Graham
Just read your message re spin on oil filters.
I have often heard the theory that the spin on filters allow better oil feed on
start up thus saving major bearing problems etc. etc.,
while I would agree that if my engine was left untouched for several month I
would be cranking it over as your do, and that the rattle of bearings on the
initial morning start up can be a little dis-concerting.
However, I sometimes really wonder just how much that is said about spin ons is
fact or fiction. If it was serious fact then I would have to wonder how much I
would have reduced any damage if I had fitted a spin on years ago., then again,
from my experience I wonder if there would have been any benefit.
I have owned my 2500S since new (December 1978), it has been used as an every
day "hack mobile", it has just clocked up 343,000 kilometres and I have only
last month had the head off for the first time. One new valve and guides was
all the new bits.
But as for the bottom end. just after the head job, a 4000 kilometres
interstate trip, using 2 litres of oil, giving 32+ MPG and I still hold 60 PSI
at 2300 revs on a long trip. In the time since new the oil pressure has only
deteriorated from 2000 to 2300 revs.
Yes I am still using the original type oil filter, but what I do is that on
initial start up I use minimum revs, no more that about 800, wait until the oil
guage reaches a steady level and then drive slowly (Max 2000 revs) until engine
is warm.
regards Brian
At 11:25 AM 20/06/99 +0100, you wrote:
>Jon
>I have just fitted a Rimmer conversion to my 2500S auto and it appears to have
>a
>shorter element than the Witor one you were supplied with. Please remember the
>fundamental reason for the change ie to provide a faster supply of life saving
>oil to bearings which are being operated with no oil at all when the engine
>starts. Most of the engines I work with at sea have both engine driven and
>independent lubrication systems such that if there is no oil pressure detected
>they will not start and if loss occurs whilst running they stop very quickly.
>Steam turbine systems even have a gravity system which comes into use when the
>engine trips to maintain oil supply during slowdown. You would be surprised how
>quickly a white metal bearing will heat to 180 deg F whereupon it runs and
>journal damage is caused. Such is the importance of lubrication. Automobile
>engineers appear to disregard this point probably in the hope of selling us
>loadsa bearings. You should mount the cartridge such that it stays full and
>primed when the engine is stopped ie hanging vertically down and you should do
>it before your seal gasket hardens. The discomfort caused by a routine filter
>change will be more than offset by the beaming smile you will get from your
>engine for giving it a longer life than it would have with the conventional
>self
>draining filter. A routine I go through when returning home from sea after 4
>months is to remove the plugs, apply a squirt of oil in the bores then turn the
>engine on the starter motor until the oil light is extinguished. It almost
>flattens the battery even with good bearings but it does get the oil to where
>it
>is needed without compression forces coming into play. I haven't had chance to
>do this with the new filter but am expecting a quicker pressure build up when I
>do.
>
>Rgds
>Graham Nelson
>
>jonmac wrote:
>
>> Friends,
>> Guidelines please. I've recently acquired a spin-on oil filter adaptor from
>> Chris Witor together with four FRAM filters PH 2895. They're quite long
>> ones - about 5 inches.
>> I invested in this for two reasons, (a) I like spin-on filters and (b) it
>> occurred to me that I could mount it so I could unscrew it leaning into the
>> engine bay rather than scratting around on my back underneath.
>> When the time came to fit the filter head, I found I had to cant it at about
>> 10 o'clock so the filter is aimed towards the radiator. All well and good
>> until I discovered that with a filter of this length, I can't screw the
>> filter fully home unless the filter head is loose and because of the length,
>> the filter is fouling the T piece to supply the oil pressure gauge. In the
>> words of the prophet, the clearance is as tight as a duck's a**e!
>> As far as I can see, the only ways round the prob are:
>> 1. To fit a shorter filter in the same 10 o'clock position, or
>> 2. Keep my fingers crossed and see if it will fit in a vertical position in
>> the bowels of the engine bay meaning I'll have to lie under the car to
>> unscrew it, or
>> 3. Still keep it in a vertical position with a shorter filter.
>> If I fit a shorter filter, I'm obviously not going to get quite the same
>> filtration because of the smaller overall filter paper area and I'm
>> wondering if the oil pump might find itself working overtime to push the
>> same volume of oil through a smaller area.
>> I'm sure one or two people must have encountered this problem, so what is
>> the general thinking and if a shorter filter is the way to go, what part
>> number do you use? It doesn't have to be a FRAM #, the factor can sort that
>> out from the cross ref list but I naturally want one with an anti-drain
>> valve regardless of the position it eventually finds itself being fitted.
>> Replies awaited with interest.
>>
>> Cheers
>> John Mac
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