Filter cross reference, how does that work?
In this blog we explain how filter cross-referencing works. How do you make sure you have the right filter for your machine?
When looking for filters, this is one of the things that almost everyone has to deal with. You are looking for a filter for your machine and you know the article number of the filter you are holding, but how do you find the right alternative?
Is an after-market filter as good as an original?
This is a very good question. You could say that a filter with the correct cross-reference is by definition also a good alternative to your brand of original filter. Yet this is certainly not true. It is true that no machine manufacturer makes its own filters anymore. They also rely on specialists in this area for a brand of original filter. Filter manufacturers spend many millions of euros per year on research and development. Filtration is their niche.
If you know that many brand original filters come from other manufacturers, then you also know that exactly the same filters from this manufacturer are marketed under their own name. But how do you find this and how do you know that an after-market filter fits and filters just as well. We will discuss this further in this blog.
How are OE and after-market filters linked to their OEM alternatives
Linking filters is a science in itself. A filter has so many unique features that determine whether the filter fits your machine and application that comparing filters is not that easy.
The dimensions of the filter are often initially considered, but this is only half the story. After all, the filter may fit, but does it also do its job properly?
Below we list all matters that play a role in filter cross-reference.
Dimensions
Of course, you must be sure that your filter fits on the filter head or in the housing of your air filter. With an oil or hydraulic filter, the outer diameter, the inner diameter and the screw thread are initially considered. If these do not match, you do not have to look any further, because then the filter simply does not fit and you will get leaks. Yet it is interesting to know that there may be a millimeter of play. What's that like? Often the outer diameter is not that important if the sealing ring in the filter connects correctly to the filter head and a good leak-free connection is created.
For an air filter, the importance of dimensions depends on its shape and function. Just like with oil and hydraulic filters, you often have to deal with outside and inside dimensions. Air filters come in many shapes and sizes and are often specifically designed for the machine in which they are installed from the factory.
Filtration efficiency
If you know that the filter fits, you also need to know whether it is doing its job properly. Especially in modern and more complex engines, it is very important how pure the air, fuel or oil is. A good example of modern technology that places much higher demands on filtration is the common-rail technology that you encounter in many modern diesel engines.
The filtration efficiency can be found in the filter specifications in the micron and efficiency indication. This shows the size of the particles that are filtered out and the percentage of these particles that can still be found in the liquid, oil or air upstream and downstream of the filter. Before the filter, upstream, there is a certain amount of particulate contamination and down-stream, after the filter, a lower number. The size of the particles that can be filtered is described in microns. Micron is one thousandth of a millimeter. A human hair is about 50 microns and a red blood cell is about 6 microns. Many filters retain contamination that is many times smaller and this also shows how complex the filter material, the filter media, actually is.
The efficiency of the filter is often expressed as a percentage. If it states that 99.9% of the particles with a size of 10 microns are retained, then you can assume that of the 10,000 particles of contamination with a size of 10 microns, only 100 will pass through the filter.
Sometimes it also plays a role as to which size particles are 100% retained in the filter. In this case you speak of absolute efficiency.
Filter media
Different filter media are used in filters, each with different characteristics. Basically you have three types of materials; cellulose, a type of paper, fiberglass and synthetic. Each material has different properties, such as how well it is able to remove certain contaminants, how resistant it is to moisture and chemicals and at what temperatures the material remains good. The material from which the filter media is made can always be found in the specifications of the filter. This is an important factor to consider when comparing filters. This is the material that does the final filtering and must remain good for a long time.
Throughput capacity
In a filter you always have a certain resistance. The liquid or air that flows through the filter is slowed down because it has to flow through something. You can say that there is always a pressure loss in a filter. This is an important point to pay attention to, otherwise you will not get enough air, oil or fluid in your system. In an engine you can imagine that less air means that the mix between fuel and oxygen is not optimal during combustion. This can at least result in reduced performance and in the worst case, incorrect combustion resulting in deposits in the engine. With an oil filter, too low pressure may result in insufficient lubrication in your engine and increased wear. Wear, in turn, causes metal contamination in your rotating parts. This is precisely what you are trying to prevent with filtration. In short, the wrong filter can actually cause your engine or gearbox to wear out and break down faster. In your hydraulic system, a flow rate in your filter that is too low can cause you to get too low pressure behind the filter. If this occurs, cavitation may occur. This is the formation of tiny bubbles in your oil that then implode. This seems harmless, but these mini implosions release enormous temperatures of thousands of degrees. This has a disastrous effect on all parts of your hydraulic system. If you think about your hydraulic pump, hydraulic valve or hydraulic motor, you should not think about the fact that it literally eats away the inside.
In short, the flow rate or throughput capacity of your filter is very important to ensure that your engine, hydraulics and rotating parts continue to work properly.
Operating pressure
With a filter, especially for heavier applications, it is also important that the filter can handle the pressure of the system. If the pressure is higher than the filter can withstand, it may leak or tear. The leakage that occurs here is immediately noticeable and is not immediately disastrous, but if you experience an oil leak on the construction site or during work, the costs can increase significantly. Cleaning the ground into which the oil or fuel is leaking can be very costly and may also require work to be stopped.
The pressure that the filter can handle is often described in the filter specifications as the “pressure rating”.
Bypass valve
This valve ensures that oil can always escape the filter. This valve is crucial in some applications, because otherwise oil will not be immediately available when it is needed. For example, when cold starting engines, it may be necessary to have the viscous oil immediately available while it is not yet liquid enough to flow through the filter media. This also provides protection in case your filter becomes clogged and it is crucial to have oil for the application. Just sayin' that it's better to have dirty oil than no oil at all. Whether your filter has a bypass valve is certainly something to check and which is also taken into account when cross-referencing filters. Not every filter has one and it is certainly not always necessary, but if it is necessary it should never be missing.
Anti-Drainback valve
This valve ensures that oil cannot flow back when you stop the machine or engine. The reason for this is that the system or engine requires that oil is always available even if the pressure in the system is not yet there because it has been standing still. In principle the same applies to this valve as to the bypass valve. If your filter has an anti-drainback valve, this must also be fitted to your replacement filter.
ISO certification
Perhaps not the first thing you think of when comparing filters is an ISO certification. What this certification indicates is that the manufacturer has subjected the production and the end product, your filter, to strict quality tests. An ISO certification guarantees that the filter you want to install in your machine actually delivers the performance stated in the specifications. You can easily check this because every manufacturer that has earned this designation will also mention it. At Boar you can count on us only working with ISO certified brands.
Conclusion
If you take all of the above into account, there is quite a bit to consider when cross-referencing filters. It is not that easy to see from the outside of the filter whether it is suitable for your application. Especially the things you don't see, such as the flow rate and the filter media, play a crucial role in keeping your machine healthy.
This is also the reason that at Boar we are quite proud of our extensive database of cross-references. We spent a lot of time matching filters. We have brought together more than a million applications and filters in one database. This is also the reason that we only work with large and niche brands. With these brands you can assume that they are certified, that the quality is correct and that the filters are really suitable for the application.
Filter cross-reference tools in the Boar webshop
Do you want to know whether your filter, whether it is an OEM original filter or an after-market one, has alternatives? Then take a look at our filter webshop and enter the product number of your filter in the search field and you will immediately see the alternatives of our brands; Donaldson, Fleetguard, Argo-Hytos, Hengst, Mann, Mann+Hummel, Filtrec and Fil.
You can also go to our brand specific webshop sections to match your filter to your favorite brand. Click on the links below for the correct cross-reference for your filter.
Visual Filter Recognition, the easiest way to find the right filter
Another method to select the right filter is “VisualFilterRecognition”. With this tool you simply take a photo of your (brand original) filter and you will immediately see the correct matches based on cross-reference. This tool is available via the Boar app or on the Boar website. You will find the icon on the homepage next to the search bar where you would enter the number of the filter if you do not want to use this tool.
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