aldive
Elite In Memoriam
- Joined
- January 17, 2001
- Messages
- 24,667
- Reaction score
- 28
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1999 XLT
I have been researching bypass oil filtration for quite some time and finally decided to install a system on my Explorer. There are a variety of bypass systems out there. I wanted a system that used spin on filters; toilet paper filters are not for me. I selected the Amsoil BMK-13 Dual Bypass Filter ( Dead Link Removed ) system. This set up relocates the standard oil filter to a remote location on a manifold shared with the bypass filter.
Auto manufacturers tell us that the dirt that does the most harm and causes the most wear in an engine is from 5 microns ( a micron is one millionth of a meter ) up to 20 microns in size. If you could remove this dirt from your oil system, you should be able to virtually eliminate wear. While the majority of full flow filters on the market only remove particles as small as 20 to 40 microns. An Amsoil Bypass Oil Filter will remove dirt particles as small as 1/10th of a micron. This system not only provides unrivaled filtration but also adds more than a quart of oil capacity.
The easier said than done part of the installation was determining where to mount the remote filters. I sought a location with ample ground clearance and that afforded trouble-free filter changes. I decided on a frame mount just aft of the passenger side torsion bar. The system that I am using uses a BE-90 bypass filter which is 4 ½" in diameter by 6" tall as well as an SDF-15 full flow filter ( a little shorter ). I wrote the curent mileage, 102, 760, on the side of the white filter with a magic marker. The mounting location allowed sufficient ground clearance.
As luck would have it, there were two ( of the 4 needed ) mounting holes that aligned perfectly with the steel mounting bracket. I bolted the bracket to the frame with the supplied hardware and then drilled the remaining 1/4" holes ( due to the rather tight space limitation, I had to use a right angle drill and shorten the ¼" bit for the undertaking ) and attached the remaining bolts.
The hose fittings were screwed into the manifold and the oil filter adapter after coating the threads with Loctite 545 thread sealer ( Dead Link Removed ). Also, the threaded insert ( ¾†– 16 ) was installed with Loctite 545 into the oil filter adapter. I chose not to install an optional oil sample petcock in the manifold since I have a Fumoto oil drain valve ( http://www.fumotovalve.com/ ) and a sample can easily be taken from that location. Further, I am contemplating adding a Dakota Digital ( http://dakotadigital.com/ ) digital oil temperature gauge and will be mounting the sender in that location.
The length of the oil supply ( 13/32 " diameter ) and return hose was determined by actually laying out the hose in the precise location it would be routed. The hose was then cut to the required length. Now the fittings were attached to the special oil hose. I used 3 1/2 feet of oil hose for each line.
The existing oil filter was removed and the mount was vigilantly cleaned. At the same time, the engine oil was drained and the engine refilled with 4 quarts of Amsoil Series 2000 0 W 30 synthetic oil ( Dead Link Removed ). The oil filter adapter mount, after oiling the O ring, was screwed onto the oil filter stud on the motor. It is O ring sealed ( akin to an oil filter ). The adapter is installed and tightened just like you would an oil filter ( the oil hoses were attached and tightened to the adapter prior to its installation due to the tight space that would make securing the hoses difficult ). A new oil fill was performed so as not to load the filters with the dirty oil previously in the motor ( this oil had about 5 k miles on it ). I definitely wanted to start the oil analysis cycle using new oil.
The manifold is now attached to the mount on the frame with the supplied bolts. The bolts were installed with the threaded end up to prevent filter clearance problems.
The oil hoses are then attached to their appropriate fittings ( oil in/oil out ) on the manifold. At this point the oil hoses are secured in place with plastic loop mounts and tie wraps.
Both of the oil filters were pre-filled with oil ( to prevent a potential dry start due to the length of the hose ) and then screwed onto the manifold. The vertical mounting attitude makes installing an oil filled filter remarkably easy. A final visual check of the installation was performed. When all seemed satisfactory, the motor was started and all fittings were checked for leaks. Thankfully, none were found. The oil level was checked and top off oil was added to make up for the hose capacity. After 15 minutes of neighborhood driving, once again potential leaks were evaluated. A short road test was conducted to further evaluate for leaks. The system will be checked for leaks daily for a few days.
The first UOA will be conducted at 5k miles. I will continue to use Blackstone Labs ( http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ ) for my analysis ( a Standard Oil Analysis plus TBN ).
I shall be adding Cool Collars ( http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125508&highlight=cool+collar ) to both filters in the near future.
The cost of this project is as follows: Amsoil BMK-13 Dual Bypass Filter Kit = $201.00, BE-90 bypass filter = $26.25, SDF-15 full flow filter = $13.90, 6 quarts Amsoil Series 2000 0 W 30 synthetic oil @ $8.50/quart = $51.00 for a grand total of $292.15 ( note: the prices listed are retail prices ). The project took approximately 2 hours to complete.
Auto manufacturers tell us that the dirt that does the most harm and causes the most wear in an engine is from 5 microns ( a micron is one millionth of a meter ) up to 20 microns in size. If you could remove this dirt from your oil system, you should be able to virtually eliminate wear. While the majority of full flow filters on the market only remove particles as small as 20 to 40 microns. An Amsoil Bypass Oil Filter will remove dirt particles as small as 1/10th of a micron. This system not only provides unrivaled filtration but also adds more than a quart of oil capacity.
The easier said than done part of the installation was determining where to mount the remote filters. I sought a location with ample ground clearance and that afforded trouble-free filter changes. I decided on a frame mount just aft of the passenger side torsion bar. The system that I am using uses a BE-90 bypass filter which is 4 ½" in diameter by 6" tall as well as an SDF-15 full flow filter ( a little shorter ). I wrote the curent mileage, 102, 760, on the side of the white filter with a magic marker. The mounting location allowed sufficient ground clearance.
As luck would have it, there were two ( of the 4 needed ) mounting holes that aligned perfectly with the steel mounting bracket. I bolted the bracket to the frame with the supplied hardware and then drilled the remaining 1/4" holes ( due to the rather tight space limitation, I had to use a right angle drill and shorten the ¼" bit for the undertaking ) and attached the remaining bolts.
The hose fittings were screwed into the manifold and the oil filter adapter after coating the threads with Loctite 545 thread sealer ( Dead Link Removed ). Also, the threaded insert ( ¾†– 16 ) was installed with Loctite 545 into the oil filter adapter. I chose not to install an optional oil sample petcock in the manifold since I have a Fumoto oil drain valve ( http://www.fumotovalve.com/ ) and a sample can easily be taken from that location. Further, I am contemplating adding a Dakota Digital ( http://dakotadigital.com/ ) digital oil temperature gauge and will be mounting the sender in that location.
The length of the oil supply ( 13/32 " diameter ) and return hose was determined by actually laying out the hose in the precise location it would be routed. The hose was then cut to the required length. Now the fittings were attached to the special oil hose. I used 3 1/2 feet of oil hose for each line.
The existing oil filter was removed and the mount was vigilantly cleaned. At the same time, the engine oil was drained and the engine refilled with 4 quarts of Amsoil Series 2000 0 W 30 synthetic oil ( Dead Link Removed ). The oil filter adapter mount, after oiling the O ring, was screwed onto the oil filter stud on the motor. It is O ring sealed ( akin to an oil filter ). The adapter is installed and tightened just like you would an oil filter ( the oil hoses were attached and tightened to the adapter prior to its installation due to the tight space that would make securing the hoses difficult ). A new oil fill was performed so as not to load the filters with the dirty oil previously in the motor ( this oil had about 5 k miles on it ). I definitely wanted to start the oil analysis cycle using new oil.
The manifold is now attached to the mount on the frame with the supplied bolts. The bolts were installed with the threaded end up to prevent filter clearance problems.
The oil hoses are then attached to their appropriate fittings ( oil in/oil out ) on the manifold. At this point the oil hoses are secured in place with plastic loop mounts and tie wraps.
Both of the oil filters were pre-filled with oil ( to prevent a potential dry start due to the length of the hose ) and then screwed onto the manifold. The vertical mounting attitude makes installing an oil filled filter remarkably easy. A final visual check of the installation was performed. When all seemed satisfactory, the motor was started and all fittings were checked for leaks. Thankfully, none were found. The oil level was checked and top off oil was added to make up for the hose capacity. After 15 minutes of neighborhood driving, once again potential leaks were evaluated. A short road test was conducted to further evaluate for leaks. The system will be checked for leaks daily for a few days.
The first UOA will be conducted at 5k miles. I will continue to use Blackstone Labs ( http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ ) for my analysis ( a Standard Oil Analysis plus TBN ).
I shall be adding Cool Collars ( http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125508&highlight=cool+collar ) to both filters in the near future.
The cost of this project is as follows: Amsoil BMK-13 Dual Bypass Filter Kit = $201.00, BE-90 bypass filter = $26.25, SDF-15 full flow filter = $13.90, 6 quarts Amsoil Series 2000 0 W 30 synthetic oil @ $8.50/quart = $51.00 for a grand total of $292.15 ( note: the prices listed are retail prices ). The project took approximately 2 hours to complete.
