Oil filter adapter

[Tim213]

I know most of you use the remote oil filter adapter mounted on the firewall. I did see an old forum post that mentioned the B&C 702H adapter that mounts on the accessory case. Has anyone used this on the O540 and was there sufficient clearance without needing any spacers? I would prefer this but don’t won’t to order it if it doesn’t fit. Thanks again for any advice.

[zkelley2]

Nothing fits. For the 540 its remote mount or go with the screen.

[Mark Goldberg]

Tim, I do not know if any of the different filter adapters with different "angles" that B&C sell will work. Mark

[zkelley2]

Tim, I do not know if any of the different filter adapters with different "angles" that B&C sell will work. Mark

I went through all of them. The one that covers the fuel pump works, but then you can't have a fuel pump. All the others don't.

[AKKen07]

That literally saved me hours of hemming and hawing - thanks Zack!

[Bcone1381]

The Photo below is from a Patrol. Its is using a B&C oil filter mount. Does the four place model position the engine closer to the top of the cowl than the Patrol?
IMG_4606.jpg

[Nev]

Regarding the oil filter thread for the spin on filter, there appear to be two standards - either 3/4-16 or 13/16-16. Is there a particular one I should be purchasing?

[Battson]

Both are relatively common and available, some are more available than others. I suggest you call Steve Noad at Aircraft Logistics and see what's the most common in the size of filter you need.

[Nev]

What’s the best orientation for a remote oil filter ?

[svyolo]

It makes much less of a mess if you mount it with the filter opening on the top side.i.e. filter hanging down from the adapter. I have seen a couple of engines where the whole purpose of the remote filter was to mount the filter that way, The manufacturer mounted it on the engine "upside down".

[Daniel]

Having the filter opening facing up not only makes less of a mess during service, more importantly, if not bypassed, it is better for the engine at start up.
The filter, when mounted this way, remains full of oil after shut down. Allowing for quicker lubrication right at start up. Love the videos Nev!

[Nev]

Thanks Daniel!

[schu]

I found that the lycoming straight back filter adapter works if you have the long engine mount.

[svyolo]

I don't have any experience with Lycomings, but I do know the orientation their adapter uses. When you unscrew the filter, does oil drain out the bottom, or has it already drained into the sump? The couple of engines I know upside down filter orientations, the filters remained full of oil and made a complete #@$% mess. This was known to me the day I bought it, but I was too lazy to swap it out for a couple of years.

[Paul Johnston]

My patrol uses a lycoming strait back oil filter on short mount/ 0-360 engine . Works fine with Tempest filter.I think the Tempest is a litttle shorter than the champion 48110.

[svyolo]

If you run an oil filter, do you still leave the factory oil screen installed, or do you remove it? If you leave it installed, do you have to clean it at every oil change? Does that spill oil everywhere?

[Nev]

Haha that was my next question. I’m thinking to remove the screen, as with the filter there’s no point.

[AKKen07]

My Titan IO540 came with an angled filter do-hickey that definitely interferes with the engine mount. It sounds like the adapters for remote filters screw into this as a filter would - has anybody attached one of these adapters into an angled adapter or do you find a straight filter do-hickey to plug the remote adapter into? Or am I way off?

[zkelley2]

If you have the long mount, the straight factory lycoming one should work. If you don't have the long mount, get the long mount.

[AKKen07]

Thanks Zack - I believe I do have the long mount.

[Nev]

Remote Oil Filter

I've gone full circle on my oil system now that I've got a few hours on the aircraft. My initial design had a remote oil filter, daisy chained inline with the cooler. The remote oil filter is excellent - very easy to access beside the left cowl door.

Initially I had removed the rock catcher filter, but I put the rock catcher filter back in at the suggestion of two engineers, in addition to Bob Barrows. At the time I didn't understand the logic. The Vernatherm in my engine not only controls the oil flow to the oil cooler, but also to the paper filter so the paper filter only works when the oil is hot. Hence, with a newly rebuilt engine, they wanted filtration all the time even when the oil was cold and especially during the first few starts to trap any debris left over from the rebuild.

So currently when I do an oil change, I also have to remove the Vernatherm housing and check the rock catcher, and I have to remove the top cowl to get to it which defeats the purpose of having an easily accessible remotely mounted filter..

Airwolf Vernatherm Housing

Airwolf make kitsets to accommodate having the paper filter on a separate line. I've ordered their part LYC-10 which replaces the Vernatherm housing and adds two additional oil line ports for the remote filter so they can run on separate lines that are not controlled by the Vernatherm. Then you can remove the rock catcher filter as the paper filter is working all the time.

One point that Airwolf make in their instructions that has already been stated on the forum but probably deserves reposting here as I didn't understand it at first. They caution not to use the oil cooler without a Vernatherm valve because cold oil temperatures can split the cooler open and do other unpleasant things. So it's there not just to warm the oil up quickly but also to prevent damage to the engine components. Apologies in that I'm probably stating the obvious to most people, but this has been quite a learning exercise for me.

AF6A337A-B1A6-4B09-9C35-1AAAC511DAB6.jpg

[zkelley2]

You can get an adapter for the base assembly from any automotive performance place and piece together a remote filter assembly for about $60. Keeps the vernatherm.

[Nev]

I wasn't able to find any substitute for the LYC-10, I spent hours searching. The other parts can either be purchased as zkelley mentions, or made. I got the oil lines made by a hydraulic shop.

But without the LYC-10 you're back to daisy-chaining both the filter and the cooler off one circuit which then has the problems mentioned above..

[zkelley2]

By Lyc-10, you're referring to Lycoming part number 77852?

[Nev]

I'm not 100% certain, but I think the part number 77852 is for a spin on filter adapter that places the filter on the rear of the engine (not remote).

With the Derale 15746, does that allow oil to flow to the filter 100% of the time, and the cooler to be thermostatically controlled ? If it does, then that should be a much cheaper and easier alternative.

[zkelley2]

I'm not 100% certain, but I think the part number 77852 is for a spin on filter adapter that places the filter on the rear of the engine (not remote).

With the Derale 15746, does that allow oil to flow to the filter 100% of the time, and the cooler to be thermostatically controlled ? If it does, then that should be a much cheaper and easier alternative.

Yes, that's the lycoming filter adapter for the rear of the engine. The vernatherm goes in there and a filter screws on. The Derale part number I posted just moves the filter from that adapter to remote, not changing the function of it at all.

[Battson]

One point that Airwolf make in their instructions that has already been stated on the forum but probably deserves reposting here as I didn't understand it at first. They caution not to use the oil cooler without a Vernatherm valve because cold oil temperatures can split the cooler open and do other unpleasant things. So it's there not just to warm the oil up quickly but also to prevent damage to the engine components. Apologies in that I'm probably stating the obvious to most people, but this has been quite a learning exercise for me.

Maybe that's a risk in Fairbanks Alaska...?
The coldest temperatures which our latitudes offer have been unable to cause any damage to our daisy-chained cooler / filter system. Probably because modern filters have a bypass valve inside them.

For clarity, we have no Vernatherm valve installed and they are not required equipment. If you do have a Vernatherm, you have to pull it annually anyway per SB518D - why not just clear the rock catcher once a year at the same time? Seems like an easier solution.

The coldest we've started is -8*C with oil at -5*C. Have done that on a few occasions. Starting with oil around 0*C we have done more often (ouch said the engine).

Then you can remove the rock catcher filter as the paper filter is working all the time.

I don't think the new Airwolf part removes the need for a rock catcher, if you want 100% filtration at all times. Are you intending to use an oil filter without a bypass valve? I haven't seen one like that before, for aircraft use.

Unless I have misunderstood the Airwolf solution, maybe they install a strainer elsewhere - remotely perhaps?? Otherwise, that Airwolf part does not change the risk or remove the risk.

In other words, this Airwolf solution will give the same results as a daisy-chain cooler / filter for those engines without a Vernatherm, which is filtration once the oil is hot enough to allow the bypass in the spin-on oil filter to close.

If your engine has the Vernatherm, then a bypass solution like the Airwolf will give slightly better (but not comprehensive) oil filtration when cold, compared to a Vernatherm engine with a daisy chain - which is not a great solution. The rock catcher is the only way to provide comprehensive filtration.

Lycoming offers factory parts to achieve the same thing per Service Instruction 1457A
Further reading on Lycoming oil systems

[Battson]

Per Nev's post on the next page, as far as the bypass valve in the Champion oil filter is concerned , "cold" means -7*C / 20*F.
So a daisy chained filter / cooler will filter 100% of the oil provided temps are above -7*C, as long as the Vernatherm isn't diverting the oil away from it.