Remote filter mounting

[NissanFan]

Quick question or more accurately solicitation of opinions on a plan to increase oil capacity and filtration on my truck (Nissan CC Frontier, 1st gen). I am looking to increase filtration as well as oil capacity and have decided on a remote mounting filter kit, that uses dual filters, that are the size of Fram PH8A or if you are more familiar the Purolator L30001 (i think) or the Mobil 1 EP 301 filters. As you know they are good size filters and will allow me to add a little over 1.5 more quarts to the oil capacity of my truck which on a 3.3 engine, I feel is small at 3.5 qts.

Anyone have experience with these and anything I should look out for, besides the obvious of making sure it fits the truck. Thanks in advance.

 

[Gary Allan]

Unless you have some ultra high oil volume, you can use the standard lines that come with the kit (assumed Permacool). I've used mine many times ..big filters ..small filters ...used filters.. I've used one of the mounts for pressure taps while using the unused end caps for thermal taps ..

Potential shortcomings:

If you mount it too high, the filters will drain forward. The lines will empty and leave a long path for startup. There are sprung ball check valves that you can get to eliminate this ..but it's not much of an issue, imo. More annoying than anything.


If you want to have fun, pick up a differential pressure gauge off of ebay for salvage prices. Tap it into the spare taps on the mount. A 0-15 would be preferred, but on a dual setup 0-5 will be more than enough. It will tell you when the media is saturated, and also show you when most PSID is occurring.

 

[Dyoel182]

I think you'd be fine with the cheaper single filter kits like the Spectre and just using a big FL-1 type.

 

[Steve S]

Change your oil at nissan recommended oil change intervals and you will be fine The more plumbing there is the easier it is to clog up the pipes.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: Dyoel182
I think you'd be fine with the cheaper single filter kits like the Spectre and just using a big FL-1 type.


If you can hit the Specter kit in Amazon at the right price, it's a bargain. It's a floating price though. As soon as a few hit the $24.xx lowball price ..it automatically jacks to $45.xx+. It's chuck full of useful hardware.

 

[NissanFan]

Thank you for the replies and opinions, much appreciated.

Let me address the responses so far seperately:

Steve S- I would normally agree and think it is a good idea to change at my recommended interval, which in my manual for this truck it is 3750 for severe service. However, the point of this exercise for me is to extend drain intervals further (I use synthetic oil) by increasing the almost silly low volume capacity Nissan engineered into this engine. (3.3 V6 with a 3.5L capacity) I also hope to improve filtration which should also help to not only extend OCI, but hopefully be easier on the engine.

Dyoel182- it would probably be easier to just run the single filter, PermaCool and Trans-Dapt (?) both make single filter options as well, but the dual filter option is more appealing to me as it will add the most capacity and filtration as mentioned above.

Gary Allan- thanks for your technical response, I am most likely going to go with the PermaCool, however it might be the Trans-Dapt one, just because this Nissan 4x4 parts supplier I think has that one for a pretty good price, I just need to verify the filter size that it uses before i order it. The other thing is I want to locate a place to mount it in the engine compartment first to make sure it fits, if I dont' have room, i might be forced to go with the single filter, but we'll see. So i should mount it around the same height as my stock filter location? to keep the lines from draining is what you are indicating. The filter itself should maintain a volume due to the ADV, but the lines could drain back? Thanks again in advance.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
if I dont' have room, i might be forced to go with the single filter, but we'll see.


Also consider that there are longer single filters and that there are shorter filters that may make one or the other installation more appealing.

Transdapt appears to be a rebadged Permacool unit ..so go by price. J.C. Whitney is the best deal in the S&H dept. Jeg's and Summit hit you for a fixed handling fee that really belts the single item purchase ..so shop around. They're not truly competitive, they're advertising "partners". Every like items is about the same price on their website (this is also true of all advertised prices) due to agreements. If you EVER have a sizable order to either, I STRONGLY recommend merely reading off the part number (assure that there's an IDENTICAL part offered by the other vendor) and ask for a price. You CAN play tag with them. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Just say ..once.."This is the same price that Jeg's gets for this. Why should I buy this from you?" and you'll see the price change. Those people are paid for their throughput in processing. Jeg's and Summit are Nature's way of saying too many people have access to home equity lines of credit with too high a ceiling.

Quote:
So i should mount it around the same height as my stock filter location?


This will limit the amount that can drain forward. I think allowing the lines enough slack will prevent the vacuum being broken ..but it's not a given.

In my case I used the Amsoil 1-16 threaded adapter (only available with the mount purchase) to allow my use of the Permacool that was already plumbed. The Be filter has no ADBV. Since the filter was mounted very high (valve cover level) it drained forward to the point of breaking the fluid integrity in the filter. So, while the filters themselves did not empty, they had an air gap that allowed the feed lines to slowly leak back to the sump. Good ADBV's may solve the situation, but they're not always going to hold ..even if they're silicon. In my case, even if I used two filters with ADBV's, and they held 24/7/365, the line to the engine would empty. Now it would only require that my filters were not fully purged of air (horizontal mounting). My ultimate solution was to install sprung ball checks on the block adapter.

As you can see, there are a few elements to think about ..and not all will be present in your situation. I'd merely install as needed where needed and figure out countermeasures as needed to cope with any annoying side effects. I do recommend ample slack for no other reason than if you need to unbolt the unit for placing a pan under it to keep things tidy.

 

[Dyoel182]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Change your oil at nissan recommended oil change intervals and you will be fine The more plumbing there is the easier it is to clog up the pipes.


Was that a metaphor or do you think there is a pipe that can be clogged?

 

[olefam]

Hi,
I installed a remote oil filter on my 2000 Nissan Frontier back in 2003. Perma Cool I think. Anyway, the only drawback I can mention is that you will very possibly have a very slow seep from around the top of the filter. this is because the aluminum casting is not machined absolutely flat. It doesn't amount to much, but it does leave a few drops of oil on your garage floor after you run your vehicle.
The single FL1 (PH8) size filter allows you to add about .8 quarts of oil. but remember that you have to subtact the small amount that would have been in the stock filter. My guess is that you wind up with about a .5qt gain in capacity by going with a remote filter.
I run my truck on PP 10w-30 and do 10,000 mile OCIs routinely. I'm something of a heretic here as I don't do UOAs. I figure if Nissan recomends 3750 mile OCIs on 3.5 qts of dino oil, then running a syn with an additional 1/2 qt should allow me the luxury of going to 10,000 miles. So far I've only got 98,000 on the little truck and it doesn't appear to be using any oil. I should add that I do believe in the value of using good oil filters, and have always used either Motorcraft or Purolator since putting on the remote oil filter kit.
Best wishes.
Glen

 

[Dyoel182]

There shouldnt be any leaking from the filter mount regardless.

 

[NissanFan]

olefam: Thanks, it is intereseting to know that someone else with a similar vehicle did this. I do plan to use the double filter mount, to take advantage of adding the most capacity I can out of this setup, as well as increasing filtration. I think I"m also going to invest in a filter magnet at some point as well. I have used Fram Toughguards for awhile now with no problems and they seem to be decent filters. I have a M1 filter currently on the truck, and might stick with those or try P1's or Purolater Prem's as well.

Don't you think it's silly that Nissan had such small sump capacity on these VG33E's, even the 2.4 KA24E had larger capacity, and apparently the new 2.5's have something like a 4.5 qt capacity. I like Nissan, but just thought that kinda silly. Anyway, I agree, you should definitely be able to be just fine on your setup for, well....perhaps 10k, but if it's working for you, why not. Why not pop a UOA just to see what ya got?

I agree with dyoel, that it really shouldn't be leaking. Even if it's a small amount. Did you ever attempt to contact Permacool to see if they would replace that part as it's some adapter or something? Thanks again for the information.

 

[Gary Allan]

The don't "leak" per se~, it's a seepage thing. Sorta like what happens to just about any fuel oil/diesel connection. It's imperfections in the Permacool casting/machining process. It doesn't happen on all of them, but it does on some.

If you want to avoid this, order an Amsoil Dual Guard (BMK22) ..but it's going to be more expensive. You need a few fittings not included with the kit to plumb it up. It's a much higher quality product.