Oil filter worth the effort?

[Smokedtires]

Hello all, new to the Model A world. I'm curious about oil filters. My 1930 does not have one. How affective is a filter on a non-pressured oil system? I thought this was more like a splash lubrication, but understand I may not read the full story yet.

[Gary WA]

It is splash. Some like filters on touring motors some don't!

[alexiskai]

Filters have been shown to prolong oil life on a Model A, both by visual inspection and oil analysis. If you drive rarely, then increasing your oil life from 500 miles to 3,000 or 5,000 may not matter much to you. Both the bypass and full-flow solutions work. I don't think anyone has done a quantitative comparison of the two.

[jeepguy1948]

Yes, worth the effort.

[nkaminar]

Ricardo of Ricardo head fame did some pioneering research of wear of Babbett bearings in the 1920's. He said that since the Babbett was soft, abrasive particles embed in the bearings and then abrade the journals. The particles have to be big enough to span the oil film which is actually suporting the journal. Modern oils have the ability to suspend tiny particles which cause the oil to get dark with use. However the larger particles that cause the damage can be suspended in the oil too. A filter will trap these larger particles and help to extend the life of the bearings. All modern cars and trucks have oil filters. From his testing and research Ricardo recommended the use of oil filters back in the 20's.

[duke36]

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1930's oils were non-detergent with particulates settling in the oil pan. Most owners now use detergent oils which carry the particulates in suspension, hence a filter is a good idea.
Other period makes of cars such as Chrysler, etc. offered air and oil filters, Ford lagged behind with the Model A.

[Smokedtires]

Okay, good to know. Thanks everyone.

[Kevin in NJ]

No, there is not science based proof an oil filter prolongs the life of the Model A engine that I have ever seen.

In fact, when was the last time you have heard of someone getting to 50,000 miles on their engines before needing to redo the babbitt? Yes, properly done the A should get 50,000 to 80,000 miles at least that was what NY City police got out the engines when they ran them.

Dirt in the oil is the least of your worries. You engine will fail becuase something was not done properly, if you even every drive it enough miles to make wear an issue.

Think about it at say 5000 miles a year (which is likely a lot for most A's) how long till you see any wear? I think 500 miles a year is a lot for most people. A lot of people are changing their oil at those numbers.

In reality, a proper rebuilt engine will not wear out faster if you did not use a filter and you changed the oil every few years or couple of thousand miles. Modern oils with additives are really good and the clearances and loading on the A are just not going to get you a ton of wear.

Spend more time driving and less worrying about something the car ran fine without for a very long time.

[Werner]

Hi,


it goes without saying that an oil filter is very useful. It removes vacuumed dust and metal abrasion from ongoing wear. Both rub and wear the engine (piston, valve-shaft, bearings, ...) greatly increased.

A good filter will double the engine's life. Oil changes can also be extended to 5000 mls.

With a little skill, a filter can be placed inconspicuously.

[Synchro909]

I've always run a filter on my touring engines - wouldn't think of not doing so. There is a reason EVERY modern car (read car made in the past 70 years) has a filter.
If I've been doing short trips, I change oil at 1,000 - 1,500 miles and on a long tour, at about 3,500 miles. I change the filter every second oil change and clean the magnet I have in the sump plug. It gathers a lot of cast iron from the wear happening in the bores so it doesn't keep circulating or clog the filter.
I put a magnet on every drain plug in the car - engine, gearbox, O/D and differential.

[nkaminar]

What ever happened to the add-on oil filter that used a roll of toilet paper?

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

What ever happened to the add-on oil filter that used a roll of toilet paper?

I think they were a bypass filter. They only filtered what oil the system didn't use. That said, it wasn't long before all of the oil had gone through it. They were VERY effective.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

What ever happened to the add-on oil filter that used a roll of toilet paper?

https://www.toiletpaperoilfilter.com...w-refiner.html

[jack backer]

Bypass filters are slightly better than nothing. Toilet paper filters plug oil pump pickup screens, a gimmick that cost folks an engine. The model A oil pump is a low flow, high pressure pump capable of almost 100psi..using the full flow filter combined with a lube line from the pump to the center main bearing cap ‘pressurizes’ the bearing by using the pressure created by filter restriction.

[Dave in MN]

I don't have any experience with using an oil filter on a Babbitt engine so no comment.

I do have experience with the installation of oil filters on insert bearing engines and driving them. I have over 99,000 miles on my '29 Phaeton's touring engine and have not removed the oil pan in all those miles. The engine has had an A-Ford-able full flow filter installed since it was put into service in the year 2000. I also install full flow filters on all the touring engines I rebuild for folks.

Installing a full flow filter just makes sense on a car that is driven lots of miles. No one can convince me otherwise.

By the way, I just returned home from a 30 mile, top down, drive this morning with the Phaeton. I took the back roads to a little coffee shop and enjoyed some solitude and a good cup of coffee. The sun was low in the morning sky, the air was cool and the car purred along the deserted roads. I think if there are quiet back roads and Model A's in heaven, I just got a glimpse of how it could be.
Good Day!

[katy]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

What ever happened to the add-on oil filter that used a roll of toilet paper?

Is this the one:

[LeonardS]

This reminds me of “which oil should I use”! Always strong opinions!

[Jim Brierley]

Another advantage of using a filter is it adds another qt of oil to the system, possibly more cooling area. Like Syncro, I only change mine at every other change.

[Chris Haynes]

I remember my Auto Shop teacher saying. "Engines don't wear out, they are ground out by contaminants in the oil". He always told us that the best thing you can do for an engine is keep the oil clean.

[GPierce]

Originally Posted by Kevin in NJ

No, there is not science based proof an oil filter prolongs the life of the Model A engine that I have ever seen.

In fact, when was the last time you have heard of someone getting to 50,000 miles on their engines before needing to redo the babbitt? Yes, properly done the A should get 50,000 to 80,000 miles at least that was what NY City police got out the engines when they ran them.

Dirt in the oil is the least of your worries. You engine will fail becuase something was not done properly, if you even every drive it enough miles to make wear an issue.

Think about it at say 5000 miles a year (which is likely a lot for most A's) how long till you see any wear? I think 500 miles a year is a lot for most people. A lot of people are changing their oil at those numbers.




In reality, a proper rebuilt engine will not wear out faster if you did not use a filter and you changed the oil every few years or couple of thousand miles. Modern oils with additives are really good and the clearances and loading on the A are just not going to get you a ton of wear.

Spend more time driving and less worrying about something the car ran fine without for a very long time.

Kevin
How many miles do you drive your A in a year. Do you have an oil filter?
I noticed after putting a filter on the oil on my dip stick was definitely cleaner.

[ModelAArmy]

If adding a filter, which kit is best?

[Smokedtires]

Okay, looks like I will have a winter project in the coming months. You all have convinced me of its practicality. Thanks for all the input.

[updraught]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

What ever happened to the add-on oil filter that used a roll of toilet paper?

They created a shortage during the pandemic.

[katy]

Originally Posted by GPierce

I noticed after putting a filter on the oil on my dip stick was definitely cleaner.

At one point I worked on a 300 CID 6 cylinder Ford engine, one of the things done to it was replaced the stock oil pump w/a high volume pump (pumps 25% more oil). After that I noticed that the oil stayed cleaner, I suspect that was because more oil was going through the filter. As with most (if not all) "modern" engines all the oil goes through the filter before being distributed around the engine.

[jeepguy1948]

One benefit that I have started doing is this... I bought the tool to do it and I cut open the filters from all my cars, it really helps to know what's happening inside. Personally, i would install a filter even if there was no other benefit.

[Werner]

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Hi,

I open each filter to check for dirt and metal shavings. It is pleasing to see that a lot of dirt is collected.

[Sunny the Model A]

Originally Posted by Kevin in NJ

No, there is not science based proof an oil filter prolongs the life of the Model A engine that I have ever seen.

In fact, when was the last time you have heard of someone getting to 50,000 miles on their engines before needing to redo the babbitt? Yes, properly done the A should get 50,000 to 80,000 miles at least that was what NY City police got out the engines when they ran them.

Dirt in the oil is the least of your worries. You engine will fail becuase something was not done properly, if you even every drive it enough miles to make wear an issue.

Think about it at say 5000 miles a year (which is likely a lot for most A's) how long till you see any wear? I think 500 miles a year is a lot for most people. A lot of people are changing their oil at those numbers.

In reality, a proper rebuilt engine will not wear out faster if you did not use a filter and you changed the oil every few years or couple of thousand miles. Modern oils with additives are really good and the clearances and loading on the A are just not going to get you a ton of wear.

Spend more time driving and less worrying about something the car ran fine without for a very long time.

Well, there is a reason modern engines do have oil filters, to keep dirt out of bearing surfaces and chewing 'em up. Model A engines may not have come with filters from the factory, but it should not even be a question, absolutely go with a filter on both the carb and the oil filter. I run a partial flow filter which in my opinion is the better solution for the a. I daily drive my A and have noticed an immediate difference between oil changes. I drive 20,000 miles a year and change it every 2500 and the filter at the same time. I cleaned out the pan when I bought it and there was a lot of yuck in it. most oils now do trap dirt in them so they can carry it to the filter. oil companies literally make oil so it carries dirt to the filter so it can be removed by design. I made a filter for the oil cap out of foam to catch dirt from going into the engine in the first place, the oil filter is there to catch any carbon or grit from normal operation. In my opinion, if there is a liquid or a gas moving in an engine, it should be filtered. What hurt does it do to add a filter other than a few hours of your time? Now to make everyone mad and bring up the age-old oil question. well, first let's discuss what kind of oil did Henry use? Back then, there was paraffin oil and sulphur oil, both had pros and cons, nowadays we have conventional and synthetic, both have pros and cons. In the original ford handbook, it says to use 40wt in the summer and 20wt in the winter. now this was before multi-weight oils and before oil filters. oils back then are frankly trash. today's worst oil is fine caviar to a Model A. The closest modern equivalent oil to this that provides the right thickness for general use is 10w30 oil, synthetic or not? here is my two cents, if you have a filter and you cleaned out the pan, use synthetic, if not use conventional non detergent.

[fried okra]

Sunny.....I notice you are in the Charleston, SC area.

There is a good Model A group here if you haven't heard yet.

https://www.lowcountrymodela.org/