Oil Bath Filter

[thiggy]

Generally speaking, are oil bath filters which were used on autos in past years more or less effective than modern pleated fiber filters?

 

[gudmund]

they had to be maintained more along with they being very hard on gas mileage! They were very messy to clean and the air resistance they created was like have the choke on all the time.

 

[Master ACiD]

you have to define effective. does effective mean actually doing rutine maintence on an air filter when its 20 below outside, or when its raining, or you just dont feel like it because you are way too tired?

effective for most people, was to ditch the oil bath and just change a paper filter every couple years. doesnt matter which one filters better. the paper is so much easier that no one cares which filters better.

by the way, id assume paper was better.

 

[tdi-rick]

this was posted by Widman on another oil bath thread...

quote:

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I consider them garbage. I have done a number of UOA on engines that had oil bath filters, and there is a local salesman getting rich telling people they are better than paper. But the truth is you will see 8 to 10 times more silicon and 8 to 10 times more wear metals in oil with an oil bath air filter than with a decent paper filter.

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http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000349#000000

another good thread http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000248#000000

 

[LargeCarMan]

I believe that the oilbath filter setup was very good....for it's day. That being said...When it rained for a few day''s I would need to change the oil out because it was milkie white from the rain water. Like I said "Good for it's day."

 

[Jim Allen]

Yeah, good for the day. Prior to the oil bath... was nothing. Well maybe a wire screen to catch larger birds, bugs and fist sized rocks rocks.

Some years back I tested a number of available air filters for a particular vehicle application on a flowbench, including an oil bath. The oil bath filter was extremely restrictive and barely had the airflow to cover the theoretical airflow needs of the engine. At the time I also found some particulate testing research material on a generic oil bath that showed fairly appalling filtration.

The oil bath filter had it's day. That day is past. RIP.