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Centrifugal oil filter?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Kingsway, Apr 20, 2018.

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  1. Kingsway

    Kingsway Active Member

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    They seem to be used mostly on diesel engines, but I see they claim to remove particles as small as .5 micron!

    I wonder if it could be feasible to build a DIY system - a pump to pull oil our through the dip stick, run it through the centrifuge and back into the valve cover? You could run it for a few hours once a month, maybe?

    Probably not worth the bother, but the idea does intrique me. If I still had access to a mechanical workshop, I might be tempted to start a little project!

    The one in the video simply runs on engine oil pressure:
     
    #1 Kingsway, Apr 20, 2018
  2. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    Good ol' toilet paper will get you below 1 micron filtration. Just look up wefilterit.com and at motorguard M30, M45, M60 Filters. Yes I've used these and yes they do an incredible job at filtering motor oil, trans oil, coolant, etc.

    The above would cost far less than just a centripetal filter alone.

    What I've done in the past is drill and tap an old pot then run line between pot and filter. That way you can put the full pot above your engine and gravity feed the filter.

    Pixel XL ?
     
    #2 mjoo, Apr 20, 2018
  3. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    A centrifugal oil filter is great for very dirty applications, as it does not 'clog' as paper filters do. It consumes HP and therefore lowers MPG.

    A diesel mining truck might use a centrifugal oil filter where the same engine in a semi tractor trailer might use a paper filter; just a matter of how much dirt in the environment.

    i have nothing good to say about toilet paper filters.
     
    #3 JimboPalmer, Apr 20, 2018
  4. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    A centrifugal filter is great on a diesel. It collects particulates only. Soot is usually the dominant wear particle on a diesel.

    A depth bypass filter with cellulose medium like the Frantz (toilet paper) will also collect ounces of water. On a stop-start system like the Prius I would argue that, in most cases, water and fuel cause more wear than soot.

    But of course TP will never be as cool as a centrifugal filter.

    Pixel XL ?
     
    #4 mjoo, Apr 21, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2018
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