Some how I lost track of this thread...
Another question, why are we limited to 20 microns for filter elements, does it have to do with the way the element is gasketed in the can or are they just not made?
That is all there is available... Cartridge style filters in a lube setting are like the ugly step child of filters as they are early 1900's technology and made out of lesser quality elements which was what they were specified for in design.
BW and I have been going back and fourth on the filter thing... He is getting a little ahead of me but I think we are chasing the same thing but using two different base set ups.
The biggest problems is been trying to find a filter bases that don't have to be machined or modified... I made a set for testing as Kenny mentioned on a gen set with really amazing results but I know most of us don't have the means to pull off the machining part of the deal without investing time and money in finding a shop to do the work. The glitch is in the thread and gaskets sizes, hydraulic filter bases will not work with oil filters and hydraulic filters should not be used as oil filters with a few exceptions to some uncommon type which can sub for ether or... I am avoid this and trying to stick to common part numbers. In hunting these I found a company
http://www.vsindustrial.com/manifolds.htm which makes dual filter manifolds with the right thread sizes and no modifications required... Then BW found another company whom makes them in a single filter set up also... With no offence to BW I have considered the bases he is looking at but I have gone a little further with installing some of these for testing... using the single filter base and plumbing two of them together makes for a heap of extra hoses and fittings... When it comes to oil systems I like simplicity... one line in... one line out.
The plumbing is currently theoretical but should be really easy... Meaning don't go do this to your truck unless your will to test my thoughts in the process or you wait for myself or BW to actually do this. On the oil cooler you have an 3/4 outlet on top used for the oil sampling valve... this would be the "out" port which you would need to install a tee into... on the bottom of the same housing you have two ports, one has a bypass valve in it.. the other is 3/4NPT and is plugged off, that would be your "return" port. There is a chance I have these reversed so be mindful if your playing along.
BW and I are both thinking that the best mounting location is under the drivers feet behind the fender and in front of the tool box. This gives ample ground clearance and protection from anything popping a hole in it and is low enough to prevent drain back.
I am / will be opting for the XD filters... I might go up in size from the 1970 to the 1979 Which is about 3 inches larger in size. The XD is a 40,000 mile filter which is designed for over the road diesel applications and has a higher beta rating over the standard 1970. When you compare "cost" IMHO using synthetic oil and these filters your actually saving a considerable amount of cash over the long haul but as BW said the up front is more pricey.
On the subject of synthetics... Before anyone starts that proverbial debate of wives tails and horror stories from a friend of a friend about synthetics blowing this or that up... don't be a key board cowboy!!!... I don't mean to be rude but I have seen this subject debated to many times and it annoys the snot out of me when collective ignorance is used as wisdom. Go pull oil samples and have them analyzed!!! All of the ones I am having done show so pretty amazing results with far lower wear metals, soot, fuel, etc over dyno oils. On a normally aspirated diesel you can still see through the oil at 300 hours... On a turbo its the same at 200 hours... I did my first oil samples and oil change at 650 hours, which didn't "need" to be done... The next were 1000 hour intervals and the sampling showed it still didn't "need" to be done. This means I can put the vast majority of my equipment on a once a year or longer service schedule.
I am HOPING I can make a "kit" out of this ordeal because it is a lot of parts and pieces... Fittings are one of those weird things... you can jump sizes, convert, swap, adapt, etc, etc, etc and plumb things together but on the other hand when dealing with a oil system you really need simply... one fitting per port, per hose end... if not you are asking for leaks, cracks and problems.
As for cost... Not cheap but like someone said... cheaper than a new engine. The single bases are in the 80-90$ range and the dual bases are in the $180 range... Almost the same cost but if you want a dual filters and consider hoses and fittings its a lot cheaper and simpler to buy the dual base than plumb two bases together. Because of my job and pricing I am able to buy things like fittings, hose and filters for 40-50% less than most can so it may be possible to put something together in the 300$ range which isn't bad when you consider the commercial filter units are 800$ plus.
As for time... I have none and I am working a lot of 16-18 hour days trying to finish my truck up... I can proably get to this in the next 60 days... Maybe sooner due to installing bypass filters on newly purchased equipment for the day job but as I have said over and over... I would promise nothing and / or recommend nothing until I get things fully ironed out, beat up and bullet proofed.
