Coolant filtration: fuel filter vs synthetic oil filter

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I don't expect the filter to catch much in this 97 Maxima running Recochem red (but who knows what shops did to it for the first 112k miles); I blame wanting to do this on BITOG
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I want to install it in the throttle body loop (5/16" hose) which is a bypass of the heater loop. A plugged filter should not be an issue, as it would just reduce flow to the TB; I have contemplated removing the TB out of the loop more than once (making the removal of the aluminum intake manifold collector less of a PITA).

Option 1. Use a larger metal fuel filter such as the Wix 33022. I would have to strap it to other hoses in the area.

Option 2. Use a synthetic oil filter mounted on a remote base with a 3/4-16 thread. I know about the 11/16-16 thread coolant filters (cellulose Wix 24069, 24070), but most of the discussion dates from way back, when synthetic media oil filters weren't common. I figure synthetic media should hold up better than cellulose media, the only unknown would be the glue. Disclaimer: I have a large stash of 3/4-16 oil filters.
I would mount this either on the transmission (M8 threads available) or on the strut tower (M6 threads available) with more vibration.

I'd appreciate your thoughts please.

33022.PNG
 
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Originally Posted by zorobabel
I'd appreciate your thoughts please.


I think you shouldn't do this because it won't accomplish anything notable or worthwhile.
At best, it will scratch your itch to tinker.
At worst, you will unintentionally mess something up.
 
There are some vehicles where a coolant filter might be a good idea. Your vehicle is not one of them. Service coolant as per owners manual and worry about something important like how well Yankees are doing.
 
You want to install a filter not designed to handle coolant, on a 21 year old vehicle with 200k miles,where the benefit will be minimal at best? Why do you want to filter coolant? IMHO this is a perfect example of a solution looking for a problem. Don't add something else that will be a failure point, plus I don't think fuel filters are designed to handle the heat of pressurized coolant and you may get bits of glue or filter media in your cooling system which would contradict the reason why you added a filter system in the first place. If you're that worried about the cooling system, drop the filtration idea and completely flush the cooling system, replace the water pump, all the hoses, R&R the radiator and heater core, and replace the thermostat. This way you have everything new and clean. (yes the last 2 sentences are sarcasm)
 
To me, the remote setup seems like overkill. A google image search for "inline coolant filter" pulls up dedicated options that go in radiator or heater hoses, as well as some old BITOG experiments with inline fuel filters.

The dedicated coolant filters seem to have metal screen or the porous metal used in air/water separators. Old BITOG results suggest that plastic fuel filters get soft and swell up. Metal ones hold up but the paper element clogs.
 
If this were needed on new vehicles they would have them. It's needed that much less on your old, near end of life, low value vehicle. I'm not trying to be negative about the vehicle itself, Maximas were a decent sedan choice for '97 though Nissan has never had great auto trannys.

A little sediment in your coolant is not what's going to kill it eventually. Just change the coolant every so often.

If anything, now is the time to enjoy low cost ownership and only do the required maintenance to keep the operating costs lower. Save up the money, nothing lasts forever.
 
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Originally Posted by widman
If you really want to do something, I would not use a fuel filter, as the material might not be comparable. A P560382 filter head. link to filter head with a DBC4086 synthetic filter will take any contaminates down to 4 µm at 99% link to filter or the DBC4081 will take it to 50 µm at 99%. link to filter

Thanks for sharing, that's a neat base. Nice to see synthetic coolant filters too. A slight correction: DBC4086 synthetic filter will take any contaminates down to 14 µm at 99%.
 
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