Educate me: what's the point of a remote filter?

S

SnowDrifter

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Aug 24, 2014
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So since the fluid is sucked first through the transmissions internal filter then passed through the cover, which is where a remote filter would be mounted. What's the point of it? Seems the fluid would be filtered before it gets filtered

I may or may not look into installing one. Want to see the best life out of my components but I also don't want to ibtroduxt more failure points and throw away money, know what I mean?
 
The details are in the specifications. Many transmission filters with polyester media are 160++ micron rated. In other words, near zero restriction to flow at any temperature.

By comparison, external filters can be 10 micron rated or less, with very high efficiency.

And of course, there are always the submicron bypass type filters.
 
So then the question becomes, what is the appropriate way to size a filter at a given micron rating? Or how would one determine the flow rate through the cooler?
 
Researching further, it seems the most appropriate would be to install a rather low micron rated filter on a housing that has its own internal bypass valve.

Problem is, my keywording is terrible and I'm having difficulties finding such a housing. Does anyone have any resources? Trying to find one in the 5 to 10 psi range
 
Originally Posted by SnowDrifter
Researching further, it seems the most appropriate would be to install a rather low micron rated filter on a housing that has its own internal bypass valve.
Does anyone have any resources? Trying to find one in the 5 to 10 psi range


I use a filter base/housing for a Log Splitter hydraulic system..... it's EXTREMELY generic - - - about as common as the good 'ol FL-1A or PH8A

A Baldwin BT839-10 (10 micron) is on there (the RED one) - it'll last the life of the vehicle!

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Originally Posted by Rand
usually the in pan filter is just a rock-catcher, spin on filters catch much more.



And with Rock catchers the transmission usually fails I don't know after the automobile is junked.
 
Originally Posted by SnowDrifter
So then the question becomes, what is the appropriate way to size a filter at a given micron rating? Or how would one determine the flow rate through the cooler?

Virtually all spin-on filters have a bypass valve, as does the Magnefine. This eliminates the danger of clogging. You determine the flow rate through the cooler circuit by running a hose into a
bucket and timing the flow with the engine running. For instance, the flow rate for a Jeep AW4 cooler circuit is 3/4 quart per minute. The flow rates for spin-ons and Magnefines are many times
greater than what's needed in transmissions.
 
Originally Posted by SnowDrifter
Researching further, it seems the most appropriate would be to install a rather low micron rated filter on a housing that has its own internal bypass valve.

Problem is, my keywording is terrible and I'm having difficulties finding such a housing. Does anyone have any resources? Trying to find one in the 5 to 10 psi range


The Donaldson Hydraulic Catalog has all information you want.

https://www.donaldson.com/content/d...G/Hydraulic-Filtration-Product-Guide.pdf

Take a look at the SP15 series. The mounts and filters use a 1"-12 thread that is very common (like Linctex mentioned). This style of mount/filter is used on a lot of medium duty truck applications for an external transmission filter.
 
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Many transmissions today do not have a user serviceable pan and filter. Filter is only replaceable by splitting the entire transmission case apart. So a separate filter could be useful to extend the life of the deeply buried internal filter. Vehicle manufacturers consider such transmissions as good for the life of the car, and some you cant work on at all without taking it all apart.

They even consider fluid good for the life of the vehicle, so make it tough to change or add any.
 
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I dont see why anyone needs more than a pan filter unless your doing some endurance [censored] or have a tranny burning parts up
 
Originally Posted by Excel
I dont see why anyone needs more than a pan filter unless your doing some endurance [censored] or have a tranny burning parts up


How about if you're putting 1000ft.lbs. of torque through the input shaft? Towing cross country with a trailer? Trying to keep a $60-70,000 dollar vehicle maintained.
 
How about just changing the fluid more often. Even "lifetime sealed" transmissions can as far as I know have a fluid change done. Old VW's didn't have a proper oil filter. You just changed the fluid frequently.
 
Change the ATF more often. Toyota and Hondas went 500k miles back in the 1980s and 90s with just regular maintenance.
 
When I replaced a trans, I would put a new in-line filter before the new trans cooler. It just filtered out all the junk that the rock catcher pan misses.
 
OLEJOE said:
Originally Posted by Excel
I dont see why anyone needs more than a pan filter unless your doing some endurance [censored] or have a tranny burning parts up


How about if you're putting 1000ft.lbs. of torque through the input shaft? Towing cross country with a trailer? Trying to keep a $60-70,000 dollar vehicle maintained.
Click to expand...
An oil filter won't keep low quality parts or weak designs from breaking. The filter keeps the oil cleaner so potentially the wear from filterable contaminants will be less or keep the contaminate levels below the warning level in a uoa.
 
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My Old 2000 Hyundai Sonata came with a spin on trans filter from the factory.....never seemed to have any trans issues with it in the 8.5 yrs, ~100k mi I put on it.... I did have a Dealer change the Fluid around 65k mi... and it was changed/topped off again around 90k mi when the pan gasket(s) had to be replaced...
the car ate belts, burned @ least a qt/k mi, tach died, both front window regs broke, both axle boots split and had to be replaced JUST before the warranty expired... and the subframe had to be replaced on a corrosion recall... but the trans was solid....

here's the wix trans filter for that car:
https://www.wixfilters.com/Lookup/PartDetails.aspx?Part=157393
 
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