SynLube™
Lube-4-Life®
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ALL ABOUT OIL FILTERS
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 | lubricates internal parts |
| helps cool the engine by transferring heat |
| seals piston ring - cylinder bore interface |
| absorbs contaminants |
| suspends wear particles |
| suspends soot that forms as a result of combustion. |
Some contaminants go into suspension and some are chemically grabbed by the additives, which constitute up to one-fourth of an oil’s makeup.
Acting by itself, oil would soon become saturated with contaminants and allow the internal parts to wear. That’s why we have filters.
History
Initially early automotive engine designs did not use any oil filtration.That was OK in the days when oil was dumped every 500 to 2,000 miles, or if the engine burned or
leaked enough oil during normal operation that almost constant replenishment with new oil compensated for any accumulated “dirt.”The development of pressure lubrication brought about a need for some type of filtration to protect the oil pump from damage and excessive wear.
At first only simple wire meshes or screens were used in the oil pump intake, some were permanent, while some designs permitted removal and periodic cleaning. In most cases the "oil filter" was reusable after cleaning, usually in kerosene.
Ernest Sweetland invented the modern oil filter in 1923, he named the new product
"Purolator" -
a combination of the words: "PURE OIL LATER."
The new oil filter was incorporated into the lubricating system AFTER the oil pump and BEFORE the oil flowed into pressure lubricated bearings of the engine.
In 1924 first full pressure lubrication system, with an oil filter, became available on a high volume production engine.
The early oil filters used on cars were low performance and not really effective.
Many successful and popular engine designs (VW, FIAT) did not use any oil filters until 1970’s.
Some engines used oil filters ONLY in "by-pass" and not in main flow of pressurized oil.
The first use of a full flow oil filter on mass production vehicles occurred in 1946.
The "spin-on" oil filter design was introduced in 1950’s.
During 1960’s, reusable passenger car oil filters were replaced with more convenient "spin-on" disposable oil filters.
Improved full flow oil filters became available from 1964 to 1967.
Further improvements were made from 1968 to 1971 and "spin-on" oil filters were almost universally used on all US and most European and Japanese engine designs.
As engines got tighter faster revving and oil stayed in longer, filtration became a must. All automotive engines, whether gasoline or diesel, now come with standard oil filters of some kind.Design
Most oil filters look simple, but they’re the subject of continuing research and development to make them work better.
Physically, "spin-on" oil filter resembles a metal can that houses varying types of filter “media.” These are the materials that capture organic or inorganic contaminants as oil flows through. Organic contaminants include bacteria and other organisms that form gross sludge. Inorganic contaminants consist of dust that’s ingested into the engine, along with trace amounts of wear metals from bearings and other internal parts.
The filter media materials have changed over the years also.
Early designs used steel wool, wire meshes, metal screens, etc.
Latter bulk cotton or various woven fabrics like linen were used.
When disposable filters became popular, cellulose and papers were used to minimize production costs.
Finally "synthetic" media oil filters were introduced where special man made fibers are utilized.
Fiberglass and metal fabrics are also sometimes used for oil filtration.
Today, most low-cost disposable spin-on oil filters use cellulose filter media. Better quality oil filters use synthetic media, while top end oil filter use "MicroGlass" or extremely fine metal mesh.
HOW FILTER WORKS
Oil is pumped from the oil sump by oil pump
through the oil filter and then distributed by oil passages through out the engine.
Typical Oil system of American V-8 Engine
The oil enters the oil filter under pressure through the holes on the perimeter of the base plate.
The "dirty" oil then passes through the filter media where it is "cleaned". It then flows to the central tube and back into the engine through the usually threaded hollow center mounting stud.
Oil Filter Flow Diagram
The only thing that holds the "spin-on" oil filter to the engine and keeps the oil from leaking is the base gasket (shown in above picture in red).
Same vehicles, notably BMW, Mercedes-Benz and many motorcycles use a "cartridge" oil filters, which are essentially ONLY the "inners" of a "spin-on" oil filter without the outer can.
The operation of the filter is the same, but the re-useable outer housing is usually held to the engine by mounting bolts and thus is considered "safer" since the retainment of the housing does NOT depend ONLY on the base gasket tension.
BASE GASKET
If you realize that oil is under pressure ranging from 5
PSI to as much as 100 PSI depending on engine type and design, and that most engines pump
oil at rates exceeding a gallon per minute, you can quickly understand that if the
integrity of the base gasket is lost, ALL the oil in the engine will be LOST in but few
minutes. Result of course is a permanent if not catastrophic engine failure, no matter how
good your oil may have been. If there is no oil left in
the engine, engine will fail!
The base gasket is therefore the MOST important part of the "spin-on" oil filter design.
The gasket will with time, more than with mileage, either harden or soften, in either case the gasket tension that holds the filter to the engine is relieved. Engine vibration will "unscrew" the filter, and ALL the oil will be lost as indicated above.
The quality and material of the base gasket is what determines for
how long a filter should be used.
The low cost oil filters that cost few dollars and are used by quick oil change outfits and sold in discount stores definitely should not be used for more than the usual recommendation of 3-month / 3,000-mile interval irrespective of what oil do you use.
More premium or OEM oil filters that cost much more can be utilized safely for the maximum oil filter change interval that is specified by the OEM.
Only a specialty oil filters like SynLube™ MicroGlass™ Long Life Oil Filters are specially engineered to be used for interval ranging from 2 years to 5 years without change. The special Viton base gasket that is used costs by itself much more than typical bargain spin on oil filter.
FILTER MEDIA
Filter media can be made of cellulose or
fibrous materials, or synthetic materials designed especially for this purpose. Media in
an engine's primary filters pull out particles as small as 25 to 30 microns (a human hair
is 67 microns in diameters). Secondary filters do better — down to 5 or 10 microns
— but also add restriction to the flow.
SynLube™ MicroGlass™
reinforced synthetic
multi-component media
SynLube™ MicroGlass™ technology solves the problem by using special synthetic glass microfibers that are about 10 times smaller than conventional cellulose filter fibers (shown below). This allows a full flow oil filter to have following performance:
| 99% particle removal that are 10 micron in size |
| 98% particle removal that are 7 micron in size |
| 95% particle removal that are 5 micron in size |
Typical Cellulose Filter Media
SynLube™ MicroGlass™ Media
Most manufacturers that make low cost filters do not
disclose or advertise any data on their products filtration range or efficiency, but
research done by General Motors indicates following:
| Typical low cost oil filter will remove about 40% of particles in 8 to 10 micron range |
| Typical OEM oil filter will remove about 72% of particles in 8 to 10 micron range |
PRIMARY FILTERS
Primary filters are standard on most engines. They are also called “full-flow”
because 100% of the engine oil passes through them in normal operation. The filters must
work without introducing a lot of restriction, or else oil will not flow into the engine
during cold start-ups. This is one reason the full-flow filter allows passage of the
comparatively small contaminants; trying to catch everything would restrict flow.
If blockage occurs in the filter, bypass valves open. This
allows oil to go around the filter and back to the engine. In this situation, lubrication
with unfiltered oil is better than none at all.
BYPASS FILTERS
Secondary filters take a small portion of the
normal oil flow, usually less than 10%, and quite often only about 1% and subject it to
additional cleaning. Secondary filters are better known as “bypass”
filters, but they act separately from the primary filter and have nothing to do with its
bypass valves.
Sometimes mechanical or thermal action spins or “boils” out contaminants. Or
more efficient media removes the smaller contaminants, but of course are more restrictive
to flow. The newest oil filters combine primary and secondary filtration in separate
chambers. These are used on some recently introduced diesels.
The number of filters put on an engine as standard
equipment depends on its size and how long its oil will remain in the crankcase before
being changed. Standard full-flow filters are designed by engine makers to cleanse the oil
during normal service. This assumes the oil is changed at recommended intervals for the
type of duty the engine and vehicle encounter. The cleaner the environment and easier the
duty, the longer the interval; dirtier environments and tougher duties require more
frequent changes.
If you run your oil for extended intervals, you may have to
change the standard filters more often than the oil. Or you can use a primary filter whose
materials are designed to go a longer time and distance. You can also use a secondary
bypass filter, whose cleaning action eases the burden on the primary filter. Bypass
filters are standard on some diesels and optional on others; they’re also readily
available as aftermarket products.
They were originally sold as a way to extend engine life,
but now they can also help extend oil-drain intervals. Bypass filters can be easily
installed on most existing engines because they plumb into fittings on the block. If
compact enough they will stay on or close to the block (which is how engine builders
usually do it if they include bypass filtration). Otherwise, they’re remotely mounted
using hoses and other hardware. There are several types of aftermarket bypass filters:
Spin-ons (shown above), which look much like standard full-flow filters. The media varies
with the product, from fibrous, cellulose or synthetic materials to tightly wound string.
These have no moving parts and some claim extremely high efficiency. As with the primary
filter, the element has to be changed periodically.
• Stationary canisters whose element media range from
fibrous strands to paper toweling. Some hold a gallon or more of oil, which is an
advantage because the greater the volume of oil, the longer it can stay in the engine. And
each time the element is changed, a gallon of fresh oil is added.
• Thermal chamber types which, in addition to passing
oil through a filter media, also heat the oil to boil off certain contaminants. Their
makers claim this “re-refines” the oil (thus the suffix
“-finer” is part of the name of at least two products). It usually operates on
electrical power.
• “Spinner” filters that use centrifuge
action to sling out soot and deposit it in a container. The centrifuge is powered by the
truck’s compressed air system and revolves on a bearing. The container must be
periodically cleaned out and the spinner’s condition monitored.
You could compare the various types of bypass filters to
the adage, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Each has advantages
and disadvantages. But if you are a conservative soul who changes oil at or sooner than
the intervals recommended by the engine maker, you need not worry about aftermarket
products at all. The engine’s standard filters will be adequate.
Although the use of magnets to collect iron particles from engine oil seems simple, merely placing the magnet in the oil pan does not provide sufficient effect. Because of the characteristics of motor oil, metallic particles in moving oil will not be attracted by the magnet unless there is direct contact with the magnet surface. When oil is stationary, only the particles immediately surrounding the magnet are attracted. A magnet placed in the differential gear box will have more opportunity to attract metallic particles. In automatic transmission fluid, iron particles are assimilated more efficiently if the magnet is placed near the oil cooler intake rather than merely placing it on the oil pan. There is an existing device designed to remove particles from automatic transmission fluid. Oil coolers are usually installed only large vehicles or high performance cars.
Oil Filters with Bandit
Magnet Units Installed
The route that engine oil takes through an oil filter is the ideal location for a
particle-attracting magnet.
Detail of ferrous metal wear particles attracted
to the inside of the oil filter housing by the Exterior Magnets
Magnets with alternating opposing poles of the magnet (N=North and S=South) are most effective in particle removal. The "new" SynLube™ TwinMagnets™ are of such a construction
Fnl Oil Filter with
TwinMagnet attached
Unfortunately many marketers make unsubstantiated as well as ridiculous claims about Magnets:
| The magnetic forces stabilize the oil molecules |
| The longer the exposure to the magnetic field, the more effective the acquisition of metallic particles becomes. |
| Increases fuel mileage |
| Reduces oil consumption |
| Reduces Emissions |
| Increases Engine power |
Well, all above claims are FALSE and IMPOSSIBLE, the only thing that magnets are good for is the removal of ferrous i.e. magnetic particles.
The only additional benefit is
derived chemically but ONLY in a low quality lubricants.
This can in turn extend the service life of a lubricant with ineffective or marginal
anti-oxidants.
Here is how it works:
Sub-micronic finely distributed iron particles act as a co-catalysts in oxidation of petroleum molecules
Removal of these fine iron particles from oil circulation, reduces the oxidation rate and therefore extends lubricant service life.
No special "MAGNETIC MAGIC" performed here, just a simple chemical reality!
WHEN TO CHANGE
When is the right time to change oil and
filters? Engine builders publish recommended intervals, often using charts that factor in
conditions and mileage or hours. You will never go wrong if you adhere to these
recommendations faithfully, or change oil even more often. It might also make you feel
better that you’re regularly replacing "dirty" oil with clean, and
that’s how things should be done.
Or is it?
Fact is, a variety of chassis products are designed to run longer without regular attention. These are available as options on new commercial trucks, and some can be retrofitted to existing units. Among these products are oils and filters that can safely extend drain intervals. This can save TIME and MONEY and EARTH because:
| You won’t have to buy oil as often. |
| If the vehicles are used in commercial service, they stay out longer, earning money. Even if the truck still comes in at the old interval for a “B” or “C” check, the truck needs less time in the shop. |
| Keeping oil in the engine longer also reduces the cost of legally disposing of drain oil. This becomes increasingly important as ever-stricter federal, state and local environmental regulations go into effect. |
It’s a fact that oil itself doesn’t wear out. But
it can be damaged through abnormally high temperatures, and its additive package becomes
depleted as the chemicals absorb contaminants. If the oil is not “cooked”
and the additive package remains intact, oil can be made to last far longer than many
people are used to believe. Some vehicle owners using old and/or new products
“never” change their engine oil. But they do a partial change each time they add
fresh oil to make up for what is consumed in normal engine operation and also that removed
during a change of oil filter elements.
If you want to extend the oil-change interval to save time
and money, you need to develop a program to do it safely. The correct oil and proper
filtration are part of this. So, probably, is oil analysis.
Responding to demands for reduced maintenance, engine
makers have lengthened the recommended distances allowed for some over-the-road truck
engines. Usually these involve larger oil capacity (Up to 50 Quarts) and more filtration
(Two Filters and/or BY-pass Filter System).
One newer engine model has an advertised oil change interval of 50,000 to 65,000 miles between intervals, and that includes the standard primary-secondary oil filter and synthetic heavy duty diesel motor oil.
Even standard engines can go well beyond the basic distances.
This is possible with a carefully monitored program that utilizes high quality lubricant such as SynLube™ Lube-4-Life™ Motor Oil and super premium quality oil filter such as SynLube™ MicroGlass™ Long-Life Motor Oil Filter.
Production/Consumption
About 400 million oil filters are manufactured in the USA Each year, and about another 20 million are imported, resulting in total annual oil filter sales of about 420 million. About 45% of passenger car oil filters are sold to DIY (do-it-yourself) oil changers.
Recycling
Recycling rate of used oil filters is increasing, as a result of tough new regulations, that in some states declare used oil filters as hazardous waste, unless they are recycled. However, less than 25% of all the oil filters sold are properly recycled.Experts estimate that a 100% recycling would allow recovering of 160,000 tons of steel
and
17.8 million Gallons of oil.
Authorities estimate that as little as 1% to 2% of DIY generated oil filters are recycled.
Filter Manufacturing Council reports that in 1994 from the 420 million filters sold, more than
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tant work going on inside.