Driveworks DW-4459 Cut Open

[99Saturn]

Driveworks DW-4459, ran about 3,800 miles. Was getting oil pressure light for a few seconds at start-up, removed thinking the ADBV was hard, which seems to be the case as my light is back to normal now, was not much oil left in the filter when removed.

Some pics:

ADBV after bending (placed upside down by me to get a shot of the shape after bending, it wasn't upside down when I opened it up):

Run with a filter mag:

 

[gregk24]

Thats why I dont like nitrile ADBV's. The filter did its job though. Ill only use filters with a silicon ADBV in the Accord as its very picky and likes to make noise on start up. THANKS for posting!

 

[CarbonSteel]

The filter mag seems to have trapped some metal; how many miles on the engine?

 

[99Saturn]

About 100K - 1995 Ford Aspire. This was the first run the filter mag was on.

 

[Jim Allen]

What I always wonder about magnets is how much of the stuff that attaches to the filter wall would have been caught in the filter anyway. Plus, the amount of ferrous metal in some engines is a very small part of the total contamination. Is it really worth the money to re-address something the filter is already addressing?

As a group we are generally agreed that within the "normal" threshold of full flow filtration efficiency, the differences in wear between "normal" and "high efficiency" filtration is small. Using that argument, some considering spending more than $5 on a filter a serious waste. They would also say spending the extra money for a Filtermag or somesuch. I essentially agree but will go with the highest efficiency filtration I can find within a reasonable-to-me cost basis. No engine ever died from oil that was too clean, after all.

Filtermag has an interesting analysis posted (go here: Report, showing a big drop in small particles. Note also that when you look at the UOA that went with the really good particle count the wear spectrographic wear metals don't look much different than the others that didn't have the Filtermag. Does that mean the Filtermag had no appreciable effect on wear? I put another magnetic product on two of my tractors and sent the oil thru similar analysis and got similar results. My particle count wasn't nearly as good as the one the Filtermag shows but the UOA wear metals were essentially the same leading to the impression at least that it had little effect on engine wear.

Anyway, two oil analysis and PCs don't prove or disprove the concept. I can see the potential value in it with some engines that normally shed a lot of iron... old school flat tappet, pushrod engines with Morse timing chains mostly. Most iron comes off the cam of a flat tappet engine, the Morse chain and rocker arms. A modern roller cam/rocker engine with a lot of aluminum parts and a belt-type external timing chain would probably NOT be a good ROI candidate for the extra expenditure due to not having these iron shedding parts.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
A modern roller cam/rocker engine with a lot of aluminum parts and a belt-type external timing chain would probably NOT be a good ROI candidate for the extra expenditure due to not having these iron shedding parts.

Jim - at over $100 for a filtermag for my FX4 I tend to agree with your thoughts. If there was some proven benefits, I would consider using one (it is easy to see the trapped metal), but like you suggest, I am not sure that I would see an ROI especially with Ford Modulars living long lives without them. Maybe there is a cheaper place to buy them...

 

[951Indy]

I know its apples to oranges, but the magnets in my TRANS pan are always covered in ultra fine particles (paste), while the filters have trapped very little.

I sure wouldn't pay $100 for a magnet, but sticking a few cheap mags on a filter can't hurt.

I doubt if a particle can make it thru a decent filter, especially after passing thru it 50,000 times, that it will cause any real wear.

Conclusion: Who knows?

 

[99Saturn]

Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Maybe there is a cheaper place to buy them...


Yard sale = 2/$5 (in addition to other stuff that was for sale). I had to wonder if the guy's wife was mad later that day. I think the size I have is the lower strength one and costs around $50 from filter mag - I couldn't see spending that much.

 

[typ901]

What filter was put on to replace the Driveworks?

 

[99Saturn]

Fram Ultra.

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: 99Saturn


Yard sale = 2/$5 (in addition to other stuff that was for sale). I had to wonder if the guy's wife was mad later that day. I think the size I have is the lower strength one and costs around $50 from filter mag - I couldn't see spending that much.


I don't see enough evidence of beneficial results to spend $100, but for $5, why not!

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Originally Posted By: 99Saturn


Yard sale = 2/$5 (in addition to other stuff that was for sale). I had to wonder if the guy's wife was mad later that day. I think the size I have is the lower strength one and costs around $50 from filter mag - I couldn't see spending that much.


I don't see enough evidence of beneficial results to spend $100, but for $5, why not!

Totally agree and nice score!

 

[KCJeep]

The #1 complaint I see posted on the DW filters is the ADBV, just like here. Construction always looks decent...efficiency is a big mystery though you can't tell if its good or a large rock catcher just by looking at it.

 

[RF Overlord]

There's a reason these things are at the bottom of the food chain.

If the ADBV goes bad in 3800 miles, it sounds like they're only good for using for MMO flushes. Why not spend an extra 89 cents and buy an OCOD, which will at least make it to 5000.

 

[Whimsey]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
There's a reason these things are at the bottom of the food chain.

If the ADBV goes bad in 3800 miles, it sounds like they're only good for using for MMO flushes. Why not spend an extra 89 cents and buy an OCOD, which will at least make it to 5000.


Or a Purolator Classic at Wally World for $3.27

.

Whimsey

 

[steve20]

Geez--that's a lot of metal trapped there

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: steve20
Geez--that's a lot of metal trapped there


That's all the super fine ferrous metal particles - most too small for the filter to catch. I use a magnetic drain plug, and the "black sludge goo" that collects on it is the same stuff you are seeing on the side of the can from the FiterMag magnets.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
As a group we are generally agreed that within the "normal" threshold of full flow filtration efficiency, the differences in wear between "normal" and "high efficiency" filtration is small. Using that argument, some considering spending more than $5 on a filter a serious waste. They would also say spending the extra money for a Filtermag or somesuch a serious waste. I essentially agree but will go with the highest efficiency filtration I can find within a reasonable-to-me cost basis. No engine ever died from oil that was too clean, after all.

Never spent more than $4 on a filter for 350+k miles LS400, the engine is running as well as it could, no sign of failing or impending problem related to oil or not. The FCI was 6 months for the first 4-5 years, then 12 months after that. With dino the OCI was/is 6-7k/6mo and 12-15k/12mo with syn.

I had to pay more than $5, usually around $6-7, for cartridge filters for E430. Either pay a little more for German filter of a little less for made in China filter, I chose German.

 

[99Saturn]

Originally Posted By: Whimsey
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
There's a reason these things are at the bottom of the food chain.

If the ADBV goes bad in 3800 miles, it sounds like they're only good for using for MMO flushes. Why not spend an extra 89 cents and buy an OCOD, which will at least make it to 5000.


Or a Purolator Classic at Wally World for $3.27

.

Whimsey


Agreed. This was one of a few I picked up at AAP on an oil change special (5 qts. Peak and DW filter for $9.99 IIRC). That said, wish I had tossed it or returned it and gotten my $1.xx back, which is what happened with the rest. Back to P1s in the future.