Re: cuno auto-klean oil filter

Posted by HH56 On 2017/6/12 23:08:31

From the description of construction where there are stacked plates with spacers of a certain size between the plates it sounds as if a particle over that certain size cannot enter the flow opening and particles of that size and below will continue circulating thru the fluid being filtered. If oversized particles try to pass they will stick between the plates before reaching the flow passage and will be stopped. Spacing ranges from .0015 on the best series and .003 up thru .015 on another series. .0015 = 33 microns and .003 = 66 microns and it goes up from there with .015 = 381 microns. That would be the range of particles trapped. The conventional paper oil filters trap from around 30 microns down according to some spec sites.

Not sure how good it would be for modern auto use and the stated uses really don't mention autos other than the catch all "lubricating oils" phrase. Back in the day it would obviously be better than no filter at all or possibly some of the other contraptions used back then -- fine meshes, cotton wadding, and IIRC, even some kind of centrifugal device. I gather the modern item is more for cleaning larger particles out of fuel oil for furnaces, particles out of cutting oil in machining operations and the like.

When it comes time to clean, the handle is rotated which moves the spacers (which are actually blades) between the plates. That action causes the blades to scrape the trapped particles out from between the plates where they fall to the bottom into the sludge and then can be drained.

Some of the fuel pumps Packard used have a stacked plate arrangement for catching rust particles but those don't auto clean. You have to remove the bowl and unscrew the plates to clean them.