Re: Dual Oil Bath Air Cleaner conversion?
Posted by Tim Cole On 2013/9/8 9:07:57
Right up my alley on this one:
Actual particulate capture data is hard to find.
The oil bath system is very good for high dust conditions. They are used extensively in heavy equipment because of the absence of underhood precleaning from a radiator fan.
When they talk about efficiency they are measuring how much of what has been thrown at the unit is being captured. They weigh the thing before and after.
98.5% of particulates are under .5 microns which is finer than cigarette smoke.
Supposedly paper was judged superior from auto racing longevity, but that is an extreme situation with different flow characteristics than normal driving. However, paper is cheaper than metal and that special fiber (I forget what it is offhand but it is special) so you can understand why it is popular.
Whether or not oil bath filters lose efficiency with age has not been investigated, however, the performance of the VW Type 111 indicates that the oil bath system is good because those motors performed well even without an oil filter. Some testing claims a 95% reduction in PPM oil contamination using paper over oil bath in commercial trucking. But those are two stage filters and not your run of the mill underhood gravel strainers.
For a conversion I would make sure the seal is adequate, and of particular importance note that the carburetor flange is designed for low pressure differentials and so putting too restrictive a filter in place of the oil bath unit may result in a breach and loss of filtration.
And even more importantly: Take a look at the oil fill cap.
It should be oiled if the car is being driven.
I don't know what kind of nut decided to powder coat an air filter, but they should only be refinished using solvents. And preferably not even sanded. I have pictures of brand new Packards with dented air filters. Here is a nice big dent on the assembly line.
Ditto the compressed air note. Just follow the manual or instructions on the decal. Gasoline is the specified solvent and can be stored and reused with a stabilizer. Air should not be blown through any filter regardless of type.
Attach file:
(75.95 KB)
Actual particulate capture data is hard to find.
The oil bath system is very good for high dust conditions. They are used extensively in heavy equipment because of the absence of underhood precleaning from a radiator fan.
When they talk about efficiency they are measuring how much of what has been thrown at the unit is being captured. They weigh the thing before and after.
98.5% of particulates are under .5 microns which is finer than cigarette smoke.
Supposedly paper was judged superior from auto racing longevity, but that is an extreme situation with different flow characteristics than normal driving. However, paper is cheaper than metal and that special fiber (I forget what it is offhand but it is special) so you can understand why it is popular.
Whether or not oil bath filters lose efficiency with age has not been investigated, however, the performance of the VW Type 111 indicates that the oil bath system is good because those motors performed well even without an oil filter. Some testing claims a 95% reduction in PPM oil contamination using paper over oil bath in commercial trucking. But those are two stage filters and not your run of the mill underhood gravel strainers.
For a conversion I would make sure the seal is adequate, and of particular importance note that the carburetor flange is designed for low pressure differentials and so putting too restrictive a filter in place of the oil bath unit may result in a breach and loss of filtration.
And even more importantly: Take a look at the oil fill cap.
It should be oiled if the car is being driven.
I don't know what kind of nut decided to powder coat an air filter, but they should only be refinished using solvents. And preferably not even sanded. I have pictures of brand new Packards with dented air filters. Here is a nice big dent on the assembly line.
Ditto the compressed air note. Just follow the manual or instructions on the decal. Gasoline is the specified solvent and can be stored and reused with a stabilizer. Air should not be blown through any filter regardless of type.
Attach file:
(75.95 KB)
This Post was from: https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=130969