I never thought it would come to this...

Oil filter availability is so bad I'm temporarily going back to the old oil pressure screen setup. In the distant future, when a wave of backordered oil filters ship my way I'll go back.

I'm not that worried about it, this engine made TBO twice without an oil filter.

Are the stories of Champion losing the lease on their factory building true?

C180_guy wrote:Are the stories of Champion losing the lease on their factory building true?

I don't know, but most of the parts guys I've talked to think Champion oil filters won't arrive for the rest of the year.

Any reason not to use Tempest filters? When I first heard about Champion supply problems, I quickly found that Aircraft Spruce (at least) had Tempest filters for my IO-550 in stock. When I just checked, those filters were backordered for a week, which I could live with pretty easily.

--Rick

rmac wrote:Any reason not to use Tempest filters? When I first heard about Champion supply problems, I quickly found that Aircraft Spruce (at least) had Tempest filters for my IO-550 in stock. When I just checked, those filters were backordered for a week, which I could live with pretty easily.

--Rick

I have several Tempest filters on order. Spruce is getting 650 in late June but it doesn't sound like I'll get one.

The more I read up on it, the more it doesn't even seem like an oil filter is that important. Lycoming more or less says the main benefit is longer oil change hour interval, but I'm usually constrained by the 4 month interval instead.

rmac wrote:Any reason not to use Tempest filters? When I first heard about Champion supply problems, I quickly found that Aircraft Spruce (at least) had Tempest filters for my IO-550 in stock. When I just checked, those filters were backordered for a week, which I could live with pretty easily.

--Rick

I've been waiting for tempest for over a month. Hoping for some soon, hard to run a maintenance shop when you can't change oil...

Since converting my 470K with integral oil pump filter to Pponk, I have been using the Tempest 48108-2 and have one more. Maybe I will go back to using this reusable 48109 that I've had since 1995 which fits the same. It has magnets too.

Well I took a slightly less dramatic approach and bought a new-old-stock cartridge-style oil filter assembly (C294505-0101) and a current production filter (CFO-100-1). It'll probably leak a bit and be a hassle, but at least the filters are available. I left 1 filter in stock at Spruce in case any of you guys are really desperate.

Oil screen >

Jack R wrote:Well I took a slightly less dramatic approach and bought a new-old-stock cartridge-style oil filter assembly (C294505-0101) and a current production filter (CFO-100-1). It'll probably leak a bit and be a hassle, but at least the filters are available. I left 1 filter in stock at Spruce in case any of you guys are really desperate.

My old man has been using this set up since 75. Works fine and is easier to cut open for inspection. The only down side is its a but cumbersome to remove and install.

The challenger oil filter is an option too. I noticed Lycon puts them on lots of their rebuilds when they kick them out the door.

I ordered three Champion 48109-1 filters from Spruce in February and still waiting for back order. I called Spruce yesterday, "we should have them in August and will ship".

Not that I would. But I’ve heard you can always cross reference from National Aviation Parts Association (NAPA) in a pinch….

If a screen is okay, why can't you just use the same filter for a couple cycles of oil?

electricsnail wrote:Not that I would. But I’ve heard you can always cross reference from National Aviation Parts Association (NAPA) in a pinch….

I'm pretty sure that I've used a 520 filter on my Jeep 4.0L. Fram PH16 rings a bell...

I just ordered a Challenger reusable oil filter because of this problem, seemed like the best of both worlds and now I don't need to worry about finding a filter when I need it.

asa wrote:If a screen is okay, why can't you just use the same filter for a couple cycles of oil?

I’ve run same filter twice forever, but I change oil more frequently than recommended. I change oil every 25 hours, but only change filter every other oil change. Lycoming recommends changes every 25 hours or every 50 with a filter.

I was taught a long time ago that oil is the cheapest thing you put in an engine.

MTV

Jack R wrote:Well I took a slightly less dramatic approach and bought a new-old-stock cartridge-style oil filter assembly (C294505-0101) and a current production filter (CFO-100-1). It'll probably leak a bit and be a hassle, but at least the filters are available. I left 1 filter in stock at Spruce in case any of you guys are really desperate.

My 2018 Ford twin-turbo truck uses a similar setup with a little paper cartridge filter you replace, so it can't be that bad or they'd go back to the screw on oil can filter.

Challenger oil filters:

https://www.challengeraviation.com/collections/oil-filters

I went with the challenger reusable oil filter, just felt it was a better product than the typical paper disposable filters and once I got it (order in May, arrived in October) I will never be beholden to the supply chain