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What
Is Fine Filtration Or By-Pass Filtration?
The Society Of Automotive Engineers (SAE), states that contamination
in lubricants of engines, transmissions and hydraulic systems, cause
70% of equipment failures. This costs business and industry
billions of dollars annually in repairs.
To better understand why failures occur, you need to know the relationship
of particle size and wear in oil. The major cause of wear is soot,
dirt, water and acid that builds up in oils. These particles
are too small for the main OEM filter to pickup as the oil travels
through the system. The standard OEM or after market filter that
comes with most engines today, begins filtering at 35 to 40 microns
and up. Tests done by General Motors Corporation show that 80% of
internal wear is from particulates below 40 microns. This is a scary
fact when one considers how expensive repair and replacement components
are not to mention labor expenses.
What is a micron, you ask?
The drawing below shows just how small a micron is:
For an engine to perform correctly, the oil must cover all parts of
the eternal cavity. If you don't get enough oil or the oil is contaminated,
engine starvation or damage can occur. This is why OEM and after market
filters allow 35 to 40 microns to pass through them, if not... oil
starvation would happen resulting in costly engine damage.
Enter By-Pass Filtration
This
is where by-pass filtering comes into play. A leading engine manufacturer
states if you can filter to 6 microns or less, progressive
wear in the engine virtually disappears. A good quality by-pass
filter should filter to at least one micron not to mention,
remove 100% of the water condensate, thereby eliminating
the 'other' reason it becomes necessary to change oil. It is hard
to understand why maintenance managers, and owners alike, would
not make by-pass filtration a necessity. Failure to reduce contaminants
results in increased friction which also brings increased fuel consumption.
This wear and tear happens the moment you change your oil... and
if by-pass filtration is not employed by the time your 10,000 mile
oil change is due, contamination has taken it's toll.
By
using by-pass filtration, fuel consumption can be increased by 3
to 10 percent. To reduce wear, you must remove dirt particles that
can interfere with the clearance of moving parts. These clearances
can be anywhere from .05 to 10 microns. So if you have a 6 micron
particle of contaminant, it can result in added pressure on these
bearing surfaces. At times, these added pressures can exceed 500,000
psi (SAE PAPER #881827). The answer to longer engine life is...
better (by-pass) filtration.
Curt Ence
sales@filtakleen-usa.com
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