So the Hastings GF2 has been installed in my cooling system for about 3 weeks. I had planned on leaving it for maybe a couple of months, but became bored and impatient today... decided to cut it open and have a look.
The replacement filter I bought is a Hastings GF10, which directly crosses from that neat wire-mesh that StevieC was kind enough to cut open. But upon closer inspection, I suspect that this is the same filter as the GF2... just a different sticker. The GF2 comes with some hoses and clamps; the GF10 doesn't. Otherwise I see no difference- the Hastings numbers are only on an attached sticker. There's a "made in China" and some assorted numbers here and there printed on the case- these are mostly (but not entirely) identical between the two. Time, a grinder, and a camera will eventually confirm or deny. But I'm reasonably sure that this GF10 is just another cheap paper filter... which will work for this experiment, but it's not really ideal. Next time I'll likely go for the tractor inline filter that StevieC cut open- it's readily available at any Case dealership under the same part number. Kinda expensive at around $14... but nothing's too good for my 1994 Corsica.
I've been a bit lax in recording mileage for this experiment. Current mileage today is 179862. This filter has been in place for approximately 650 miles and 3 weeks. These metal-can filters are sturdily built. I wasn't at the shop today, so didn't bother to pressure test it... but I've no doubt that they're more than adequate for the 15psi cooling system. Maybe I'll pressure one up next time if I'm at the shop, where I'll have access to air pressure.
Before cutting it open, I tried blowing through it. Unlike the plastic Fram filter, which flowed fairly freely after being installed for two weeks, this one was pretty much clogged. But it has caught so much crud over the past three weeks that it MUST have been flowing a fair amount of coolant at least for a while.
Anyway, here's photographic documentation of my dissection of the GF2 filter. You'll notice in the first picture that the paper is hardly swelled/distorted at all. The glue and paper held together just fine- it was in no danger of coming apart:
So I broke the filter loose from the can. Notice the brown/black sludge that poured out of the canister. This isn't a thin, watery fluid. It's close to the consistency of chocolate syrup:
And I cut the glued ends off the filter media to spread it out. This time there was no need to scrape my utility knife along the paper to show off how much crud the filter caught. It's pretty obvious. And this is a system that has been repeatedly flushed and
looked fairly clean.
I'll run this GF10 for a few weeks and then probably replace it with a Case inline fuel filter. These paper filters aren't really ideal IMO, but I already have one (I think), and it will do the job until I get around to buying a mesh filter.
