24V. That makes it simple!

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

When filters were discussed a long time ago this was how the Microglass and Stratapore were compared:





Microglass filters to a finer micron level than the Stratapore, but holds much less contaminants. Basically the microglass can filter out more to start with but doesn't last very long because it "clogs up" a lot quicker, I've heard never take it more than 3K miles. It is very fine media all the way through and doesn't filter in stages.



The Stratapore has staged filtering levels where it catches the coarse stuff first then filters to smaller particles with each subsequent level (don't recall how many "stages" there are).



Vaughn