Diesel oil bath filter for an open air filter.

[bstirbu]

Dear forum members,
I am a proud owner of a black W110 1964 190dc (yes, the engine with three crankshaft bearings).


And since I care very much about Donna, and wouldn't want that something bad will happen to the old engine, I would like to start my activity here on the forum with a small question:


I'm planning to replace the oil bath filter with and open air filter. It does not seem a bad ideea to me, but I want to check it with sombody else.


If you have an ideea of an open air filter that will fit, would be great.


Cheers,
Bogdan

[CTD]

I would recommend against replacing your oil-bath filter. Those are quite a bit heavier-duty than paper element filters. My W110 (with a gasoline engine) has one as part of a "rough roads" package.

[Tomguy]

It depends on where you drive and how you drive. An oil-bath air filter doesn't offer anywhere near the effectiveness against water that a paper filter does, and it has a much higher capacity for dusty/dirty roads.

For 99.9% of vehicles in America though, a paper filter is far superior. It filters the air much better. The pores in a paper filter are MUCH smaller than those in an oil-bath filter.

While you do need to replace an air filter and you can clean an oil-bath filter, and you can go longer intervals (especially in dusty conditions) on an oil-bath filter service than a paper filter service, replacing an air filter once a year is a better option for more people, not to mention it is more environmentally friendly than washing out an oil-bath filter (thus typically sending oil down the city sewer system).

So basically, the only advantages an oil-bath filter has over a paper filter are dusty condition CAPACITY (not filtering quality), water ingestion resistance, and air throughput (due to larger pores / poorer filtering).

[97 SL320]

Originally Posted by CTD

I would recommend against replacing your oil-bath filter. Those are quite a bit heavier-duty than paper element filters. My W110 (with a gasoline engine) has one as part of a "rough roads" package.

I deal with a fair number of industrial engines on construction equipment, many of which are used in dusty environments. No modern engine uses an oil bath, these started to go away in the 60's. About the only advantage to oil is not having to source a replacement element ( RE an advantage when far away from parts support. )

Oil bath relies on dirt sticking to oil rather than being strained out with a paper filter.

What part of the world is bstirbu located? This dictates what donor cars to look at. Most cars with fuel injection use a box filter with a rectangular element. These have a hose connection making it easy to adapt.

Don't use a washable oiled filter either ( cone type or K & N style ) as these are not as effective as a paper element. Same goes for cone type filters common with turbo conversion guys.

[Mike D]

Don't know exactly how the air intake is on your engine but I used the Baldwin PA2832 along with a manometer/air flow gauge on my W115's equipped with OM615's and OM616's. Pretty dusty conditions here in AZ. Never reached 10% restriction in over 30K miles driven.

https://www.baldwinfiltersrus.com/baldwin-pa2832-replacement-for-ecolite-air-element-in-disposable-housing.html

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[Stretch]

Loads of series 2 / 2a Land Rovers have survived with their original oil bath filters so I wouldn't be overly concerned about keeping the original item - however the more modern equivalent is a bit easier to deal with - I imagine service intervals in dusty conditions are more frequent?

If you're driving around deserts I imagine nothing much is going to stop that kind of dust - I understand if you live in a desert for too long you become half man half aggregate - which is arguably better than being half man and half bloody ice block which can happen here...