Ford 6.0 PSD Air Filter change weight

Yarome · June 25, 2017

I don't especially trust filter minders so usually use the weigh method to tell when it's getting time to change air filters. For the life of me though... I can't remember, can't find my chart, and haven't been successful finding anything online. It's just a stock Motorcraft blue media filter. Would anyone happen to have a weight chart, or even just an "end of useful life" weight?

In case anyone asks... the filter minder reads "ok", and no... no dash lights. I usually like to change them out between 75%-80%. TIA

RBH · June 26, 2017

Hmm, in all my years servicing engines I've never heard of your method to determine filter life. Live and learn I guess. The filter minder is actually pretty accurate since it measures the amount of vacuum in the filter housing. As the filter becomes more restricted the vacuum in the housing increases. Low vacuum equals low restriction, and that is close enough for me.

GeorgiaHybrid · June 26, 2017

Never have heard of that method either. As RBH stated, the filter minders measure the difference in air pressure between the two sides of the filter to determine the restriction in air flow.

If you have a fuel filter minder like the one on our truck, it will do the same thing.

Chalkie · June 26, 2017

I, too, have never heard of that method. In the overall scheme of things, air filters are inexpensive and I just change mine on a regular basis whether or not the minder says it is needed. My 2 cents.

Yarome · June 26, 2017

Filter minders are reliable... when they work. I've read too many stories though of folks finding out theirs were plugged... Ford had a recall on a number of them (not sure if mine was part of that)... or in "certain conditions" they can "pop" prematurely. Probably just fine, and I'm sure I would notice if driving conditions were to change, but "just enough" uncertainty, for me, that I don't care to wait and find out after the fact or until driving conditions change dramatically enough to be noticable. .

Chalkie is right though... although a bit expensive... in the grand scheme of things it's not a hardship to just replace them, but why do it if you don't need to? 70 bucks is 70 bucks.

"By the mile" methods and visual checks are HIGHLY unreliable. Folks report anywhere from 25k to 110k miles on a filter.

I DID finally hear back from Ford today though (12 days later). The OEM 6.0 filter rating is 3 pounds even. The "method" being to weight your filter assembly prior to installation and mark it prominently on the filter housing. During routine maintenance you lightly "tap out" the filter then weigh your filter assembly again. Anything over the intial weight gives you a good indiction of remaining "life".

I'm no penny pincher when it comes to tires, fuel/water filters, brakes, etc.. but for some strange reason I really hate throwing out an air filter assembly without a good, reliable, reason to do so. Funny, ain't it? Some might consider that banal or eccentric. I prefer "quirky". :lol:

kinseypw · June 30, 2017

I usually change air filter on my chev diesel every year. I buy from Amazon and usually pay about $40. I was advised to do this by a friend who was a trucker and he subscribed to the better safe than sorry philosophy. Since we spend a lot of time boondocking in the desert it seems like a wise precaution

Ray,IN · July 1, 2017

Would this "weight chart" take into account humidity levels in the filter? I've been around filters of some kind/type for many years and never heard of weighing them prior to this thread.

The trucking industry has relied on filter-minders for decades, if their was a more efficient or cost-effective method I would assume it would be universally adopted. My SIL is nation-wide maintenance manager for a large truck freight company, I'll phone him tomorrow and ask about a weight chart for changing air filters.

UPDATE:

I found this article explaining measuring an air fitlers efficiency: https://www.sterlitech.com/measuring-a-filters-performance

This sentence stands out when I read the article:

" Some filter manufacturers will report efficiency in terms of the percentage removal of the particles by weight, which does not reveal the number of particles what may pass through the filter."