Toilet Paper...

[Power Wagon]

Many moons ago, when I was a little kid just outa diapers, my dad used to sell Motorguard oil filters. They used a roll of two-ply TP as the filter element. I have no idea what they did for micron size, but they would remove quite a bit of water and hold it, and in tests on 60's diesel engines, they would keep the oil looking like it came out of the can. . It would not get black.



Dad ran one on our car for years... and it would do just that. The oil looked the same color after tens of thousands of miles as it did the say you put it in. I have to admit, that old Plymouth went a heck of a lotta miles with almost no wear, too. After almost 300K on the engine, it's still standard bearings.



I could swear that SAE or someone did testing on the filtering capacity and determined it filtered better than almost anything else on earth... but hey, wouldn't the company selling it put it's best face on things?



Just thought I'd probe the brains of your old-timers and see what you thought of them...

 

[F Simkowski (In Memory)]

I can recall in the mid 60's J. C. Whitney was selling the TP filter out of it's catalog.

 

[bigkid59]

It seems to me that one of the manufacturers of these filters was Frantz or Franz, I don't remember which is the correct spelling.



I also seem to remember that TDR member Barry mentioned having some of these units.



I am all for any improvement in filtering efficiency and will be installing a bypass filter on my truck while doing some other work in a couple of weeks. I am using a remote base with the filter used on large Cummins and Detroit engines.



I have also seem filters for compressed air that used toilet paper rolls. Flow volume was not great, but the air was clean.

 

[rrausch]

I seem to recall an advert. in the TDR a few issues back for a paper-towel element oil filter.



When I was in FFA, in high school, in the 1960's our Ag. teacher was very enthusiastic about TP filters. He said they worked great. He also said if we couldn't find the proper element for our old tractors with the cartridge-type oil filters to just stuff them full of Kotex! Maybe someone should manufacture the Kotex Oil Filter!

 

[Ramboy]

Frantz makes the filters out there in Oregon, I believe. One of the TDR members has one on his truck and likes it. He said he used to sell them so he knows what they can do. He bought his from Barry as I did but I haven't had the time to hook mine up yet. Barry had a super price on them. He may have some left if you are interested. I think he bought a truckload of them.

Phil

 

[Midnite]

Gulf Coast Filters also makes TP filters, although for diesel engines up to 250hp they recommend their paper towel filter setup.



You can check out their stuff at their website . You might also try doing some searches on the Ford Diesel website--oddly enough there's been much more discussion on bypass filters in their forums compared to those here. Not to say that that there aren't any TDR members running bypass filters, it's just that the vast majority are running Amsoil dual remote setups. There's only *one* TDR member here that I've seen running a TP/paper towel element filter, and that's "Gary - KJ6Q". He's running a Frantz TP filter on his 1st gen. There's also a GCF reseller who sometimes posts on the Ford site who has some information and photos. His website is here .



I've already decided I'm going to get the GCF O-1 setup (paper towel, not TP). It's expensive at about $375, but not only do you get more filtering out of the larger element--you also are adding 6 quarts capacity to the oil system. People have used that to play up how expensive the element change would be, but I think adding 6 quarts of capacity is only a GOOD thing. It should also do much better for keeping up the additive levels in the entire system to better allow for longer change intervals (6 qts at 8k or 10k miles, vs. 1 qt at 2k miles).



I think most, if not all of the bypass filters, including many I've not seen mentioned on this site (Oilguard, Filtration Solutions, etc) filter quite well even at the sub-micron level. Nothing's going to filter 100% effectively at say, . 3 microns, but from what I've seen the TP and paper towel element setups tend to filter more effectively than others.



Mike

 

[Barry]

I got big'uns and little'uns. Also have 1 trans kit and several fuel filter kits.

 

[Todd G]

I've got one on mine. Thanks Barry

 

[Doc Tinker]

What brand of toilet paper is best? Charmin?



aaaahhh, you gave me an idea for another thread, maybe with a poll.



Doc

 

[Midnite]

From what I've read, it's best to use the cheaper stuff since the roll tends to be denser (less fluffy sheets = less fluffy roll). It sounds like the big thing is to make sure the roll fits nice and snugly in the housing though.



Barry: I forgot--you'd mentioned before that you had larger paper towel units. Can you either post your phone number here, or give it to me in a private message?



Thanks,

Mike

 

[klenger]

I suppose Doc will want to use the toilet paper for it's intended function after you are finished with it in the truck... or maybe the other way around.

 

[Fireman Dave]

I remember

I remember changing oil on a vehicle when I was wrenching at a garage around 1981. I can't remember what the vehicle was, but I do remember installing a roll of TP for the oil filter. It might have been an old pick-up truck.

 

[Shooter]

FRIJOLE is running a TP setup. Does a good job. It is a bypass not a full flow.



O K Barry! Pictures--Prices ??????????????

 

[JConley]

Use the TP that the military gets. You could feed that stuff through a laser printer. It has the density of a rock.

 

[PRout]

Ive got 2 in series on mine. No problem.



They wont keep the oil looking its original color, but sure do keep it looking clean alot longer than without one. Its all opinion on what you like. I figure that by replacing 2 qts of oil about every 4k miles, is enough to keep the drain intervals up there.

 

[Scollins]

Originally posted by Shooter

FRIJOLE is running a TP setup.

That's funny! Frijoles in spanish means "beans" if I remember correctly. Would Frijole mean "Bean?" Beans, TP, beans, TP. See the connection?

 

[illflem]

Are the used rolls safe for septic systems? My '63 IH dump truck came stock with a TP filter and oil bath air cleaner. 244k before the odometer broke in '82.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

AS mentioned in a post above, *I* use, and HAVE used Frantz TP filters for well over 40 years - and so did my dad while many years in the trucking business. We used to get all the old familiar razzing about "TP belongs in the BATHROOM", etc. , but looks like now TP and various similar bypass filters are finally getting the respect they deserve...



I recently bought a second brand-new Frantz TP kit from Barry (thanks again Barry!), and will eventually install it on one of my other vehicles. I use the tightest wound rools of TP I can find to prevent "channeling" that can occur with loosely wound rolls, and rolls like used in commercial establishments work GREAT due to their dense structure and single-ply construction. It's also real neat to actually be able to visually check the top surface of the filter for any evidence of metal shavings or other debris every time a filter is changed, without the additional mess of cutting a standard canister open...



If any doubt the effectiveness of the TP filters, I'll be glad to compare oil analysis readings with them...

 

[paccool]

Hey Doc, at least you don't have to worry about it scratching!



Might be good for hemorrhoids if applied after being used as a filter. Just think of the trees you'd save!!!



Stan

 

[Power Wagon]

Originally posted by Gary - KJ6Q

AS mentioned in a post above, *I* use, and HAVE used Frantz TP filters for well over 40 years - and so did my dad while many years in the trucking business. We used to get all the old familiar razzing about "TP belongs in the BATHROOM", etc. , but looks like now TP and various similar bypass filters are finally getting the respect they deserve...



I recently bought a second brand-new Frantz TP kit from Barry (thanks again Barry!), and will eventually install it on one of my other vehicles. I use the tightest wound rools of TP I can find to prevent "channeling" that can occur with loosely wound rolls, and rolls like used in commercial establishments work GREAT due to their dense structure and single-ply construction. It's also real neat to actually be able to visually check the top surface of the filter for any evidence of metal shavings or other debris every time a filter is changed, without the additional mess of cutting a standard canister open...



If any doubt the effectiveness of the TP filters, I'll be glad to compare oil analysis readings with them...

The motorguard filters in the 70's were FAR superior to the Frantz. Better constructed. Dad bought a car with a Frantz in it and one night on our way out of town, the nuts that held it together stripped out and it came apart, leaking all the oil out of the engine that the oil pump would pump. We stopped when the idiot light came on. Ended up having to drive back to town after finding a nut to replace the failed spinner knob somewhere on the car and tightening it up. I recall the oil pressure light alternately went on and off the 10 miles back to town. Didn't seem to hurt the engine though.



I know where there's a wrecking yard that has a whole shelf full of Motorguards, but the old codger will NOT sell them. No idea what he's saving them for... He's knocking at death's door...