The Importance of Efficiently Filtering Engine Oil.
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'VIEW users of motor vehicles realize what a large amount of foreign matter collects in lubricating oil unless this be very adequately filtered. This matter, is composed of carbon, dust and particles of metal f this last being comprised of iron worn from the cylinder walls, pistons and rings (plus aluminium, if the pistons be of that metal), and white metal from the big-ends and main bearings. There may also be a certain amount of bronze dust.
In this connection some simple experiments, from which remarkable results were obtained, were recently marled out by the A0.-Sphinx Sparking Plug Co., -Ltd., Bradford Street, Birmingham, which company markets the A.C. cii filte".
A used cartridge from one of the oil filters was removed after the vehicle had completed 10,000 Miles. The cartridge was cut open and the fabric filtering element removed. (A typical example of a used filtering element is shown at the left of the photograph which we reproduce. These elements are havari ably packed hard with foreign abrasive material.) The next step with the particular cartridge to which we are referring was to burn the fabric by placing it in an iron container in a muffled furnace. The amount of residue obtained in this manner more than half-filled a pint container.
Upon first consideration, it might be thought that this residue would largely be composed of ashes from the fabric Itself, but the burning of a similar, but
clean, filtering element showed that the bulk of ash given in the latter case was only 1 per cent. od the total.
The metallic content of the residue obtained from burning the used filter bag proved to be surprisingly high— approximately 33 per cent.
On dipping a magnet into this residue it immediately became smothered with iron particles, and on removing these and again dipping the magnet into part of the residue more particles were collected, showing that a very large proportion of iron was present. An analysis proved that about one-third of the residue consisted of iron and other metal particles, the remaining twothirds being composed chiefly of sand and hard carbon.
it is interesting also to mention that the residue obtained was found to be so highly abrasive that it could be used for the grinding of valves or the sharpening of knives ; consequently, its effect upon the wear of an engine and, consequently, its life, can be understood.