Just got my Trasko Filter

[slalom44]

There hasn't been much info on the Trasko filter, so I thought I'd let everyone know how it works.

The can is cast aluminum, with fins on the outside for relatively good heat dispersion. The oil first passes through a mini roll of toilet paper. I compared the size of the tube in the center, and it is identical to the I.D. of a regular roll of TP. It appears more tightly wound than some of your softer rolls of TP.

Whatever the TP roll can't handle gets routed through a mesh screen. A spring loaded valve opens up on the core to let the oil pass this way. This is similar to the dual remote bypass valve setup that Amsoil uses. According to their website. this screen filters down to about 8-10 microns. From the looks of this screen, flow shouldn't be a problem through this screen unless you're trapping one sh!tload of crud.

This filter doesn't have a totally unfiltered bypass mode. But given the design, I can't see why you'd need one unless you kept the filter in way too long. And since you inspect (and clean) the screen each time you replace the TP element, you would likely get a pretty good feeling about whether you're plugging this screen up too much.

Overall, it looks pretty good. The good news is it looks pretty easy to make my own filter replacements by cutting up some 1-ply TP rolls. The bad news is I think I'm going to rig up an oil pressure gauge to make sure that I get good pressure through this thing. Their website claims that the bypass typically only opens up on surges, like when starting a car with a cold engine.

Their website claims that the bypass kicks open between 85-90 PSI, thus posing the same concern that has been hashed around with the Amsoil dual remote bypass setup. I'm mounting this filter on a Toyota Highlander with a 3.0L V6 engine. If this backpressure doesn't cause the engine's pressure relief valve to open up wide, then I should get good oil pressure at startup. That should be the most critical time for this filter.

[ January 05, 2004, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: slalom44 ]

 

[JohnBrowning]

I would not advise you to try cutting TP to fit. First the filter material is wound about 4 times tighter then TP. They wind it tighter to prevent channel. TP will channel unless it is compressed alot. Second the paper is not even close to TP in texture or perosity. The filter material is kiln dried. Third Subaru Ltd. Korea "The company that invented it" doe not recomend TP. If this filter had been designed for TP then they would recomend it. Forth TP filter need to be changed every 3000 miles because TP does not last.I think it is beyound cheap to risk you engine when the filters are only $9 every 10,000 miles. The money you save on oil changes more then off sets this. Sixth you will also note that the center tube is alot more robust then TP in both its build and it's treatment.

If you want to use TP as the filter medium you should not have bought a Trasko! I belive one of the site supporter Gulf Coast I belive sells TP and Paper Towel filters. You also have the Frantz wich also uses TP and is designed to compress the roll.

You will find that after operation when you go to remove the trasko that it is not held captive at all. It can move around freely in the can after it has saturated with oil. Their is no means of compression or tension because it was not desinged for TP. After you remove it and let it drain take it out side and give it a good shake like you are shakeing paint. Cover it with a rag of course. You will hear and feel the filter move around inside.

I have one with 5000 miles on it on my Dads Tacoma. It used to be on my Dodge Dakota 4.7V8. I belive my Dad is going to be changeing it out soon. I try to get some pictures of the element for the group. The first run with it you change it at 5000 miles. THe premise is that it is traping all of the junk that has built up in the engine prior to it's use. After that you go to 10,000 mile changes.

 

[mangusta1969]

Thanks for the information on the Trasko. It is an interesting unit. I am very interested in seeing some higher resolution pictures than those available on the Trasko web site (http://www.trasko-usa.com). In particular, I would like to see some closeup pictures of the filter screens and bypass valve.

Does anyone have any gpm flow data for any of the Trasko filters when they are not in bypass mode? If the bypass mode is not reached until 85-90 psi, then the non-bypass flow rating of this filter is pretty important!

 

[slalom44]

Thanks for the comments, JohnBrowning. I didn't buy it expecting to use actual toilet paper rolls - the idea came to me after I received the unit and saw the replacement filters. My though was that since the oil flows through two sets of screens before it exits the unit, a makeshift cut-up TP roll might work even if there was some channeling. It was just an idea.

I'd post detailed pictures of my Trasko filter (since I haven't installed it yet), but I don't have any way of hosting the pictures. If someone can host them for me, send me a PM with your email address and I'd be happy to email pictures to you.

 

[mangusta1969]

Slalom,

Pictures would be great. If someone can't easily host them I will see if I can get my DSL host to work.

Can you check and report back to us on the following Trasko parameters:

1. Approximate size of the bypass slide valve openings (when valve is in the fully open position)

2. Outside diameter of bypass valve; diameter of center post that valve assembly slides up/down on

3. Bypass valve spring pressure (can you easily move it open with your fingers?)

4. What is the full flow mesh like? Is it at all similar (finer/coarser?) to the gold mesh used in those lifetime coffee filters?

From discussions I have had with a long term Trasko Filter user, he thinks the bypass spring opening pressure is much, much lower than the 85-90 psi shown on the Trasko site. Based on the filter's design that he described to me in some detail, a bypass pressure of 5-10 psi would be much more likely . Maybe a decimal point got lost somewhere in the trip over from Japan/Korea...

From his description, the Trasko bypass valve is always open to some degree, but all oil first goes through the fine mesh screen before re-entering the engine or entering the paper media. Due to the differential pressure caused by the bypass valve spring, a small amount of oil is forced through the thick paper media. As long as the valve mechanism does not jam, the filter will have high oil flow through the mesh filter and low (bypass filter) oil flow through the paper media. This is all accomplished in a very small package, too.

 

[slalom44]

I just sent pictures of all the components, as well as a closeup of the bypass mechanism with the spring pushed back to Dan4510. He will post the pictures in the next few days.

The valve spring shaft is roughly .75" ID, so it has plenty of room for oil flow. The valve itself is anodized aluminum, machined to shape. It's very well made, and I can't imagine something this well built would ever bind up.

The bypass spring takes around 3 lbs. of force to compress and since the area on the valve face seen by the oil pressure is roughly .5", my butt-calculator tells me that it takes roughly 6psi to start opening up.

If fully opened, there is plenty of room for oil to flow through the bypass. You'll see when the pictures are posted.

The mesh screen is roughly as coarse as those gold coffee filters, but this thing is much sturdier.

I should mention that the unit screws together, and that there is a replaceable O-ring that seals the two castings that make up the housing. Also, there is no ADBV. Since the oil would have to flow back through the replaceable filter (TP roll), I would expect that the drainback would be slow, but not zero. Replacement filters come with new rubber O-rings.

 

[mangusta1969]

Slalom,

Thanks for the details. Looking forward to the pix.

I think your butt-calculator is right on the mark and the Trasko web site needs just a bit of an update on that valve opening psi figure!!

Steve

 

[harry13]

And these pictures are where... ???

 

[slalom44]

I emailed the pictures to Dan4510. He hasn't posted them. If someone else can post them, I'd be happy to mail them to you. PM me for an address.

 

[mangusta1969]

Here are some pictures and drawings of Slalom44's Trasko filter. He sent all of these to me for web posting. I hope I have the posting magic down:

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287865025&idx=1

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287865025&idx=2

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287865025&idx=3

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287865025&idx=4


Be careful, the first two photos are 1MB each; the last two images are drawings of the filter construction and are about 100-140KB.

I will let Slalom44 add the details as to the Model Number of the Trasko filter and the approximate dimensions of the filter shown in these pictures.

The Trasko is certainly an interesting design, in that it has a full flow mesh filter and a paper bypass media filter incorporated into a very compact spin-on filter assembly.

FYI, the Trasko web site (http://www.trasko-usa.com) has recently been updated in response to some recent questions from BITOG forum members.

According to these updates, the Trasko's pressure differential valve (not really a traditional bypass valve) operates at a pretty low pressure, from about 6-15 psi. It creates a small pressure differential that is needed to force a small amount of oil through the bypass media. Most oil flows through the mesh screen, with very little restriction.

 

[therion]

Wow that is interesting, Looks like a good alternative to motor guard, cheaper too!

But when mounted right on the FF mount, Since you cant always have it running it wont be as effective as a dual remote setup. I would possibly get the dual remote set-up for it if it lasts longer than the Tp element.

[ January 28, 2004, 09:39 AM: Message edited by: therion ]

 

[slalom44]

Thanks of posting the pictures, Mangusta. You have to subscribe to imagestation (it's free) to see all the pictures, and to enlarge them. If you enlarge them, you'll see the resolution of the mesh screen pretty well. You can picture how the center tube screws into the top of the housing, the element goes over this tube (with the flat mesh above it to hold the filter away from the top to allow flow) and the bypass valve (blue) screws into the tube after the bottom cap is in place.

The filter you see is the TI-10SS, which is 3.5"OD x 3.5" long, or roughly the same size as the Toyota FF filter it replaced. You can look up the cross reference filter size at http://www.trasko-usa.com/crossref.htm

The second picture shows me holding the bypass valve open to see the size of the ports. Obviously, there's plenty of area for the oil to bypass the bypass element. The bypass valve creates an increased back pressure, thus enabling more flow through the bypass element.

The most notable drawback of this filter design is that it does not have a way to entirely bypass the mesh screen. So if you were to not change the bypass element at all, eventually you could plug up the mesh screen and entirely block oil flow to your engine. Right now I'm not worried because the car is new but when the car gets older, I'm probably going to install an oil pressure gauge to make sure I don't risk any problems.

In my opinion this filter is better than running just a full-flow filter, but due to the size of the bypass filter element I don't think it can do as good of a job as the other bypass filters discussed. I'd really like to see some UOAs!!

 

[cryptokid]

email me the pictures and i will host them out of image station for you. i really dislike places which require you to register to see pictures.

 

[cryptokid]

here it is boys!

this is some nice big pictures!

[ January 29, 2004, 01:42 PM: Message edited by: cryptokid ]

 

[therion]

wow those are BIGG. I think it will be easier to see if you reduced the size alittle bit. Thanks.

 

[seotaji]

is the filter difficult to service?

do you make a mess?

 

[Mamala Bay]

I've got Trasko filter on a 97 Ranger 3.0 Manual Trans and basic driving is 35 highway miles a day with no traffic, leave at 3am and return at 1pm. The oil pressure seems higher and using the Amsoil S2 0-30 but one thing I notice is when I drive city driving say for 1/2 hour the oil seems to filter everything out. Been using Amsoil for 70,000 miles(78,000 miles on engine)and the Trasko for 3,000 miles and my engine seems a lot more cleaner, it's like I've had the Amsoil for all these miles yet the Trasko is really cleaning the engine out. Will do an oil analysis to see if this filter is legit but my oil and engine really looks a LOT cleaner, I have no negative issue with this filter and the Amsoil spin on filter never clean the engine this clean....

 

[keith]

quote:

---

Originally posted by JohnBrowning:
You will find that after operation when you go to remove the trasko that it is not held captive at all. It can move around freely in the can after it has saturated with oil.

---

I noticed the same. Changed the Trasko filter element this weekend and the paper roll fell out after opening the can. Even the new roll is not a tight fit to the center tube. (the cardboard tube at the center of the paper roll does not fit snugly to the central metal tube of the Trasko)

The concern I have is that the oil will take the path of least resistance. This will be BETWEEN the cardboard tube and the metal center tube, bypassing the filter paper, right? Or is the design of the filter such that oil is only fed into the bypass media by outer feed holes, and the cardboard tube prevents oil from "escaping" to the gap between the cardboard tube and center metal tube? Seems like it would have to work that way, but I already reinstalled the filter and am not going to take it apart again.

Anyway, I kept the old paper filter and it is draining into my catch bucket. Is it worth it to cut it up and look for what exactly? From the outside it is very black and can't see any foreign particles. My kids have a microscope though!

Keith.