The Challenger filters are not “Lycoming approved”. Again, here’s what the Lycoming tech rep said when queried - “The Challenger filter is not currently a Lycoming approved PMA part...”
Van's Air Force
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Filter Test Results
- Thread starter DanH
- Start date
Toobuilder
Well Known Member
In my experience the Champion nipple has a larger thread diameter on the filter side (13/16 IIRC), so the Tempest's 3/4 x 3/4 was the "go to". The short threaded side screws into the adapter assembly without drama. I cant remember how much force it took, but I did think it was loose enough to require locktite as extra insurance from backing out at a filter change.
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Thanks Mike. I'll polish the lead-in thread and give it a shot.
That's just going to end with a lot of people selling used K&N *Air* filters in the Classified section...
AHA! This might explain my situation... My -6 has always had a nipple installed in the engine, and the threads on it are 13/16". I assumed that someone must have stripped/munged the stock threads and re-threaded and installed a nipple for the next larger size. This makes me wonder if someone just happened to remove a Champion filter and somehow leave the nipple in the engine, and since then i've always had a 13/16" thread (and i've been buying the appropriate Champion/Tempest/etc. filters that have a 13/16" female thread on them since I bought the plane). In fact, I went out of my way to buy the K&N reusable filter that had a 13/16" female thread as well... Which i'll be removing at the next change...
K&N air filters are excellent at keeping stones, birds, leaves, and insects out of the engine. Anything much smaller than that will get through. Thankfully most of our time flying is in relatively clean air as soon as we get away from the surface. I agree that an air filter test will result in a lot of disappointment, but perhaps it will help us find a better way to filter the incoming air, considering the challenges of aviation (rain, snow, ice at altitude, and dust and bugs near the ground).That's just going to end with a lot of people selling used K&N *Air* filters in the Classified section...
Toobuilder
Well Known Member
Yep, odds are if you pull it out of the adapter you will find 3/4 on the adapter side. Swap it out with the straight Tempest nipple (or aftermarket) and you can join the party with the rest of us!
pjc
Well Known Member
AHA! This might explain my situation... My -6 has always had a nipple installed in the engine, and the threads on it are 13/16". I assumed that someone must have stripped/munged the stock threads and re-threaded and installed a nipple for the next larger size. This makes me wonder if someone just happened to remove a Champion filter and somehow leave the nipple in the engine, and since then i've always had a 13/16" thread (and i've been buying the appropriate Champion/Tempest/etc. filters that have a 13/16" female thread on them since I bought the plane). In fact, I went out of my way to buy the K&N reusable filter that had a 13/16" female thread as well... Which i'll be removing at the next change...
Or just buy the Wix 51258. It has the 13/16” female thread you need.
PilotjohnS
Well Known Member
So when you all installed your tempest nipple into your Lycoming, did you use locktite or just screw it in?
Toobuilder
Well Known Member
Bottomed the knurled part a little snug + Locktite for me.
The Tempest nipple has a shoulder. Just tighten it snug, it can't fall out with the filter in place.
If it comes out when you remove the filter, then use some locktite on it so it will stay in place.
Lycoming has used at least two different oil filter adapters over the years. I have the same 13/16-16 thread on my Lycoming. IF I go though the parts catalog, there will be two different part numbers between the one you and I have verse the one that is now shipping on new engines. I use the 48103 filter for most of the last 26-years.AHA! This might explain my situation... My -6 has always had a nipple installed in the engine, and the threads on it are 13/16". I assumed that someone must have stripped/munged the stock threads and re-threaded and installed a nipple for the next larger size. This makes me wonder if someone just happened to remove a Champion filter and somehow leave the nipple in the engine, and since then i've always had a 13/16" thread (and i've been buying the appropriate Champion/Tempest/etc. filters that have a 13/16" female thread on them since I bought the plane). In fact, I went out of my way to buy the K&N reusable filter that had a 13/16" female thread as well... Which i'll be removing at the next change...
I use this magnetic plug from Anti Splat Aero. Thankfully I have not found anything on it yet.
Magnetic Super Plug – AntiSplatAero
antisplataero.com
pjc
Well Known Member
My adapter houses a bypass so none is needed in the filter. This is the same as the Champion 48103 which is used with my adapter if you prefer TSO parts.
PilotjohnS
Well Known Member
I think the magnet will only trap particles that come within a 1/6" or so. I personally don't see a benefit for it on the filter. On the drain plug, The particles would sink down and be capture by the plug, so a magnetic plug is probably a good idea.
BillL
Well Known Member
They are straight, on the male and female threads of every Champion I have dissembled. I just checked the thread diameters on the possibility of thread class difference. The removed adapter has the same thread diameter measurements on both ends. 3/4-16 Both ends are equally easy to thread in the back side of the oil filter end plate. It appears that the shoulder is used to deform the first thread for a mechanical lock. I would want to replicate this locking if the adapters are reused, and personally, would only use the shoulder type adapter unless al alternate design was tested for equal removal torque.
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Interestingly, Champion spec for the thread size is 13/16" for the 48108 or 48109 yet looks like people have been using filters (WIX 51515) that list the thread size of 3/4. Is this a mistype somewhere?
dmattmul
Well Known Member
See attached, only the CH48103 and 104 have 13/16", Tempest cross reference the same.
Attachments
Thanks for the info. Here is where I got my info about the threat size and this size is reported for CH48109 as well.
CH48108-1 | FILTER OIL | Textron Aviation
Champion Aerospace Aircraft Spin-On Oil Filter CH48108-1 features improved wrench flats and spring, thicker-walled can and a strong center tube.
ChiefPilot
Well Known Member
So I was looking at Wix filters as they seem pretty popular on this thread based on the test done by DanH, but looking at other ISO 4548-12 test results on another forum, the representative Wix filter there was actually the worst of the lot. Different filters, sure, but the working assumption with Wix on this thread seems to be that they are largely similar with respect to filter efficiency. The Wix might be good enough, but based on this lab's testing, there are almost certainly other choices which are better.
Worth mentioning also is the lab's comments about the Wix filter (and one that could be applied to any individual filter on any individual test):
"It is possible that this Wix XP filter is an outlier. We would need to run a sample lot of random filters to know with any kind of statistical certainty."
Full thread on BOTG here: Link
Worth mentioning also is the lab's comments about the Wix filter (and one that could be applied to any individual filter on any individual test):
"It is possible that this Wix XP filter is an outlier. We would need to run a sample lot of random filters to know with any kind of statistical certainty."
Full thread on BOTG here: Link
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Toobuilder
Well Known Member
Prediction: Within one year, the discussion of the “best” non aviation filter to use will become a sticky in the “never ending debate” section of the forum.
ChiefPilot
Well Known Member
That's almost like predicting water is wet. It's a subject where the only correct choice is "my" choice; anyone who disagrees is "wrong".
There are certainly better filters than the five previous candidates. They were picked because they were already in common use across the RV fleet.
At a glance (i.e. no research), the filters referenced from the other forum are all synthetic media filters, and should generally perform better than the 51515 Wix, or the Champion and Tempest aviation filters. It doesn't surprise me to see some top line choices do very well. However, we should probably focus on specific filters, not brands, and ask "Do any of the above synthetics fit a Lycoming?"
At a glance (i.e. no research), the filters referenced from the other forum are all synthetic media filters, and should generally perform better than the 51515 Wix, or the Champion and Tempest aviation filters. It doesn't surprise me to see some top line choices do very well. However, we should probably focus on specific filters, not brands, and ask "Do any of the above synthetics fit a Lycoming?"
Just got 4 of these in. These things are tiny! Smaller that the K&P filter, which makes install easier in the tight quarters.
ChiefPilot
Well Known Member
That was kind of my point - the test done is a very small sample size of a single example of five different filters. There are other options for sure - let’s not lose sight of that in our mass rush to the tested Wix example.
Yep!
And maintain balance. A reader could easily over-emphasize efficiency. Let's keep an eye on other details...burst pressure, bypass setting, etc.
Perspective...On the chart below, the Wix doesn't look as good as some. But consider, right here in the Vans community, we had a very high percentage flying $40K engines with "filters" that wouldn't even make it on to a chart scaled as shown. A filter rated poorly by the standards of the auto, HD truck, and heavy machine industries is absolutely awesome compared the expensive garbage many were using. Any physically reliable filter with enough dirt capacity for our very short 50 hour oil change interval is a huge improvement.
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Dugaru
Well Known Member
This is a really good point, and I just want to say how grateful I am for the information provided by the study. Having failed to contribute $ toward that worthy effort, I hereby commit to contributing to any follow-up study!
Yesterday I switched back to my old stock of Champion filters, standing by for more analysis to find the best auto filter for us to use in the future. I've got two more Champions in stock - hopefully you guys will find an excellent replacement before I run out. Not going to sell my K&P as I'm hopeful that they will respond to these tests and come up with a better filter element that fits in their housing. I've love to be able to use one of the modern auto filter cartridges in a re-usable housing.
PilotjohnS
Well Known Member
This is the value of this site. I think I will give my savings to the crew that runs this site.
Dugaru
Well Known Member
And as great as it is for builders, it might be even more useful for clueless types like me who buy used RVs. This site and Vic’s book basically make that whole enterprise possible!
dpansier
Well Known Member
I’m going to keep mine also, hopefully they will see a market for a disposable filter cartridge.
A quick look thru a filter catalog shows the size required to fit into the existing housing puts it in the area of motorcycle cartridge filters. I would expect the micron rating would be good enough but it may lack the capacity forcing it into early bypass.
