Bypass Oil Filters

I'm sure we have noticed the insane price on new bypass oil filters. $18 or considerably more. Last Summer I changed the oil in my WC and carefully took apart the oil filter. I believe they use Flax as the filter media and only the bottom 1/2" or less has the flax seeds removed. The rest of the flax is loaded with seeds, and we pay insane money for that?!?!. Seeds are not a filter media. So I cleaned out the flax and washed out the filter can. Then I made a plate out of .060" thick sheet metal with the center hole and multiple smaller holes for the oil flow. Got some jumbo cotton balls from Walmart and stuffed the can with the cotton balls as full and tight as I could. I used a 1/4" rod to maintain the hole for the stand pipe. Then I put the plate with holes in to hold the cotton balls in place. Screwed it onto the tractor and the plate is held in place with the boss that the stand pipe is pressed into. Before the oil change and a flax filled filter I was holding 32 PSI. With new 10W-30 oil and my cotton filled filter the pressure was the same at 32 PSI. I did some chores with the tractor and pressure was still at 32 PSI at a slightly high idle. The oil pressure relief valve has a stiffer spring than original and the engine had a complete overhaul about 2 years ago. Oil was flowing through the filter because the bottom of the oil pan and the filter can were about the same temperature. I removed the filter to check my handy work inside and all was fine. Works great and the cotton balls cost about $2. I mowed fields last Summer and Fall and plowed snow this Winter. All is great after another inspection. No more $20+ filters for me. I think the cotton does a better job of filtering. Certainly a lot better than thousands of flax seeds. Take one apart. It will make you cringe. Kind of like when you see the quality or lack of in Chinesium parts.

Edited by Phil48ACWC - 25 Mar 2024 at 9:37am

Since it is a BYPASS system, the filter does not have to be CLEAN and NON RESTRICTING as you want in a truck / auto filter....  Im starting to think if the engine is CLEAN and you keep CLEAN oil in it ( change as needed) ... the filter should last "forever" or close to it ??  I plan on running multiple years with the same filter.. and changing oil every couple years on a tractor that gets less than 50 hours per year.

JoeM(GA) wrote: Just a note on the filter prices, our local NAPA and O'reillys are getting $33-35 for the 57011/7011, Advanced Auto Parts has the C159 for sale online for $11.39, buying 4 gets you free freight, so I got 4 last Monday, with tax, worked out to $12.19 each. Got them in one day on UPS straight from Fram's whse in TN

Advance Auto dont make filters... Probably buy them from WIX.

Jim2 wrote: Here in Wisconsin Mills Fleet Farm sells the Fram C159 for $9.99, still.  They have online order, so could have it shipped, but not sure what that might cost.

This is the direction I was going to point people! Actually found some on the shelf awhile back, 6 came home with me that day!

IBWD MIke wrote: Jim2 wrote: Here in Wisconsin Mills Fleet Farm sells the Fram C159 for $9.99, still.  They have online order, so could have it shipped, but not sure what that might cost. This is the direction I was going to point people! Actually found some on the shelf awhile back, 6 came home with me that day!