Bobacuda Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 I figure this should get some comments. I worked in a full service gas station as in kid, in a rural Texas farming and ranching community. I changed a lot of oil in old cars, trucks and farm equipment ('40's to 50's) with bypass type oil filters. It was not uncommon to pop the lid on the filter canister and find a roll of toilet paper was being used for the filter. I have unrolled some of them and can verify that every layer was oil soaked and retained engine sludge. When I asked people why they did this, the reply was the same. "it works very well. The cheaper the paper the better. Get the rough stuff with no perfumes or powders and it will be fine." I never saw any of the rolls falling apart. I never saw one cause an engine to fail. This got me to thinking, automotive supply houses used to sell additional oil filtration systems that used toilet paper rolls (two rolls, then the oil went on to circulate through the normal filter). I used toilet paper for oil filters in my '51 Plymouth for 6 years before I retired it to buy a new car. No oil related problems. When I bought my B4B in 1975, I used the toilet paper oil filter again. My truck burned a valve or two over the next 23 years, but it took a bad piston ring on the top groove to finally shut it down. The truck did not burn oil, either. When I took off the drainpan, it had no more sludge in it than any other old car or truck I've worked on. I known it sounds strange, but it worked. So, any of you have experience with this? Quote
Don Coatney Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 For a lot of years I have commented (to anyone who would listen) on the lack of efficency of toilet paper used for its intended purpose as only 50% (one side) is used. But in this application the efficiency doubles. 1 Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 I have to ask one question here..if this filter is so great and as most folks would immediately state so cheap to replace...why are they not stock on cars from the manufacturer? And before the "super efficiency" theory is thrown out thee, whay would nay company also pass up the opportunity to use this as a marketing ploy to up the selling price of this special order option....toilet paper has one use primary, secondary money maker parts is for the septic tank folks to make a living pumping this sludge out of your system.. Quote
pflaming Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 In your experience the roll of paper did as well as the 'designer filters'. Maybe since the results were the same, may it then be said that neither did any good? I doubt that anyone is more negligent in changing oil and filters than I am. My engines have gone thousands of miles w/o a change, yet I have driven three cars to 300,000 miles each and never had an internal engine problem and all passed smog at 300K. My 87 T-BIrd passed smog at 300K and I never replaced the spark plugs or the wires in that time, and no mechanic ever gare it a tune-up. It is my experience that what ruins engines is over heating and dirty AIR filters. JMHO (by the novice novice mechanic who reads classic literature for relaxation). Quote
MBF Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 As explained to me by an old mechanic back in the 60's-the bypass filter system wasn't moving the volume of oil through the filter that a fully filtered system did. A lot of times on the older cars filter manufacturere (WIX, WGB) would discontinue certain filter cartridges because of a lack of demand for specific sizes. In those cases where the owner continued to drive the vehicle, out of necessity, the toilet paper, and even sanitary napkins were substituted as the filter cartridge because the cartridge was no longer available. I don't know what the filter efficiency was for these "substitue" filters, but I do know that my 53 Chevy car that has been in my immediate family since brand new, was running the sanitary napkin replacement from the late 60's up until about 2 yrs ago when an actual replacement for the sock type filter became available. Granted this car is run infrequently as a restoration project. The only difference I notice is that its easier to go to an online parts supplier for classic vehicles than it is to go to a supermarket to purchase a box of the old syled napkins. Quote
pflaming Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 MB, maybe the use of sanitary napkins gave rise to the truck term, "The Old GIrl!". 1 Quote
JBNeal Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 John Wayne toilet paper...it'll keep yer innerds clean, pilgrim Quote
Barry Maxwell Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 John Wayne toilet paper...it'll keep yer innerds clean, pilgrim Another version of this is "Rough, tough, take no s**t. Quote
Jeff Balazs Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 In the early 70's I worked at the largest full service Chevron station in SoCal. It was a very busy place and the lube racks were always in use. I recall some of the older vehicles having canister type filters made specifically for the use of toilet paper. Some of these canisters were actually labelled as such. There were debates about these units back then.......some thought they were great and others claimed that lint particles from the paper could find it's way into small oil passages and cause blockages or restrict flow. Jeff Quote
Don Coatney Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 John Wayne toilet paper...it'll keep yer innerds clean, pilgrim Is that the same as macho wipe? Looks like this thread has gone down the tubes. Caution this link uses crappy language. .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5qMbk5mL24 1 Quote
55 Fargo Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 Is that the same as macho wipe? Looks like this thread has gone down the tubes. Caution this link uses crappy language. .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5qMbk5mL24 Hey Don, wasn't your Motorcycle sponsor back in the day, soggy toilet paper aka STP...............LOL Quote
55 Fargo Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 (edited) I have also seen back in the day some using toilet paper as filters... Edited June 29, 2013 by 55Fargo Quote
55 Fargo Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 (edited) Repeat post Edited June 29, 2013 by 55Fargo Quote
55 Fargo Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 (edited) all in fun Edited June 29, 2013 by 55Fargo Quote
Don Coatney Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 Hey Don, wasn't your Motorcycle sponsor back in the day, soggy toilet paper aka STP...............LOL no I have also seen back in the day some using toilet paper as filters... No Hey Don, wasn't your Motorcycle sponsor back in the day, soggy toilet paper aka STP...............LOL For the third time NO Quote
Don Coatney Posted June 29, 2013 Report Posted June 29, 2013 Hey Don, wasn't your Motorcycle sponsor back in the day, soggy toilet paper aka STP...............LOL no I have also seen back in the day some using toilet paper as filters... No Hey Don, wasn't your Motorcycle sponsor back in the day, soggy toilet paper aka STP...............LOL For the third time NO all in fun 3 times the fun Quote
buds truck Posted July 2, 2013 Report Posted July 2, 2013 there was a company that used to make an oil cannister for toilet paper to be used as a filter. The Franz oil filter as I remember. Quote
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