General purpose cheap media filter

[Danglerb]

I want to build a small general purpose pump and filter rig. For a pump I am planning on grabbing a surplus Flojet, stainless diaphragm and widely used in commercial carpet cleaners, but I haven't had a good idea yet on what to use for the filter.

It has to be cheap, basic idea is to filter junk out of anything from engine coolant or oil, to cleaning solution out of a large ultrasonic cleaner, and a parts washer. If the filter isn't a lot cheaper than new fluids its a non starter. Toilet paper only as a last resort.

Nothing hotter than 150F planned, and easy replacement and disposal of the filter media is desired. Ideally the whole rig would be about lunch box sized, half that being the Flojet pump.

Any ideas on filter body or media?

One thought so far is to buy up cheap oil filters, or water filters.

 

[ears]

I use a heating oil filter on my parts washer, works well. Be careful how much flow it can handle. My pump is adjustable and I bypass the filter when it is turned up, then let it run on low flow for a while to filter everything out when I want.

 

[AmickRacing]

This is on the very tip of my memory, so I don't remember much detail.

On a diesel (truck) forum I read something about a filter that uses toilet paper rolls for the filter media. Not sure how good they work, but they would be pretty cheap to replace. I'm sure with some creativity you might even be able to build something to incorporate an idea like this?

 

[Danglerb]

Shop I hang around at, owners dad ran the truck maintenance for a grocery chain, and the Frantz filter guys took his boss out to dinner, drinks etc. and sold him on using the toilet paper filters. Week after the first one went on, that truck gets towed back to the shop and the filter is opened up. Out of 3 rolls that were put in this filter, only the center cardboard section and about 1/3 of the bottom of one roll were left inside, the rest was in the engine oil passages.

Personally, manage the pressure and I think a single roll of toilet paper makes for a GREAT cheap disposable filter, but I better bring it in on a pogo stick, cause I will be bouncing right back out the door.

 

[nate379]

Not sure where you got that story from, but it's full of ****, that's for sure!

Frantz is owned and run by a lady out of her garage as an extra $$ thing. She lives in Meridian, Idaho. I don't know her well, but I don't see her going out and selling the filters like to describe... possible though.

BUt...

The big one though is Frantz filters hold 1 roll of TP, not 3

AND...

TP doesn't dissolve in oil.

 

[Danglerb]

Frantz was big back in the 70's and maybe 80's then faded away. What exists now may be nothing more than old stock from a bankruptcy.

I got the story from the guys son who worked with him in the same shop when it happened.

 

[nate379]

Oh, I have heard those stories as well, but as far as I can tell they are myths. I ran a Frantz filter for a while in my truck and it worked well. Got tired of changing the TP so I switched to a much bigger Amsoil unit. Filter is almost $50 compared to $0.50 for TP though.