Toilet Paper Oil Filters... Literally [Archive]

65Luck

05-06-2004, 11:10 AM

4t64rd

05-06-2004, 11:12 AM

I knew a guy who used them exclusively on a Corvair powered motorhome (Ultra Van), last I heard, the un-rebuilt engine was still going at 600K miles.

But then again, the guy put 600K miles in a Corvair powered motorhome, he may not have both oars in the water...

old beet

05-06-2004, 11:12 AM

Worked quite well.....Called "Franz Filters" I think......OLDBEET

Rocknrod

05-06-2004, 11:13 AM

Dang... 600k miles on a vair motor... with toilet paper for a filter! Who woulda thunk!

banzaitoyota

05-06-2004, 11:17 AM

FRANZ Filter, still in business. I have one oredered and on the way for the Cummins Turbo Diesel Tow Rig. Cost about 120-160

BigDdy31

05-06-2004, 11:17 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I knew a guy who used them exclusively on a Corvair powered motorhome (Ultra Van), last I heard, the un-rebuilt engine was still going at 600K miles.

But then again, the guy put 600K miles in a Corvair powered motorhome, he may not have both oars in the water...

[/ QUOTE ]

^There is something fundamentally twisted about that whole situation. LOL

But I remember my Dad and Grandpa using them on an old tractor when I was a wee lad.

Big Daddy Eric

Rocknrod

05-06-2004, 11:18 AM

http://home.earthlink.net/~goodspeeds/NITYGRIT.HTM http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Mojo

05-06-2004, 11:20 AM

I spoke to a old fella once who used them. He said it was just a tin can, a bit bigger than the roll of paper, with a center tube with holes... I think covered with wire mesh. He used the rough cheap paper, because it held up to the heat better. He said it was the poor man's oil filter, but it worked really well.

Rocknrod

05-06-2004, 11:21 AM

http://home.earthlink.net/~goodspeeds/Frantz3.htm

Looks like they still make em...

Named Frantz filters... and sold under the company name "We filter it!" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

A32Flathead

05-06-2004, 11:21 AM

My friend runs one on his Dodge ram pick up. Its as an auxilury to the main filter. The elements do look like a toilet roll, but they are actually a special one for the installation.

Seems to work quite well.

Will see if I can find out more from him.

Dave

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

banzaitoyota

05-06-2004, 11:27 AM

My error: correct spelling is FRANTZ

Here is a good write up with pictures:
http://turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=c393579446b199814dba1c4caf145476& threadid=98863

65Luck

05-06-2004, 11:28 AM

That motorhome is kind of neat. With that continetal kit looking thing on the front I would be way too tempted to paint it up so it looked like a giant pig, though.

The Blownranger

05-06-2004, 11:36 AM

Damm,you learn something every day!
I wonder what it does to the oil pressure?

I use TP filter in air compressor on the paint line.
It does a super job!
JR...

Rocknrod

05-06-2004, 11:51 AM

alchemy

05-06-2004, 12:21 PM

CharlieLed

05-06-2004, 12:29 PM

A guy I worked with years ago (1977) brought his car to me for a rebuild. It was a 63 Dodge Dart slant six with 160K on it. He had a Frantz filter on put the car when he bought it new. I was a little sceptical especially when he told me "yeah, this oil filter is great, you never have to change the filter, just put the toilet paper in one time and you're good for life". I had my doubts, after all this guy was a geek computer programmer who was lucky to be able to pump his own gas!
So I tear this motor down and when I pull the oil pan I notice that the bottom inside of the pan has an indentation for the oil pickup. What the hell is this? I can't see any indication from the outside of the pan that there has been a stamping for the oil pickup, yet clear as day here is this 1 inch deep well on the inside of the pan right where the pickup sits. To make an already long story short, the indentation was NOT made by the factory, it was 15 years of sludge buildup in the oil! I took the Frantz unit apart and it had been sludged up for at least 10 years! I was right, the geek didn't know shit about this filter system.
Moral to the story, understand the technology before you go off and install it on your car. Yeah you can use a Frantz but if you talk to the distributors they will advise against toilet paper...some of it may be that they want you to buy their product but some of it is based on the fact that toilet paper will clog up quickly. Have you ever noticed how much one brand of TP varies to the next? How the hell do you know which one works best in a Frantz?
I'll stick with FRAM....

ray

05-06-2004, 12:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
A guy I worked with years ago (1977) brought his car to me for a rebuild. It was a 63 Dodge Dart slant six with 160K on it. He had a Frantz filter on put the car when he bought it new. I was a little sceptical especially when he told me "yeah, this oil filter is great, you never have to change the filter, just put the toilet paper in one time and you're good for life". I had my doubts, after all this guy was a geek computer programmer who was lucky to be able to pump his own gas!
So I tear this motor down and when I pull the oil pan I notice that the bottom inside of the pan has an indentation for the oil pickup. What the hell is this? I can't see any indication from the outside of the pan that there has been a stamping for the oil pickup, yet clear as day here is this 1 inch deep well on the inside of the pan right where the pickup sits. To make an already long story short, the indentation was NOT made by the factory, it was 15 years of sludge buildup in the oil! I took the Frantz unit apart and it had been sludged up for at least 10 years! I was right, the geek didn't know shit about this filter system.
Moral to the story, understand the technology before you go off and install it on your car. Yeah you can use a Frantz but if you talk to the distributors they will advise against toilet paper...some of it may be that they want you to buy their product but some of it is based on the fact that toilet paper will clog up quickly. Have you ever noticed how much one brand of TP varies to the next? How the hell do you know which one works best in a Frantz?
I'll stick with FRAM....

[/ QUOTE ]

maybe he didn't use NEW tp.

Kinky6

05-06-2004, 12:51 PM

I've got a few of those Stilko filters. I haven't run one on a car, but I'm thinking about cutting one down and using it for a tachometer cup.

Mmmmm - finned aluminum..... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

manyolcars

05-06-2004, 01:23 PM

A32Flathead

05-06-2004, 02:41 PM

check out: http://www.wefilterit.com/
It doesn't do anything to the oil pressure because it's an auxiliary filter. It's not a high bypass filter like OEM filters are, so it can only handle a limited flow. There's much more info on the web site.

Rocknrod

05-06-2004, 04:25 PM

What do you do about the viscosity cut in the oil?

I've read that after 300 miles a 40 weight oil is a 30 weight oil http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Rocknrod

05-06-2004, 08:56 PM

Guess no body cares about thinning oil (pomade in the hair?) http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

4woody

05-06-2004, 09:06 PM

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gifI got an old chrome Frantz I'm gonna install in the Plymouth. It was intended to be a bypass filter, and the stock filter in the Plymouth was a bypass, so I'm just gonna plumb it in place of the original and see how it works.
I plan to change my toilet paper frequently...

MrHavard

05-06-2004, 09:25 PM

I used to have one of these filters on an 84 buick rivera that I got from my grandparents. I just changed out the TP atleast every other oil change. it kept the oil pretty clean of gunk.

Missing Link

05-06-2004, 09:31 PM

I guess the scented type would not be viable? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cadillacin Marcus

05-06-2004, 09:33 PM

Yes I had one in a 1961 Merc Comet once..Not the greatest invention ever,the toilet paper starts to break apart and goes into the engine plugging up vital oil passages!!

TERPU

05-06-2004, 10:24 PM

Wow, what a crappy post!

Just couldn't resist.

Tim

Rix2Six

05-06-2004, 10:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Wow, what a crappy post!

Just couldn't resist.

Tim

[/ QUOTE ]

I know where to get ya some toilet paper... it's kinda oily though! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

draggin'GTO

05-06-2004, 10:34 PM

Back in the mid-'70s my auto shop teacher used the Frantz filters on his cars. You change the TP every 500 miles, you don't leave it in long enough for it to break down.

They are a bypass-type filter so they only filter a little of the oil at a time unlike a modern full-flow filtering system. The oil looked just like honey from using the Frantz filter, worked good from what I could tell.

banzaitoyota

05-06-2004, 11:04 PM

http://p2library.nfesc.navy.mil/P2_Opportunity_Handbook/6_II_1.html

interesting read

31Rodder

05-06-2004, 11:42 PM

Here is an old post on the stilkos

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=53871&PHPSESSI D=&fpart=1#Post53871

CharlieLed

05-07-2004, 12:20 AM

[quote
What else would you expect if the idiot never changed his oil filter??? The Frantz is working just fine in the 1966 Chrysler convertible my mother drove for 25 years. Its been in there since before she got the car.
You may want to learn more about FRAM filters http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/oil_filter_study/

[/ QUOTE ]
You've missed the point, I WOULD expect to see exactly what I saw, my caution is to those who think that there is some sort of panacea for oil filters. It doesn't matter what you choose, you still have to maintain it. The second point is that if you choose a toilet paper filter, like Frantz, how do you decide what paper to use? Given the detail to which the guy went into on your recommended website, I think that the choice of paper would be critical. That guy cautions against teflon in the oil, how bad can some of the lotions and perfumes that are put into many toilet papers today be on your engine? I'll still stick with my FRAM, I have never had one fail on me yet...

TERPU

05-07-2004, 12:45 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wow, what a crappy post!

Just couldn't resist.

Tim

[/ QUOTE ]

I know where to get ya some toilet paper... it's kinda oily though! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

It's nice to know that I'm in good company! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

D Picasso

05-07-2004, 01:21 AM

half a roll of toilet paper is still better than a Fram filter any day.

hemi

05-07-2004, 02:29 AM

Just a bit of trivial trivia, but the Frantz folks are Zombies (CKD) family, on his Mom's side if I remember correctly...

Rocknrod

05-08-2004, 08:41 PM

I agree... Frams suck! They didnt used to... but they do now!

Mopars void the warranty if ya have engine problems with a fram on it last I read... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Cadillacin Marcus

05-08-2004, 08:45 PM

Fram has always been sorta a shitty inexpensive filter,actually if anything they have gotten alot better.Wix filters are hands down the best filter company out there along with AC.

cruisenight

10-23-2005, 09:18 PM

I put a Frantz filter on my 69 442 and it actually cleaned the oil up, returning the nice gold color we all like to see. You must use single ply unscented, unpowered, uncolored coarse toilet paper. It will filter to about 3 microns as opposed to regular filters that only filter to about 15 microns. It is a Bypass filter and will return unbelievably clean oil to the pan. Change the TP approx 2000 miles, I installed mine so that the tank part is the top so the oil will run down the drain when engine shut down. Less oil to spill when changing TP. Also serves as heat dispersing unit. And has a nice shiny finish.
Please pass the toilet paper!
Why isn't recycled Toilet Paper brown?
Cruisenight

usmile4

10-24-2005, 12:09 AM

I remember using these on some farm machinery when I was a kid...my dad was a stickler about changing oil and we would just use the TP...of course we used corn cobs when we took a crap out in the barn too!

Come to think of it...oily TP might feel good on my 'roids!

cosmo

10-24-2005, 02:58 AM

Friends who have done oil analysis have found too much paper in the oil for my taste.
As for regular filters, Fram is generally conceded to be the worst.

Cosmo

Bone Daddy

10-24-2005, 04:04 AM

Hey my friend had a toilet paper filter that came as an option on I believe a 66/67 Olds Cutlass. It was on the original olds build sheet and it was expensive for that time like $50. The car ran great til it rusted to the ground in NY. Why don't one of you guys take it a step further, ya know one up them by building a better mouse trap like the next great Paper Towel Tall Boy Filter or the Tampax Special, the Snot Box Grime Stopper , The Depends That Defends, and last but not least the Coffee Filter Kilter (get it you turn the filter up side down and it looks like a Scottish dudes kilt) I'll take a finned version of what ever someone decides to build. Bone Daddy

Bone Daddy

10-24-2005, 04:27 PM

bttt....I guess I'm the only one that thought this was funny. Bone Daddy

www.elrodshotrods.com (http://www.elrodshotrods.com)

Hey my friend had a toilet paper filter that came as an option on I believe a 66/67 Olds Cutlass. It was on the original olds build sheet and it was expensive for that time like $50. The car ran great til it rusted to the ground in NY. Why don't one of you guys take it a step further, ya know one up them by building a better mouse trap like the next great Paper Towel Tall Boy Filter or the Tampax Special, the Snot Box Grime Stopper , The Depends That Defends, and last but not least the Coffee Filter Kilter (get it you turn the filter up side down and it looks like a Scottish dudes kilt) I'll take a finned version of what ever someone decides to build. Bone Daddy

Zerk

10-24-2005, 05:59 PM

Funny, yeah.

But I keep thinking about the paper towel roll thingie. Seriously. Maybe cut it in half, stick it in a metal cannister with perforated pipe in the center of the roll instead of the cardboard core, and run it bypass style like the Frantz. Toweling should be less likely to shred than TP, and a decent filter medium.

Bone Daddy, do a patent search. Does Frantz already have this locked up?

Stude350guy

10-24-2005, 06:23 PM

there is a lot of interesting info on these sites:

www.bobistheoilguy.com (http://www.bobistheoilguy.com) and

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum;f=6

Enjoy.

ComingApart

10-24-2005, 07:02 PM

My '53 had one in it when I bought it. When I flushed the fluids, I put a new one back in.
Not sure how well they work, the filtering on these cars is pitiful at best anyway.
An interesting novelty either way.

SnoDawg

10-24-2005, 09:35 PM

I had on on my old Scout worked good the advantage is that shit paper is easy to come by and you can change it easily. I used to change my filter every 1500 miles when the Odo hit 1500 I pulled over and dug out a new roll and swapped it out. It is a bypass type of filter if you put it in as a full flow you will not have any oil pressure. Had over 300,000 on the ol beast before parking it due to the body turning back into it's natural state.

Dawg

fastroadster

10-24-2005, 10:10 PM

I used one years ago. The seals around the filter always leaked. It was popular in the early 60's. Motors were cheap and so was oil. We use to buy "reclaimed" oil because it was only .15 a qt.:D

pigpen

10-24-2005, 10:32 PM

I have a half dozen Stilko brand filters for different applications. They spin on where a modern filter does, but hold a roll of TP inside. Have a neat finned aluminum housing with a cheap polish on it from the factory.

I've never had one installed on a car yet though, so can't give performance data.

alchemy

I have a finned aluminum one also. It appears to be extremely well made. Like you, I've never tried to actually use it. I would think that toilet paper would start to crumble up and disintegrate in a moving oil enviornment, much like it does on my bloody hemorrhoid, but what do I know. Then again, it may work just fine. :eek:

pigpen

ComingApart

10-25-2005, 09:18 PM

I would think that toilet paper would start to crumble up and disintegrate in a moving oil enviornment, much like it does on my bloody hemorrhoid,

pigpen

Wow, that was a visual we all needed I'm sure....
I just wanted to point this out any case anybody missed this little jewel of observation.

begborrowandsteel

10-25-2005, 09:43 PM

shit i'm gunna get one of those just for shits (pun intended) and giggles, next time i'm bench racing i'll say some thing about toilet paper oil filters it'll be funny very RAT ROD :D!

begborrowandsteel

10-25-2005, 09:44 PM

much like it does on my bloody hemorrhoid

pigpen

oh my god i think i just puked a little bit in my mouth!

pigpen

10-27-2005, 07:50 PM

oh my god i think i just puked a little bit in my mouth!

When I was in the Navy, it was a great honor if you could get somebody to puke by saying something really foul. Just the mental image thing don't you know. I think I just won that honor for the second time in my long and preverted career! :D Thank ya all.

pigpen

"Thank ya! Thank ya very mush!" (Elvis)

Ed ke6bnl

04-18-2008, 06:36 AM

FRANZ Filter, still in business. I have one oredered and on the way for the Cummins Turbo Diesel Tow Rig. Cost about 120-160

I bought one from a garage sale for $2 just installed on my 98.5 turbo diesel, been on for several months and working fine. Ed

Ed ke6bnl

04-18-2008, 06:40 AM

It looks like it doesnt to anything to oil preasure... your just running a little oil up to the top... Pretty cool!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Edit: By T'ing off of a high preasure location... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I doesn/t effect the oil pressure on the diesel dodge its pressure is gotton from a sealed plug and passes 6 quarts of oil every 5 min. through a 1/16 in orifice. So if plugged offf it is not differant then stock. Ed

Old wolf

07-26-2009, 08:10 AM

Bought one at a estate sale yesterday. Im gonna install it on something. I have heard of them before and dismissed them as being just stupid. Now that i have gotten older and hopefully wiser i have learned one thing. It,s as you go through life lots of times you are certain that something is is a certain way. Their is no doubt if,s ands or butts that is the way it is . Later on you find out that is not the way it was at all. After doing some recearch on the frantz oil cleaner I am beginning to think it might have some merit. Any road i will find out for shure. I believe i will install it on my 64 chev 3/4 that i use for a wrecker. It has a 250 six. If i ruin the engine i have several more engines in stock. OldWolf Why couldnt all of lifes great problems came when i was a teenager and knew everything?

retromotors

07-26-2009, 08:53 AM

.... He used the rough cheap paper....

That would be the famed "John Wayne" toilet paper.

Rough, tough and don't take any shit off anybody.:D

Retro Jim

07-26-2009, 10:02 AM

I have seen the old ones turn up on the on-line auctions before !
Great idea that really works well !

Mizlplix

07-26-2009, 10:10 AM

I put one on a 1972 Plymouth 318. The kit used it as a bypass to original system. It had a metering fitting screwed into a oil pressure port for supply and a hollow fuel pump bolt to do drain back duties.

It actually cleaned up the old dirty oil to the point where I could see through it in about 3 weeks.

The instructions said to never change oil,jJust change both filters every 3000 miles and add 1 QT oil to the engine......I was not all that brave, so I changed oil every 10,000 miles or so, but ran it as requested in between.

NOTE: The kit said to NOT use single ply tissue, only 2 ply or better. Each brand was a different diameter, so I had to peel off some for a good tight fit in the canister. You "domed" it by pressing it on ur knee before inserting then press flat again inside the canister for a tight fit.

120,000 miles later, I sold the car. The engine started/ran like normal, which was no big trick for a good little 318 engine anyways......

From what I could tell, the oil retained it's viscosity and normal appearance because all contaminants were removed from the oil and never allowed to build up.

I still have it and it is going on my roadster.

plym49

07-26-2009, 10:18 AM

So a couple of observations:

Even if you had a filter that was 100% effective you still need to change your oil because the additives in the oil deplete, and it is the additives that are significantly responsible for the excellent performance of modern oils.

Even with conventional oil filters, modern engines seem to last long enough.

It does make sense to have a full-flow filter to get most of it, and a finer partial-flow filter to be doing a more thorough filtering job in the background. You'd need some big-ass filter and a correspondingly beefy oil pump to get to filtration levels that you can achieve with partial-flow filters out of a full-flow filter.

It makes sense that TP filters are very dependent on the type of TP and that they still can put paper in the oil. If the ultimate filtering system is a full-flow PLUS a partial-flow, and you decide to run a TP filter, then install a conventional oil filter in series AFTER the TP filter to filter out the tiny shreds of paper.

corsair

07-26-2009, 11:18 AM

My dad used one on his car back in the 70's and swears by it to this day. It's maybe the only instance of car thought he's ever had :rolleyes:

I didn't believe him at first, but the idea seems sound. I'm tempted to put one on on the Edsel, I'm only shy about it for having to explain what that "thing" is every time I pop the hood. The argument for it is pretty good though. There is no way in hell a spin on high flow filter could remove as much crud as a fine trickle filter.

I don't think you need a bigger oil pump either. The whole idea is that the system uses a restrictor to reduce flow through the TP filter. Unless your system is very marginal to begin with, this is just a tiny draw from the system. And you do, of course, have to change oil once the additives are depleted. I'd be happier if my old oil was still clean and lubricating at it's best when it came out though.

KreaturesCCaustin

07-26-2009, 11:39 AM

I had one in my '59 GMC when I bought it. It made it to over 417K on the clock before the odometer finally gave out. I drove the thing around for a year before I finally replaced that with a remote that took a spin on filter. I bet that old six had about a half a million miles on it before getting T-boned by a Camaro and totaled.

51chevcoupe

07-26-2009, 11:42 AM

Personally I think it is a 'shitty' idea. hahahahahaha....... damn I'm funny!

Road Runner

07-26-2009, 01:09 PM

I added a Frantz filter to the fullflow Wix about a year ago and the oil stays clean on the dip stick now between oil changes.
The TP also removes water during the colder humid months.

Big rigs and fleet and commercial vehicles use it to extend oil change intervals.

kwoodyh

07-26-2009, 01:36 PM

ramzoom

07-26-2009, 01:48 PM

Had a 57 Country Squire which was all original and ran great with a Fratnz..I lived in an apartment so couldnt do oil changes at home so took it to a jiffy place.. seeing all the young guys come over and freak out when I took out a roll of Scott toilet paper and proceeded to unroll enough paper to fit the roll into the frantz filter..They thought I was nuts..The original owner ran them in all his cars and used Scott tissue so I wasnt about to break tradition..

Steelsmith

07-26-2009, 02:13 PM

I first encountered the Frantz filter in the mid '70's. Still have an original sales brochure somewhere ...
There was a drawback to the TP idea though. During the making of paper products from wood pulp, certain acids are present either naturally or added to the paper during processing. There are remnants of those chemicals in paper products. They can be 'cooked out' during prolonged exposure to heated petroleum, (oil). Those acids are then circulating through your engine. They are a minor concideration, but there non-the less. An upgrade to the original Frantz filter system was adding a mesh screen plate to the interior bottom of the filter canister The toilet paper was then replaced with cotton-waste. The 'cotton-waste' was in the form of mill-ends of cotton fabric or clean rags. These worked fine as a filter, but it became a messy business when changing filter medium.
Eventually the company discontinued this 'upgrade' and went back to the original toilet paper filter, as the effects of the acids in the TP were judged to be inconsequential to the life of the engine as long as you changed the TP every 1500 miles.
This information was passed on to me from an old boss of mine who was a vender for Frantz filters.
Dunno how accurate this info is, but I do know there is acid in paper processing.

Just a thought,

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

stlouisgasser

07-26-2009, 04:05 PM

I've heard this story for years and have NEVER like the idea. At this point in my life, I now have 40 years of professional experience of using toilet paper for it's intended purpose.....ONLY. I don't like the idea of having something in my oil pan, pump, and gallerys that can can flake/tear off and clog oil passages. Toilet paper just seems to me to be to fragile as a filter media.

panic

07-26-2009, 06:10 PM

What is always present in your oil after a few miles of normal service (besides some normal combustion byproducts), especially after short trips and cold weather?
Water.
What do all brands and type of toilet paper have in common (and different from any other paper product: stationary, paper towel, xerox, grocery bag)?
They disintegrate in water. They're made to dissolve in water.
That's why they have those big signs ("don't throw paper towels in the toilet!")
Not sure? Ask your local DWSGE Engineer how long toilet paper lasts in a septic tank.

corsair

07-26-2009, 06:59 PM

I believe Franz offers paper rolls specifically intended for their filters because of all the above stated reasons. No worries about dissolving in water, or acids, or anything else.

Dennis Johnson

07-26-2009, 09:04 PM

I don't recommend them. We had one on a parts chaser pickup in the early 60s. The condensation in the oil created by short trips caused the TP to break down and pluged every oil gallary in the engine. Thats how TP is designed. To break down when exposed to moisture.

Old wolf

07-26-2009, 09:28 PM

Well im gonna find out first hand. I installed the one i bought yesterday. This afternoon i put it on my 64 chev 3/4 with a intergrated head 1981 250 six. Now i have to get some John Wayne toilet paper. Ever take apart a standard oil filter they have paper elements. The old chev gets worked very hard we use it for a wrecker and pull trailers with it. Every time it is driven it is to do some hard job.:) OldWolf

LowKat

07-26-2009, 11:03 PM

I used one as an oil puke can of sorts. My engine is too new to have a PCV outlet in the back of the block and I wanted to run unvented old 283 valve covers.

I used an aluminum intake that had an oil filler tube. Then drilled through one of the coil mounting bosses into the lifter galley. On the underside of the intake I made a sheet metal baffle to keep oil out. Then, I tapped the hole for 1/4" NPT and threaded in a 90* fitting. From this fitting, ran copper tubing to the oil filter canister, then back up to a PCV screwed into the base of the carb.

I figured if any oil did get sucked up, it'd collect in the canister.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=717660&stc=1&d=1248667323

52style

07-26-2009, 11:11 PM

bought a chinook motorhome years ago had a franz filter on it and a grenaded engine

looked like jiffy lube diddnt change the paper had the mileage sticker on the window still had a few thousand left till the next oil change the toilet paper still had the old oil in it from before the oil change

i imagine there good as long as you remeber to change the paPER EITHER WAY I TOOK IT OUT WHEN I REBUILT THE ENGINE

betteroffalone

07-26-2009, 11:32 PM

Yep, pulled a roll of TP out of the filter housing in my 1959 Fairlane. I've heard of people doing this for years.

49ratfink

07-26-2009, 11:59 PM

here's another old post to go with this old post. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151919

I've never used one, but people seem to like them. you can get new ones on ebay, or parts to fix the older ones like O rings and such.

they are an auxillary oil cleaner, they pick up big stuff the filter misses.

the oil still breaks down, it just now breaks down cleaner with less particles in it.

oil and filter and TP still need to be changed.

evldoer

07-27-2009, 03:05 AM

I run one in my diesel pickup(duramax), change the tp about every 1000-1500 miles and add a qt of oil it is fine- no break down of the paper at all. If you ran it longer between changes, I can see a problem with it breaking down though. It is a secondary filtering unit, still have the regular filter on engine, but I rarely change it-actually I cant remember when I changed it!

Old wolf

08-29-2009, 03:24 PM

Well it has been a month and the toilet paper filter has not caused any problems also the oil is looking cleaner. i think that it does do what the maker claims. I didnt change the oil when i installed the frantz oil cleaner. I will give the wrecker its yearly oil and filter change soon. i also drain a gallon of coolant from the engine and add a new gallon of anti freeze once a year.:eek: OldWolf

Ed ke6bnl

08-29-2009, 04:51 PM

keeps my oil cleaner and I believe the engine cleaner on my dodge diesel 98.5. I am sold on it. change it about every 2000 miles add a quart the add some fresh additive. ED

Road Runner

08-29-2009, 05:41 PM

Funny this post came back.
I just changed my first TP roll after 2500 miles this morning. - See picture.
I plumbed mine in parallel with my Wix full flow filter, instead of draining it into the crankcase.
The flow is slower, as it depends on the pressure difference of the inlet and outlet of the full flow filter, but it still works perfectly. I just don't have to change the TP roll as often.
Changing it is easier than the full flow filter. A couple of minutes and no mess without one drip of oil.

The only time you hear someone poo-poo this filter is when they use it as intended and without having any personal experience with it in oil filtering.

The engine's oil system is no septic tank with enzymes and as you can see, no paper fiber has been dissolved.

This is with Rotella Diesel oil, which has 50% more detergents and 100% more dispersants than regular motor oil, so the oil should be darker on the dipstick, even with my new engine.
Before I used the Frantz, the oil was almost black running the same distance.

I get the TP directly from Frantz and the couple of dollars per year are like a minor donation for their efforts over the last several decades.

This is not intended as advertisement - I am just reporting my personal experience and of course I am happy with the results.

I like simple things that make sense and work well.

Ed ke6bnl

08-29-2009, 06:50 PM

here is my set up been working great.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/ke6bnl/Dodge%20Diesel%201998%204x4/Copyof53mercandlumberrackDodgefr-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/ke6bnl/Dodge%20Diesel%201998%204x4/rackpaintedrvtoolbox012.jpg

I did pu a newer housing for this one on ebay and we will have my boy have them both powder coated when he does his install on his dodge diesel. ED

Florian

10-11-2009, 10:49 AM

I´ve got a 1955 Chevrolet 265cui engine, without oil filter.

Now my question is, do I have to stick to the stock bypass oil filter or would a single Frantz toilet paper filter do the trick?

four-thirteen

10-11-2009, 12:14 PM

If you were seriously convinced that this works, you could put the same thing together for about 10 bucks at the hardware store.

But to believe this thing actually works, you also need to believe that the entire world has been brainwashed by the evil oil companies into regular oil changes and that toilet paper is the best filtration medium, in spite of the millions of dollars spent annually on filtration research. Wouldn't this be original equipment on all new cars? Think of the sales tactics: this car never requires an oil change!

They provide no independent testing, only testimonials. They offer ambiguous claims like "we guarantee the Frantz Oil Filter/Cleaner will keep your oil analytically clean 100% of the time." The website has no definition of what "analytically clean" means, no engineering documentation, and contains several outright lies.

This has all the signs of being a scam, and given how long it has been around, I am sure it has been very profitable.

296ardun

10-11-2009, 12:27 PM

I put one on my 30 Ford roadster with a 324 Olds...didn't have room for the stock filter so mounted it on the firewall, chrome cannister and all. This was back in '61 so the company has been around for a while. I suspect that toilet paper was different back then, none of this super soft stuff....maybe the super soft stuff was never meant to be in a Frantz Miracle Oil Filter?? I do know that the filter worked for me.

LowKat

10-11-2009, 01:39 PM

I suspect that toilet paper was different back then, none of this super soft stuff....maybe the super soft stuff was never meant to be in a Frantz Miracle Oil Filter??.

Probably need the individually wrapped "commercial" stuff.

Another canister idea if you use it for "period correctness" and don't like toilet paper, would be hiding an Oberg style filter inside.

arkiehotrods

10-11-2009, 01:44 PM

My '47 Ford coupe doesn't have an oil filter. I think its lack of a filter works every bit as well as a toilet paper filter.

lostforawhile

10-11-2009, 02:11 PM

wouldn't this work even better today since most oils have gone to shit? :D

Road Runner

10-11-2009, 02:35 PM

Here is some data the owner of Frantz emailed me when I send them a link to this post a while back.

Old wolf

10-11-2009, 03:01 PM

I first dismissed the frantz filter as just plain stupid. Bought one at a auction with some other stuff for $1. Them i googled it and found it does the same thing as the luberfinder filter,s that are used in semi trucks. The peterbuilt i drive has a luberfinder also over a million and a half miles no engine work ever.So i installed one on our 64 chewv 3/4 wrecker. And i am convinced it does what the maker claims:cool:. You still have to change oil and filter regularly. And use John Wayne toilet paper. But folks can think what they want. OldWolf

Greasy64

10-11-2009, 03:21 PM

I'm surprised the "Banger" guys haven't posted about this. I'm sure they have elsewhere. Seems to me like an engine with non-detergent oil and no filter at all would do better with one of these. With regular oil and TP changes (John Wayne Brand or whatever) seems to me that they could be a good thing.

28 jalopy

01-31-2010, 10:17 AM

I have one just like the pic. but it has a sleeve with cooling fins all around it. Kind like a beehive canister. Is that common? Im gona run it on my flathead.

Retro Jim

01-31-2010, 10:30 AM

Yea they used asswipe paper to filter the oil . I still see them on cars at the shows sometimes . I would like to find one to put on my car . I always thought it was a really good idea .

RetroJim

28 jalopy

01-31-2010, 10:55 AM

Was it common for them to have a sleeve with cooling fins?

28 jalopy

01-31-2010, 10:56 AM

Im asking because from all the pics i have seen they dont.

blt2go

01-31-2010, 11:04 AM

my great uncle was a salesman for them in the 50's and 60's. i am restoring his '56 belair with a 283 power-pack and it still has one on it. as for cooling fins i have not seen one, but there are old brochures in the car and i will look tomorrow. also i have been told that higher performance engines with high volume or higher pressure oil pumps can sometimes break down the paper and carry it through the oil passages eventually plugging them up. any truth to this?

28 jalopy

01-31-2010, 11:12 AM

It sound like that could happen if you still use toilet paper. If you go on the frantz website they sell the new elements that are higher grade fiber than old tp. Its funny cause they still look like bags of tp. I was told that frants was distributed through amz oil back in the day.

dmw56

01-31-2010, 12:23 PM

I had one on my 50 Stude Champion. Didn't have an oil filter on the engine. This one was bolted on the fenderwell. New TP rolls are to big to fit. Got to use some until it's the right size.:D

leon renaud

01-31-2010, 12:55 PM

That motorhome is kind of neat. With that continetal kit looking thing on the front I would be way too tempted to paint it up so it looked like a giant pig, though.i'm on a corvair forum as well as the HAMB and I believe someone DID paint one up like a pig I've seen pics of a few with faces etc. on them.

porknbeaner

01-31-2010, 01:00 PM

Maybe I just don't get out often enough, but the other day I read about toilet paper oil filters for the first time. I guess they were used mainly in the 40s, 50s and 60s on tractors, trucks and some cars.

You take a roll of asswipe, shove it in a canister that bolts onto a remote oil feed. Every 2000 miles or so you throw away the toilet paper, put in a new roll and put another quart of oil in the engine.

I think I'll stick with the spin-on filters, but anybody ever use one?

I've had a couple of cars with them. Never installed one on a car. If that's all you got its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. But donot believe for a minute the thing about never changing your oil again.

I tore down an early Cougar that the old fella had run one on it since new. It had about 80K on it I believe. The sludge in the pan was highenough you could see an indentation where the crank and main caps were.

leon renaud

01-31-2010, 01:12 PM

I guess you have to be old enough to remember the toilet paper from the days these things were new!they worked good if used as directed and I don't think they said not to change oil but it was my dad and grandad that actually used them not me directly.I do not think I would use one today because TP back then was not bio degrade able I don't think modern stuff would last very long before breaking down in the hot oil.As for sludge in the oil I started in regular garages in the early 70s and I can remember pulling rocker covers on cars and finding exact castings of the covers in carbon and sludge build up under them!

panic

01-31-2010, 02:09 PM

1. TP is water-soluble (that's why paper towels clog toilets, and TP doesn't).
2. gasoline + air = water
3. if the housing has a relief valve, once the filter gets dirty or wet it's open all the time. The increased engine life is from changing the oil
4. if the housing (or the block) doesn't have a relief valve, when the filter gets dirty, you drive over the crank.

Picking engine components based on how they look is what women do, isn't it?

slayer

01-31-2010, 06:48 PM

I've had a couple of cars with them. Never installed one on a car. If that's all you got its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. But donot believe for a minute the thing about never changing your oil again.

I tore down an early Cougar that the old fella had run one on it since new. It had about 80K on it I believe. The sludge in the pan was highenough you could see an indentation where the crank and main caps were.
This isnt the first time I have heard of this. The day I use a franz oil filter on anycar of mine is the day my toilet paper is from Purolater.

Old wolf

01-31-2010, 07:05 PM

Well i have been using the one i bought at a auction. Have changed the oil and the toilet paper hasnt came apart. These dont elimate the need for changing the oil. They are a bypass unit that filters finer than a conventonal oil filter. I convinced that they will help keep the oil cleaner if you changet he toilet paper as reccomended. :cool: OldfWolf

agcat11

09-04-2010, 06:55 AM

The Frantz filters are well over $200.00. They work. Have 130,000 miles using one. But the company needs some new products for small cars.

big bad john

09-04-2010, 07:13 AM

Know a guy that has one.......... it works good. he got 60,000 on a rebuilt motor in his 32Ford:D

agcat11

09-04-2010, 07:30 AM

Have a car with over 130,000 miles using a Frantz TP Filter. It takes the same amount off oil each and every oil change. The oil has not been changed in over a year and a half. Will be changing the filters tomorrow. I have learned how to keep the wear additives and detergents high so the whole process is OK by me.

The Frantz people, the company has changed hands many times and is in some ways rather stuck in the mud. The three stacker can )TP container) that used to be available for big engine use was discontinued here in the USA. It basically eliminated a market for the Frantz filters. I have talked with the present owner and there is no intention on their part to bring that item back.

Some of the newer small cars and some that are to come into the market are going to have very restricted space for a TP Roll Sized filter. Had tried to suggest to the current owner that new smaller versions of the Frantz filter will be needed. They seem to be blind to the coming needs of smaller cars. In fact suggested to them a total new design concept, giving a lot of details, that would allow spin on cartridges to be available for the smaller cars. Not interested.

They used to have a cartridge, a TP sized fiber insert to replace the TP Roll if wanted to use, but that is discontinued along with the three stacker. With those cartridges it was easier for a trucker to change the three stacker. Well that option is gone. Talk about shooting themselves in the foot.

Not making product geared to the limited space in newer small cars and then ones that will yet be smaller that are to come out is a double shot through the foot. Current owner thinks one size fits all and that other more costly products cannot beat them out of the market. But they may well be wrong.

agcat11

09-04-2010, 07:50 AM

Had a VW bus on which I installed a Frantz TP filter. I also designed and used a method of cooling the engine oil in the summer which stopped oil consumption almost completely. The Frantz oil filter was the center if that design.

I had put over 60,000 miles on that VW bus and then going down the highway had an engine problem, absolutely not related to oil. When the mechanic came out with the amount the repair would cost, he delivered a shock to me. He said "what have you done to that engine?'. I replied "I change the oil once in a while and I drive it". The mechanic said "that engine is so clean inside I could take a rag and wipe off the oil and eat off of the surfaces. There is no dirt in the engine. No gum, no sludge, no carbon build up, nothing!". I said "well, I do run a bypass oil filter". He said "oh, that is wahat is took the lines off from, I wasn't thinking." I explained it was a Frantz TP bypass oil filter. That the filter only filters about 1 quart of oil a minute. The mechanic said "I have a couple of VW engined dune buggies and I am going to put one on each of them". I told him that the Frantz filters should keep the grit out of the oil and should extend the life of those engines a whole lot.

S guys, here are real life stories involving the use of Frantz TP Roll oil filters. You do not have to believe the second hand stories. I done it and it done me good..

Francisco Plumbero

09-04-2010, 07:58 AM

Did you ever see what happens to roll of T P in a 5 gallon bucket of water, boosh. It does the same thing in a bucket of oil.

36roadster

09-04-2010, 08:25 AM

I had one on a 313 Chrysler and it worked fine- hardest part about fitting it was picking the shit out of between the layers. Maybe I shoulda sprung for NEW rolls.

RAY With

09-04-2010, 08:51 AM

My shop installed at least a 100 of the frantz and we put one on the shop truck. No problems and the oil stayed very clean. They were an item in the 60's.

Bob W

09-04-2010, 08:57 AM

The last time I saw one of those was in the early 70s. The oil was as clean as new in Chevy 6 banger and it stayed that way. :)

B Blue

09-04-2010, 09:54 AM

It is truly amazing how the guys that used these things say they work just fine. The guys that know nothing about them say they can't possibly work. The bad thing is some value ignorance and prejudice over experience.

Bill

Kerrynzl

09-04-2010, 10:11 AM

The Frantz filters are well over $200.00. They work. Have 130,000 miles using one. But the company needs some new products for small cars.

Yes they work very well, I remember taxi drivers using them in NZ during the 70's.

But why would you bother at $200.

If you rated a roll of toilet paper as equivalent to a cheap oil filter [ say $5.00 ] that is equivalent to 40 filters to break even on the conversion costs alone [ thats assuming the toilet rolls are free ]

At 3000 miles between oil changes= 120,000miles to break even .

If somebody really wanted cheap oil filtration, a cheap centrifuge [between $200-350] would be a better bet.

A centrifuge can filter down to 1-2 micron, a good quality filter is 5 micron
[ I don't know how many micron toilet paper is ]

lostforawhile

09-04-2010, 02:06 PM

This isnt the first time I have heard of this. The day I use a franz oil filter on anycar of mine is the day my toilet paper is from Purolater.
can't be any worse then a fram. when the bypass opens five minutes after you run it, how much oil it filters is debatable also.:D

maniac

09-04-2010, 02:36 PM

This one is for large trucks, uses a paper towel for a filter, read some of the testimonials, a lot of million milers using it, similar to the Frantz.

http://www.gulfcoastfilters.com/

4t7flat

09-04-2010, 02:41 PM

Friend of mine tested the Frantz filter for Ford Motor Co back in the 60's. The results were not favorable. First the paper roll tends to channelize or form bypass spaces. Next the paper breaks down,and gets into the oil. Toilet paper fibers are abrasive,thats why you are not supposed to clean your eye glasses with it.

slipjoint

09-04-2010, 03:48 PM

in the late 50's early 60's we had several guy's coming into our gas station running these filters - i don't think they did any harm - but don't forget in those days when you bought gas you normally had the water & oil checked - those were the days :)

meljr

09-04-2010, 05:08 PM

I knew Mr. Frantz in the late 60's. He was a prosperous Mennonite farmer, inventor and a regular customer at my grandfather's small town service station. He drove a full sized Ford that was de-chromed with all the trim painted black. Today, that black monochrome look is referred to as "murdered", I believe, but in that time, the local Mennonites removed or covered up decorative trim in an effort to not appear worldly.

Anyway, I knew who he was and usually waited on him when he came in as he was always pleasant and talkative. Every time he would ask me to check the oil and after I told him it was right on the full mark and looked like it had just been changed, he would tell me that he was the inventor of the Frantz filter and he never changed the oil. I must have heard that from him hundreds of times along with the features and benefits spiel. I didn't mind, however because almost always he had two or three pretty teen-age girls about my age in the car with him who would smile at me shyly the whole time. One day, he invited me to attend their church services and have dinner at his house, which I did. It was a most enjoyable experience and we remained friends until I left for college a few years later.

I don't think he actually had much to do with running the Frantz company, but received some kind of royalties from the sale of his filters. Mostly they were used at that time on farm equipment and trucks, but there were automotive applications also. One other thing I remember about him was that he always used regular gasoline in that big Ford of his, saying that the benefits of higher octane gasoline were overstated and that an engine that wasn't pinging a little was not working effectively.

I don't know what happened to him and I suppose he would either have died by now or be nearly 100, but he made quite an impression on me at the time. If I ever come across one of those filters, I will probably want to adapt it to one of my 56 Plymouths, just for old times sake.

-meljr

flatoutflyin

09-04-2010, 05:22 PM

Maybe I just don't get out often enough, but the other day I read about toilet paper oil filters for the first time. I guess they were used mainly in the 40s, 50s and 60s on tractors, trucks and some cars.

You take a roll of asswipe, shove it in a canister that bolts onto a remote oil feed. Every 2000 miles or so you throw away the toilet paper, put in a new roll and put another quart of oil in the engine.

I think I'll stick with the spin-on filters, but anybody ever use one?

My dad used something like it in the '50's, but he was a textile chemist and made his own filters with some kind of cloth he treated and brought home from Procter and Gamble. The '50 Ford he bought new was smoking and using oil by '56, and he was religious about maintenance, so maybe TP was better? I've posted pictures of an ad for a TP filter from a '52 Mecanix Ill., as well as a bronze filter replacement, and a couple pix of a filter similar to the TP filter that I used in and old Dodge truck years ago, but it's made of cloth wadding with a sock over it holding it all together. You stuffed it in the filter housing and took your chance. They seemed to work fine and I still have 5 of them.

rusty metal

09-04-2010, 05:24 PM

One booth that I painted my van they had a Tp filter for the air

Road Runner

09-04-2010, 06:46 PM