Spin-On Oil Filter Mod for 617???
 

I only noticed this Ebay Seller who is selling a service that modifies your own 617 Oil Filter Housing to take a Spin-on Oil Filter for about $220.

I do not see the benefit of doing this expensive mod unless there is a finer lower Micron filter that could be used.

It also looks like it could make the Oil Filter change a little more messy.

But, I would some opinions from others.

I agree. That's a whole lot of work for very little benefit. And don't discount the time required to R&R your original filter housing. It will take an awful lot of filter changes to make up that time.

Mercedes put a lot of engineering effort into these cars, and it seems to have withstood the test of time.

I don't know if the effort of installing such a device would be worth it with the engine in the car.

Now if you had the engine out of the car, it would be really easy to install it.

Otherwise I'm happy with the standard oil filter we have.

I agree with posts #2 and #3.
The Full Flow Section of the original Mercedes Filter has about the same filtration level as most spin-ons 21-27 nominal Microns.
You can also buy a lot of Mercedes type filters for the $220 cost of the Mod.

But, the mod must have some appeal to someone.

I think this was made for when installing a 617.912 and later motors into a different car where the stock filter setup will not fit.

Someone on the forum makes an adapter plate to do the same thing except the filter is mounted remotely. That plate is probably far better for adaptations of he 617 to other vehicles and probably makes oil changes easier than the one in the picture on this thread.

I went to Ebay and questioned the Seller as to what he thought the advantages of the mod were.

But, it could take 2 days to get an answer if he answers.

I don't see any advantage to spending $220 on that ebay mod. It looks like it would make a very big mess as soon as you loosen the filter, unless you poke a hole in its bottom first so it can drain.
The options I chose to use, since the stock "bypass filter" is garbage, are a remote mounted Amsoil EaBP90 bypass filter and a Wix 51385 primary filter (since it is a completely full-flow design, no internal section barrier).

http://www.wixfilters.com/filterlookup/PartDetail.asp?Part=51385

eby 170578418345 is the topic's item.

Forced,
could you point out a write up or make one to break down your mods to the oil system?

There isn't much to it. Tap the filter base for an oil supply, pick a place to mount the filter and pick a place to drain the oil.

My supply was the filter lid.
The filter was mounted on the LF fender by the washer tank.
The return was the valve cover. The cleaned oil goes directly onto the timing chain so the chain sees more than splash lubrication.

Here is ForcedInduction's past Thread:
By-pass oil filter install
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/168135-pass-oil-filter-install.html

Hey! How about that, I thought all my old posts got deleted! :D

I recieved a response from the Seller of the Filter Mod:
"The spin-on is more convenient (easier to change). That's the only real advantage.
- rdavisinva''

The fact that he put a purolator on it in the pic just adds insult to injury. You'd think he'd have at least used a nice tall Bosch filter or something. :rolleyes:

The stock setup is going to provide much better filtration than that thing...especially if using a good cartridge. I use Baldwin filters, they're just about the best you can find....

I din`t see any advantage, sits upside down, remove it and spill oil.
too small, I suppose it is just for show and tell, and there are larger spin on filters that will work.

For the cost of the mod, you could drive 50,000 miles with normal changes using stock filters.

So what is so hard about the stock filter to change?

I have no problems making improvements for efficiency, but not this.

Charlie

The risk of breaking a stud or the o-ring not seating correctly are my primary concerns.

I was think - oh yeah right how often have people snapped studs on the oil filter housing until I did this search in google:-

oil filter stud site:peachparts.com

And bugger am I now scared! Well not really but I suppose this modification has some merit though an upside down spin on filter? Yeah right - no thanks - and unless the oil filter has a non return valve in it (not all of the cheap ones do) every time you switch off the engine all the oil will pour back into the pan. Won't it?

The filter base has a check valve. But, the stem of the filter lid seals the bypass drain so that air can be vented out of the housing but oil can't. Thats why people often complain of a long time to build oil pressure when starting and the first suggestion is to change the o-rings on the stem.

What that guy does to prevent draining through the stem hole is unknown. I doubt he leaves it open, that would be a massive pressure loss point. But if he closes it off entirely then air con only be vented by running though the system...but if he leaves a little vent hole then the oil would drain back to the sump....so in any case you've either got air in the system (and a very messy oil change) or a loss of prime every time the engine is stopped.

Actually you can put a taller filter on the mod. His other pic below.
But, the PZ-1 is a 21 nominal Micron Filter. That is not an improvement as far as filtration goes.

There is a lot of lower micron Hydraulic Filters that could be used since it is the Filter Housing itself that has the Bypass Valve there is no need to have one inside of the Filter.

So if he made his mod for a lower micron of Filter there would at least be some benefit to it.
But, he also needs to bring the price down.

When I said "what`s so hard about the stock filter to change"?

I was thinking, remove 2 little nuts, lift off lid, remove filter, drop in new filter, replace lid and "O" ring, Cinch down 2 little bolts.

true, the stud in the filter housing can strip off and not hold the lid down on one side. also some one not paying attention could some how not get the "O" ring to seat properly.

I have read a few times here that someone had one of the studs strip out. I don`t believe it was a one time thing. It was probably over a period of years, of strong arm mechanics cranking down on the nuts beyond the torque the nuts were designed to take.;

Spin on filters can be a problem also, if the person doing the replacement doesn`t bother to check to see if the old rubber gasket stayed with the filter. sometimes it will come off the filter and stick to the base. a double gasket is a disaster if not cought in time.

I know all about upside down spin on filters. My Nissan Diesel SD-22 engine has one. everytime I change the oil, it runs down on the R/F suspention and under the cross arm of the engine. great design.


Charlie

Ha ha - that's just rust proofing design!

On the subject of oil filtration.....I am considering adding a centrifuge to the bypass in an effort to remove the finer crap the factory filter doesnt.

The stud on the filter housing will never break if torqued properly.....if unsure, get a micro-tork wrench.

I've changed the oil probably 100+ times on these and have yet to damage a stud....

If the new filter is significantly smaller, as it is appears, isn't there less filtering media, and it won't do as good of a job?

I saw a gas like M103 in the junkyard with a setup like this on it. Looked very homeade.

Sounds like a lot of extra work for what effectively a mag-plug would achieve. mag-plug = magnetic plug.

See:-

http://www.magneticdrainplugs.com/

http://www.vescor.com/hydraulic_acc43.htm

(And Google the rest!)

I guess it may not do a good job for as long - what have you got in an OM617? 6.5 litres of oil. And what have you got in most modern European car engines? 4 litres say - I don't know. You'd do well to pick a spin on filter that would filter for as long as your normal service intervals that's for sure.

If Prior Owners took their car to one of those Oil Change Places they could have been previously over tightened.
There used to be a saying that "an over torqued Bolt is 1/2 broken".

If the Prior Owner did his own Oil changes; I have read here on this forum where the Cap O-ring was not in place correctly and people tried to stop the leak by tightening the Nuts more.

I cannot remember the details bue someone on this Forum used a Torque Wrench and still it stripped something.

Despite the size of the stock Filter the Full Flow section at the bottom of the Filter is not very big.
Except for Baldwin the other Filter companies do not seem to know what how well the larger bypass section of the stock Filter works.

The Babbitt part of the Rod and Main Bearings and whatever Alloy the Piston Rod Bearings are made are not magnetic.
Soot is also not magnetic.
So a magnet is not going to work on the above.

It is supposed to work better than even the Amsoil Bypass filter and would not need the about $28 Filter Elements.

They are nice, but bulky, messy to clean and require a gravity drain.

The Amsoil bypass filters work nearly as well and you can plumb the return oil to any convenient location (such as providing extra lube to the timing chain).

I use several neodymium magnets from hard drives in several places. 5 on my bypass oil filter and one on my lower oil pan by the drain.

Lets look at the cost effectiveness there.

Centrifugal filter
Initial cost: $350
Yearly cost: $0

Amsoil bypass filter
Initial cost: $25 filter base, $35 filter= $60.
Yearly: $35

Time until the centrifugal filter has paid for itself: 9 years.

I thought they were around $250 (used ones also show up on Ebay once in awhile for less ).
At the end of the 9 years if it is still working you can use it on another Vehicle or you could sell it and recover some of the initial cost.

It might be interesting to hook up a Amsoil Filter and run the Oil that has past through the Amsoil Oil Filter through the Centrifugal Filter and see what actually gets past the Amsoil Filter.