lifetime oil filter

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by H2GURU:
How many Bazillion ( not sure on how many zeros for this numeral) miles were put on original Beetles with just a rudimentary screen filter with fairly large holes in it? This screen sat at the very bottom of a 2.3 QT sump and performed very well. Kind of makes you wonder if a better constructed filter could get by with an annual cleaning?

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They also commonly required rebuilding at under 100k miles.

 

[gudmund]

maybe they don't say "down to" anymore but the fact remains that they did say it for years due to the inconsistance in the posisity in paper filters! The posisity in the stainless filter is much more consistant it its size rating as to what size gets though it plus it just holds up better than any paper out there. And yes Racor has the weighted average efficiency and beta rating if they are asked for them.

 

[Filter guy]

gudmund..I also know Oberb was shopped around before Racor bought them. Various filter companies tested the design and passed on buying the company.

I think the reasons were twofold:

One, limited market. As it is an aftermarket product and requires additional plumbing the chance of greater sales was limited.

Two, the advent of medias which outperform the Oberg.

There is a market for racing engines where the engine is torn down frequently and not using a spin-on saves weight.

There was also some concern that if an owner used the Oberg design on an in warranty vehicle, would an OEM warranty any engine damage? There was never an answer to that one.

One could claim there should be a market for it as there is no "filter" element and therefore no recycling of a filter. Racor could/should promote that aspect.

 

[gudmund]

I agree with you about the plumbing and stated that they can be a pain to clean and you need to keep a watch on the hoses. I would never recommend a Oberg to someone who does not do their own oil changes or that has no understanding of the mechanics of a vehicle(which just about deals most everbody out). "the advent of medias which outperform the Oberg" there maybe better media filters out there, but not in the day to day cheap run of the mill oil filters being used today in the fast oil change buisnesses-they use the cheapest of the cheap. You have to pay extra to get something of any value and the Frams/Champs of today aren't it or any better now than they were 20+years ago. The Oberg samples I had done years ago all showed good filtering results and yes the filter worked for me and maybe one of these days maybe be doing it again-I liked it! (Oberg sold out being their was not much of a returning market in selling something that would last forever and used their earnings to re-invest instead into a market of unlimited return by now building hydralic presses that crush used oil filters for the recycling of the oil and steel from them-there are alot of Jiffy lubs out there with alot of oil filters to recycle!!.)

 

[Filter guy]

"Champs of today aren't it or any better now than they were 20+years ago."

You might want to discuss this with the engineers at Champ, they may disagree.

Media's in the "cheap" filters are much, much more efficient than 20 years ago.

Brands like Warner, the scurge of some in here, was around when I started at Champ. The media today in it is effectively the premium sheet of 20 years ago.

The difference is pleat count in Warner, not the media itself. Anyone's lower end filter has less pleats. This effects dirt holding capability. Dirt holding = life. Less capacity, shorter life.
Some instances of Warner pictures have been on engines exceeding the recommended oil change interval by 25% or more. Provided any information on oil changes gets mentioned at all on with specific filters pictured.

The premium sheets of today are much more sofisticated and specialized.

 

[gudmund]

am not impressed with their bypass valves - they can say all they want about how good they are, they are not for me-just my opinon. Will be using my FL400s's for quite awhile for they have the bypass I-my opinion-like along with aleast 60 pleats of paper-which I have counted in the 7 or 8 I have cut open so and yes I have cut open everybody else's also, all 50++ filters so far from Puolator to Fram, Champ to include a Warner or two, Wal-mart, NAPA, Wix, Ansoil and on and on. Just my opinon but for my money($2.77ea W-M) the Motorcraft (or Wix) is my choice for a spin on filter.