Dieselcraft Oil Centrifuge in Diesel Power

[87-F-250]

I'm going to install an oil centrifuge on Project 300 (’87 Ford F-250 6.9L).

www.dieselcraft.com

http://www.dieselcraft.com/EngineOilCleaningOC25.php

Anyone have any experience with these?

There is a plug on my oil cooler is that a good place to tap pressure?

I was thinking of returning the oil to the injection pump service plate on the front of the engine?

Later

 

[87crewdually]

The plugs on the oil cooler are antifreeze so NO that wouldn't be good. Right near the oil cooler end near the filter on the block there is a oil port with a plug init. It's an oil port commonly used for oil supply on a turbo motor such as my Banks setup.

 

[seawalkersee]

Well...If I had one, I would do it. The theroy is sound as it spins the fluid and it pushes the lighter fluid over the top of the catch screen where the heavier solids stick to the barrier (from what I am told). 6 bones it a lot though. If I had the scratch burning a hole I would probably try it.

SWS

 

[funnyman06]

Hey, i don't have any experience with it. But im glad to see work continuing on project 300. What all have you done to it recently?

 

[RLDSL]

I've never been all that impressed with the centrifuge bit. They like to brag about what they take out, but they fail to mention how many passes it takes for it to actually happen ( well, if you dig deep enough at least this company admits 2-5 passes, but that is a very conservative estimate if you look closely at the design of the things). In truth, most of the contaminants flow freely through the thing on each pass and only a little bit gets caught, so the rest of it is still circulating through the engine pass after pass, all the while more soot is being admitted into the engine during this time leading to a cascading buildup of contaminants, where a bypass filter catches it on the first pass and gets it out of the flow once and for all.

The oil port behind the cooler has a square head on the plug and can be very tight. A special square plug socket available from snap on ( something like 9/32, I have mine loaned out right now so I can't look at it) is needed to remove it without rounding it off. If you round it off with pliers or an open wrench, forget getting it out with the engine in the truck.

 

[CDX825]

I have to agree with RLDSL, A bypass filter would be better especially for the price of a centrifuge.

I have seen the inside of a few centrifuges after a couple years use and was not impressed. You have to remember engine oil is designed to keep contaminates in suspension and the only way to effectively remove them is a filter.

 

[pybyr]

I'd like to put a centrifuge oil filter in my truck (not in the budget right now); by nature, it'd never replace the main full-flow, but will, after multiple passes, remove particles that no full-flow ever could. It's really just a different form of bypass.

Lots of folks making biodiesel are using centrifuges and reporting good success at cleaning particles out of their fuel. Many of them have gone to the CF to replace other filter media that they used before. Many large stationary engines use centrifuges. The technology seems able to work if used with expectations that are consistent with what it's capable of.

This guy has some interesting stuff at seemingly good prices:

http://www.fryer-to-fuel.com/store/page14.html

 

[87-F-250]

How about returning the oil? Is there a plug for it?

Or maybe I'll screw it into the injection pump access cover on the front of the engine.

Why should I ever change my oil again? I'll just add as my engine burns it.

Perhaps the thing to worry about is acidity in the oil eventually?

I was thinking of adding one to my fuel as well? And antifreeze?

Centrifuge city.

 

[pybyr]

How about returning the oil? Is there a plug for it?

Or maybe I'll screw it into the injection pump access cover on the front of the engine.

Why should I ever change my oil again? I'll just add as my engine burns it.

Perhaps the thing to worry about is acidity in the oil eventually?

I was thinking of adding one to my fuel as well? And antifreeze?

Centrifuge city.

The oil has to have a very unrestricted downward gravity flow out of the centrifuge to some lower location, otherwise it'll 'back up' and slow down the turbine, which'll keep it from functioning as intended. I am not sure if the IP drive cover would work unless the CF can go mostly above it and still have room under the hood (let me know if you find that that fits- that's be a handy location). Someone else here suggested that if you deleted the mechanical fuel lift pump and replaced it with an electric FP, you could use the fuel pump mount location for a plate to return oil from a bypass filter such as a CF.

You'll also want to be sure that you get one that has a valve in it to keep oil from flowing below a certain pressure threshold-- probably less of a worry with the IDIs' robust oil system, but you don't want a CF pulling flow from the engine during conditions (primarily idle) when there may not be a lot of flow/ pressure.

I don't know that it'd be justified to use a CF for fuel unless you think you're regularly getting some really badly particle-contaminated fuel. And you'd need a new dedicated pump capable of 40+psi to drive the CF. Others here know a lot more than I do about what particle size threshold is critical for injection pumps and injectors, but CFs tend to excel at the smallest particles. Under the right applications, CFs can remove water, but they let it back out their outlet when they stop, so I wouldn't count on one in the vehicle to do anything for water in fuel.

Coolant-- well, don't want to rain on your enthusiasm, but, again, CFs do their best at really small particles, and I've never heard of those size particles being a problem in cooling systems; also, with a pressurized cooling system, I don't know how you'd re-inject from the CF outlet into the pressurized system.

Good luck and I'm interested in finding out what you do and how you do it.

 

[87-F-250]

Good point on the coolant and fuel cf I'll just stick with the oil.

The fuel pump plate is a good idea but I mounted the cf where the old fuel water separator used to be and the fuel pump is on the driver side. So it might be a distance.

The IP pump plate doesn't have enough clearance to thread my fitting through.

So I drilled into the oil fill cap. This is just temporary I think. The cap is not solid. I'll have pictures on my blog.

For the pressure line I think I'll tee into where the oil line connects to the turbo. Not a lot of clearance underneath by the exhaust.

My cf comes with a little air blower or small compressor.

Fedex is trying these things out too.

 

[87-F-250]

I think my head gasket is leaking on the driver side rear.

Time for a rebuild.

I was talking with Bill Heath and he runs higher than stock compression and lots of boost in his land speed racer 6.5 IDI.

I want to try too.

 

[87crewdually]

Remove the plate and weld a bung on the outside and use 90* fitting for your return line.

 

[87-F-250]

brilliant

I'll do that thanks.

 

[pybyr]

Can you give some more info on the type of CF that you have, where you got it, what the compressor is powered by, and such? I've wanted to run a CF oil filter for a long time, but on past vehicles, didn't have mounting space or enough oil flow/ PSI, and now I definitely have space and flow on my F350, but not the $ to do it just yet.

 

[87-F-250]

Too bad I wrecked my oil fill cap.