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Re: Re:Bypass oil filters - not snake oil?

To: alan@picotech.co.uk
Subject: Re: Re:Bypass oil filters - not snake oil?
From: Mike Lambdin <E720LAM@TOE.TOWSON.EDU>
Date: Wed, 09 Aug 1995 09:17:00 -0500 (EST)
Alan,

I must agree with Steve. WHAT IS the big deal about having to change the
oil in one's car. It's understandable how a fleet operation could make
good use of bypass filters but when you only have 1 or 2 (or 3 or 4) cars
is it really that time consuming to change oil.

If the bypass filter only sees 10% oil flow how effective can it really be?
As for synthetic oil, I've always been under the impression that it could 
be driven further than fossil oil - that was the whole idea.

Are there any studies comparing the life expectancy of engines using the 
bypass filter and engines that don't?

Mike Lambdin

> I mean, sorry to be crusty, but for heaven's sake, what is the bloody issue
> with regular oil and filter changes?? I am on three car lists, and these
> "long-life" oil and/or filter debates seem to come up as regularly as sin
> in a whorehouse. What is the issue with paying to throw some oil into a
> car? I have seen CONCOURS cars with sludge in the crankcase and brake fluid
> that looks like it went in at the factory, 23 years before.
> 
> steve macsween

Steve,

Bypass oil filters are not in the category as slick 50 and other 'snake oil' 
additives.  They are used extensively on commercial trucks (where it not always 
possible to change oil at 6,000 or similar intervals) and also on a few high 
performance cars.

The bypass filter that one guy in our club has fitted has a small feed from the 
normal oil filter to the much larger bypass filter.  The bypass filter only 
deals with about 10% of the total oil flow, but can remove particles 25 times 
smaller than the normal filter - even soot -so the oil stays clear.  It has a 
small tap that allows a sample of oil to be drained off, this sample is then 
sent off by post and a report comes back telling you whether the oil needs 
replacing due to additive breakdown, warning of contamination due to head 
gasket 
faliure and also an indication of engine wear from the iron/ally content.  The 
cost of getting these samples tested is included in the cost of the filter.

High quality synthetic oil for a performance engine costs about 45 a fill 
(including filter), if a extra 30 to 40 for a bypass filter can really triple 
the time between changes these seems to make good economic sense to me.

Regards
Alan Tong

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