Bypass oil filters

don't have any knowledge of the luberfiner, but been runnin a fs2500 for afew years with very good results... could be wrong but after seeing results from before i ran a bypass to after, i would say that if its a reputable co. and ya get good feedback from others, i would definitly have one over none at all .. no matter which brand you prefer... maybe i just been drinkin to much of that koolaide everyone seems to pass out these days.... hope ya find the info your lookin for.

 

I don't know a lot about the others, but I swear by my Gulf Coast Filter. I've even extended my change intervals to 15k (low idle) and still at 0.4 fuel soot on my '01 C-15. It's built like a tank, in fact I think mine came off a tank. I bought it surplus, it's tan colored. It might not be as small and cheap as the others, but small and cheap isn't always the best way to go on these engines. The oil analysis is 2nd to none. IMHO.

I'm sure any by-pass setup would be better than none though. Doing your oil analysis is very important though, you need to know it's working.

 

Most all the bypass filter units and spinner II do a great job. I have found that brand loyalty is more than those that argue over brands of oil. There are pluses and minuses to each brand of bypass. It becomes a shooting war sometimes over who has the best bypass system much like truckers try to prove their machismo over their choice of truck and engine. You will benefit from whichever brand of bypass you choose. Key things to look for are how long it will take for you to see a return on investement and how easy it is to install and service the unit. The FS-2500, OPS-1, and Spinner II are the easiest to service and use the least makeup oil. Actually, the Amsoil BP unit is probably the easiest to service since it has a spin on cartridge unlike the others. The FS-2500 and Amsoil units are probably the easiest to install. The OPS requires electrical hookup to operate the evaporator. The Gulf Coast requires a lot more routing hose and fewer locations it can be installed since it is larger, but likewise it allows you to have a larger amount of oil and therefore there is some justification that your oil will run a little cooler. Just make sure you do not take the claims made about a particular brand too seriously. They are trying to sell a product. Those wide eyed claims made by Gulf Coast of 300,000 miles are true to a point.... When you change out the bypass filter, you have to replace 2-3 gallons of oil. Add to that the oil you add when you replace the full flow filter (not as often as the bypass), and makeup oil your engine uses, then you have effectively changed the oil even though you didn't remove the drain plug. And replacing that much oil, anyone can keep the TBN level high enough to go for those extreme extended drains. Don't get all caught up in the micron rating of a particular brand. Actually the beta properties are more important. But that is for the technical minded and not for normal people. They all will filter down to similar levels of filtration. The differences are not that great, though there are minor differences.

Shop and find the best buy and one that you feel meets your needs. You will benefit from whichever you choose.

 

This is a similar product to the Amsoil BP unit. It would be easy to service and probably not a major project to install as some of the others.

 

Amsoil does produce a good bypass unit. You will have to dicker around with getting the hoses and fittings to mate the unit to your rig. All depends on the time you want to invest. The FS2500 is a simple, less than 1 hour install, because they provide all the parts you need custom fitted to your engine/chassis combination. Is the FS2500 overpriced? Maybe. Depends on how you place a value on your time and the quality of the components you use for the install. The FS2500 filters are considerably less than the Amsoil filters, though you will get some more time out of the Amsoil ones. It is generally a wash. Watch any claims that Amsoil or any other BP supplier claims. Only oil sampling will tell you if the filter holds up for as long as they claim. FS claims that you should change the filter at 10,000 miles. I have had experience with them going well beyond that before needing a changeout.

Like I stated earlier, don't get all caught up in the micron rating hype. Every BP filter on the market will filter effectively to near 2 micron. It is the beta ratio... the particle count before and after the filter that really is telling. Remember, these guys are trying to get you to buy their brand of filter. Very few BP filter suppliers supply their independent lab beta ratios.

No matter the brand, anyone will benefit somewhat from a bypass filter. The best filter is the one that works for you.

 

Couldn't agree more cowpie.. oil sampling is most important if you run a bypass or not, and like i said before i would rather have any brand than none at all.. I got the fs2500 for the reasons you stated , easy to install everything needed in the box, replacement filters not to expensive and easy to change.. Not pushing any 1 brand over another but something to consider is to have to get your own hoses made, can get very expensive quick, but that does give you the choise of mounting where you want it.. just remember the longer the hoes the higher the $$$... not to mention your time setting up unit the to measure and then travel to get em.. Well you get the idea,, Like i said before not tryin to tell ya what to do with your money.. just givin ya my reasons for my purchase... Seems like all the BPF mfgrs have the greatest thing ever invented.. Good Luck and happy filtering!

 

That is why I also went with the FS2500, Coal Bucket. I looked at the Amsoil unit. Price was good, but once I realized the time I would have to spend rounding up steel braided hose and have it custom done with fittings, and the subsequent cost also, I decided to do the FS and just get a unit on the truck. Maybe I am lazy. But my time is too valuable to waste it trying to reinvent the wheel. Amsoil caters more to those that like to sit around and do "what if" projects. Fine for the Jeep offroading crowd, but not my cup of tea for trucking purposes. I have had several discussions with Amsoil tech support and dealers that they could really capture a big portion of the truck market if they would get off their collective rear ends and provide custom kits like other BP manufacturers. The Amsoil spin on bypass units are really neat and easy to change out. I have used Amsoil products off and on over the years and they are good quality, but not as cost effective as they would claim. I got somewhat ridiculed that I wasn't willing to use good old ingenuity to install their unit. Boy that made me want to buy their product. I have tried to explain to them that not everyone who owns an OTR truck has the time or even the mechanical ability to do these Popular Mechanics type projects. Some O/O have never even changed their own oil. It has all fallen on deaf ears at Amsoil. Some of us do have a good level of mechanical aptitude, but we have to balance time for repair versus hauling freight. Down time is wasted time and revenue lost. I have enough other projects that tie up a lot of my valuable time that it was a no brainer for me to get the FS2500 and do a quick install.

One more thing, just to add more heat to the discussion. Those that are really interested in keeping the costs down might consider a local/regional supplier for their oil needs. Virtually all the base oil that is used by all the name brands is made by Motiva out of Texas. Likewise, Infineum makes virtually all the additive packages used by all the name brand oils on the market, with slight variations to suit each brand. Easy to check out these statements on the net. That being said, I was able to get a 15w40 CJ-4 synthetic blend with 40% synthetic base from a local oil supplier (Allied Oil and Supply), that has all the same characteristics of the other name brands, for around $9 a gallon delivered to my front door for only a $5 fee. It is under their label, and you are not having to pay for all that marketing by the big boys and sponsorships of race cars and other things. Try getting that cost for any of the other name brands and have it delivered to you. You might get that kind of a deal for a dino oil, but no one else I have found will sell a synthetic blend for that price, not even Wally, Sam's or Costco. Just a thought for those that want to save a few bucks along with using that bypass filter to extend the drains.