B&S Oil Filters

[Hammermechanicman]

Taking an internet survey.
Need everyone to list the number of small engines that they have seen failed due to the oil filter and whether it was a cheap, standard or premium brand filter.

With all those cheap filters out there should be in the hundreds.

 

[Auto Doc's]

Hello H.,

I know auto shops will cut oil filters open has part of a diagnostic step, but I have never seen anyone bother with cutting open a small engine one.

I suspect that many "white box" generic oil filters have been the death of many engines. In a majority of cases, I have even seen new OE filters blamed right after an oil change because it was the most convenient explanation at the time.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Hello H.,

I know auto shops will cut oil filters open has part of a diagnostic step, but I have never seen anyone bother with cutting open a small engine one.

I suspect that many "white box" generic oil filters have been the death of many engines. In a majority of cases, I have even seen new OE filters blamed right after an oil change because it was the most convenient explanation at the time.

Tell me how a "white box" filter can kill an engine?

 

[Auto Doc's]

Tell me how a "white box" filter can kill an engine?

Hello H.,

I only mentioned that I suspect them. I base this on the lower quality control standards usually associated with cheap parts.

 

[MParr]

Hello MParr,

AI is no friend of mine. It is like a clueless infant child trying to direct people's lives based on a mix of mostly garbage inputs it has gathered.

It is a data farming program and only gathers what appears to be the most popular opinions, then it reasons that they must be correct based on volume.

Inputs are easily manipulated to predetermine the outputs.

Sometimes, people need to research for themselves. It's not my job to provide the actual micron data of a certain filter.

 

[ILENGINE]

From what I can gleam. The 492932 filter is a 36 micron with 48 sq/in of filter media whereas the 696854 is a 28 micron with 96 sq/in of media. Supposed to be in the 2003 briggs update seminar handbook, but as of right now the briggs dealer site only goes back to 2005 so can't confirm

 

[Skippydiesel]

AI is your friend.
The longer version of either color will capture more particulate.
There are better filters than B&S, Kohler, or Kawasaki. All three engine manufacturers outsource their oil filter manufacturing to the lowest bidder.

What is the knowledge base that informs your statement?

 

[Skippydiesel]

From what I can gleam. The 492932 filter is a 36 micron with 48 sq/in of filter media whereas the 696854 is a 28 micron with 96 sq/in of media. Supposed to be in the 2003 briggs update seminar handbook, but as of right now the briggs dealer site only goes back to 2005 so can't confirm

Thats very interesting.

• The B&S Yellow oil filters PN 696854 is 28 micron with 96 sq/in of media. This is twice the media surface area, of the same external sized Short Black 492932. Yes more pleats could squeeze in more media but twice as much, sounds a little far-fetched.
• The Yellow filters external height is about 1/2 or less than the B&S Long Black oil filter, (PN 491056) which I have always used on my own equipment.
• IF (?) the external height is any indication, that would make the Black 36 micron x 96 sq/in of media = media surface area to the Yellow.

As stated earlier: -

• Finer/smaller micron presents greater resistance to fluid (oil) flow for the same surface unit area.
• To overcomes this the surface area may be increased.
• However the small micron will block faster (catch more material) than a larger micron.
• Again this can be mitigated by having a larger surface area.

Finer does not automatically mean better.

• Filters must always compromise between micron, surface area and time in service (blocking up).
• The size of the material caught by the filter, should be that which removes harmful particles - removing smaller particles may not confer any significant benefit.

As a general observation - As a filter becomes contaminated with particles, so its ability to remove finer particles increases.

I think I will stick with the Long Black PN 491056 for my own equipment.

 

[Zedo]

Thats very interesting.

• The B&S Yellow oil filters PN 696854 is 28 micron with 96 sq/in of media. This is twice the media surface area, of the same external sized Short Black 492932. Yes more pleats could squeeze in more media but twice as much, sounds a little far-fetched.
• The Yellow filters external height is about 1/2 or less than the B&S Long Black oil filter, (PN 491056) which I have always used on my own equipment.
• IF (?) the external height is any indication, that would make the Black 36 micron x 96 sq/in of media = media surface area to the Yellow.

As stated earlier: -

• Finer/smaller micron presents greater resistance to fluid (oil) flow for the same surface unit area.
• To overcomes this the surface area may be increased.
• However the small micron will block faster (catch more material) than a larger micron.
• Again this can be mitigated by having a larger surface area.

Finer does not automatically mean better.

• Filters must always compromise between micron, surface area and time in service (blocking up).
• The size of the material caught by the filter, should be that which removes harmful particles - removing smaller particles may not confer any significant benefit.

As a general observation - As a filter becomes contaminated with particles, so its ability to remove finer particles increases.

I think I will stick with the Long Black PN 491056 for my own equipment.

Also remember since a lot of people that I know of went to full synthetic oil in there newer equipment. push mowers, riding mowers and general outdoor equipment such as log splitters, wood chippers, etc. I would think in the near future manuals or websites can say if you use full synthetic versus conventional oil the filter may play a part in the process. Just throwing that out there for the hell of it.