Micro-Bypass Filtration Can Reduce Oil Use by 66 Percent

By Aaron Turpen

Aaron Turpen

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Micro-Bypass Filtration Can Reduce Oil Use by 66 Percent
Micro-bypass filtration is not really all that new, but it's only now that it's finally catching on... Read More

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Micro-bypass filtration is not really all that new, but it's only now that it's finally catching on in the transportation industries.  These are engine oil filters that remove many more contaminants from the engine's oil than do standard filters.  Because of their micron-level removal, these filters can keep the oil clean enough that oil changes can be delayed by up to three times the interval.  That's potentially a lot of oil not being dumped out of and poured into engines.

Micro-bypass filters get their name from their micron-level filtration (many down to 1 micron) and the fact that they are not a primary filter, but instead are set up in a bypass system.  The bypass is neeed because the filters restrict fluid movement too much to be the primary filter. 

Given that the average heavy truck uses 10-12 gallons of motor oil and an over-the-road (OTR) truck sees an oil change about every 15,000 miles (average), that is potentially 50-60 gallons of motor oil saved annually for each truck.  That is significant.

Many engine manufacturers are now building their engines with the bypass for these types of filters built-in.  Caterpillar has most diesel engine models now coming with bypass filter ports as standard.  The market in trucking has demanded this, since there are many bypass filtration systems available and most fleet managers have seen the cost savings that come with heavier oil filtration: lower engine wear, longer engine life, better performance, and higher efficiency.

Micro-filters usually operate in the same basic way.  As the oil travels through the filter, it passes through smaller and smaller filter weaves.  The outside of the filter pulls big particles (35-40 microns) and the sizes get smaller as he oil passes through down to 1 micron at the center in some filters.

These filters also remove water droplets from the oil, which extends its viscosity.  Between removing the impurities and extending the viscous life, the useful lifespan of the motor oil can be significantly longer.  Tripling the lifespan of the engine oil means a reduction in oil usage of 66%.