This is a pictorial of my work to install a good by-pass oil filter. Being fed up with the very low quality of MB's by-pass "filter" that uses cotton gin waste (The notable exception being the "Made in Turkey" Fram CH2930 which uses tightly wound string), I've decided to install a real filter.

The oil will be Mobil Delvac 1 and the filter will be an Amsoil EaBP90 filter, much like the Frantz and FS-2500 Bypass filters. The filter will add 1 quart to the overall engine capacity and, in theory, will filter out soot.

The source will be a fitting tapped into the oil filter housing, drawing in unfiltered oil. I'll also mount a 0-200psi pressure gauge to see what the actual oil pressure is. The filter and base will be mounted on the fender near the windshield washer tank where the water injection pump currently lives (The WI pump will be moved to the trunk). From the base, the oil will be returned to the valve cover over the timing chain. The metering orifice is built into the filter base.

I left the base at work so I'll post a picture of it on monday.

More to come...

Attached Thumbnails

   

Should do a good job.

A note, though -- Wix filters are wound cord, too.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Since Rube Goldberg and I are good friends, how about disabling the oil thermostat in the filter housing to get better flow through the aux filter, then add an external thermostat between the aux filter and the oil cooler?

Sixto
93 300SD

The bypass filter has a restriction orifice on it's outlet. It's only a few thousandths in diameter, probably not even 1/16". I'd bet it does not even flow 1gpm at 3bar pressure. The return line going from the filter to the valve cover will have no pressure in it.

Forcedinduction,
Just curious about your choice of the Amsoil unit versus the Frantz and FS-2500 Bypass set ups. Do you feel its better adapted to diesel Mercedes?

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FRED

Daily Driver: 98 E300TD 199K
Hobby Car: 69 Austin Mini
Past Diesels: 84 300SD, 312K
87 300SDL, 251K
94 Chev. K-1500 6.5Ltr.TD, 373K

Cheaper. I got the filter base for $30 from bgkast, I already had all the brass fittings, and a filter from Amsoil is only about $35.

How do you plan to tap into the filter housing? I was thinking about using the oil cooler lines. Is that a bad idea?

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'85 300D Cal 280,000 miles
'14 GLK 350 60000 miles

The oil cooler lines are a royal PITA to replace, I'm not going to carve them up unless I have no other choice. Not only that, they see no oil flow until the oil is hot because of the thermostat in the base.

I'm just going to drill and tap a 3/8NPT hole into the side of the filter housing. A Brass "T" block will screw into the hole, hold the pressure gauge and a 1/4" barb fitting. An oil hose will goto the filter base and into the filter. The base will also have a petcock on the inlet (before the filters) so that I can take an oil sample with the engine running.

If non of this works out, I can drill and tap the hole for the next size up and plug it.

Is the filter lid too high? It's easier to replace the lid than the housing if you make a mistake.

Dipstick tube might be an option in a 617.

Sixto
93 300SD

The finest solution would be to find a proper T that would thread into the existing tapping for the sending unit. I'm not sure if there is enough space back there and finding a proper adaptor to get to a standard pipe thread might be difficult, but, it eliminates any undesirable modifications to the housing.

Wouldn't there be too much pressure at the sending unit to serve as a return point from the bypass filter? Or do you mean as a source?

Sixto
93 300SD

Yep, I was thinking that the sending unit can provide the source.

Humm, you might be on to something there....
That would also eliminate any possibility of stray metal from the drill/tap process getting where they could do harm and leave room for me to access the back of the injection pump .

I want to use the valve cover as a return because it will have 0 flow backpressure and it will directly lube the timing chain.

This owner used the canister top:

Bypass filter on 300D

Interesting project - good luck with it.

my question is why?

• have you done used oil analyses and been unsatisfied with the results?
• is the engine longevity you can expect with stock setup not sufficient?
• are you driving a ton and want to do fewer oil changes?

thanks!

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Current Vehicles: 2001 Mercedes E320 Wagon | 1979 Mercedes 220D | 1995 Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon | 1993 Volvo 240 Wagon