What Oil Filter Do You Use?

yea no shit I've been getting in trouble lately

 

http://www.kandpengineering.com/lab_testing.shtml

 

The mesh is very fine... theoretically a good filter, as long as you have a magical engine that only produces spherical wear particles.

It might filter down to 1 micron across... but it'll still let something through that's 100 microns long.

I run one on my dirtbike because the $20 paper Yamaha filter is pretty worthless, but I'd never run one in a road vehicle.

 

OEM Toyota since 2001

 

Number?

Maybe I'm reading the graph wrong, but it appears it falls far below even the paper filters.

 

No worries, it happens...

 

Reading wrong... higher is a bigger number meaning larger particles.

But of course, the actual numbers are missing. Without that, the graph only shows that "A > B"... not whether or not "B" is unacceptable, which would mean that even if A>B, it doesn't mean that "A" is acceptable.

No indication of what they tested against... just two (other) stainless filters and 4 paper (presume that two of the 4 were Fram and Champion).

Interesting that one of the two unidentified stainless actually outperformed 3 of the 4 paper.

 

Yea Maybe...........
Regards,Tom

 

As I said before all the other filters,
Filter Zero Microns on start up.
K&P filters 100% of the time.
Hey,to each his own.Just responding to the original question "What filter do you use"
Regards,Tom

 

Not true.

Not every filter goes into bypass on startup. It depends on the restriction of the filter media, the temperature, and weight of the oil.
The bypass pressure specified by auto manufacturers is rated to prevent bypass under all normal conditions when the recommended oil is being run for a given temperature.
This is yet another reason why it is unwise to run a heavier oil than specified.
It is also a reason why the selected filter DOES make a difference. Using the incorrect filter may not provide the proper bypass pressure, even though it may provide a higher oil capacity and greater media area.

Of course, there's also the issue of mass-production and "multiple-fitment" issues.
Crack open two Amsoil (Wix) filters that have identical base specs, but one with a taller can (more media area!)... Both use the same filter cartridge. No benefit to running the taller filter.

So if this is done with media cartridges in high quality filters such as Amsoil, then what about the bargain filters? It is unlikely that a budget filter line is going to be equipped with 5, 10, and 15 psi bypass valves in different filters.

 

OEM TRD oil filter most dealers have it.

 

Agreed. Flow, filtration, oil weight/viscosity all play a role. In the links I posted, you'll find atleast one study that looked at flow. As I recall, the OEM filters had the best flow. This would suggest that under normal circumstances, the oil will pass through the filter rather than the bypass. There may be some gain in regards heat flashoff, but to your point, bigger or larger filtration doesn't necessarily equate to better filtration. The point here is that designers should have what is optimally needed and design to that.

Too often, people are busy 'maximizing' while they should be 'optimizing'. It could be that the optimal design is the filter designed by the OEM. I'd lean that way in most instances without data (benefit of the doubt and past experience) and with it, I will be sticking with the OEM solution.

 

I'll take a filter that was filtering 15 microns last time I shut the engine off to a screen that only filters 65 microns all the time.

Every screen filter I've seen only filters down to 65 microns.

If your knowledge cannot be put into numbers, it is of a vague and insignificant type.

The question begs the answer.

 

The negative stuff I've just read in this thread about Fram is new to me, having never done any research on the subject. I've always run Fram simply because I like the no-slip coating on the end ... makes for easy on and off with oily fingers.

I can say Fram has been working like a champ for 290,000 miles so far. Then again, I still change every 3,000 miles, which no longer seems to be the "in" thing to do.

 

It never was.

No auto manufacturer has ever recommended 3000 miles. This is marketing dreamed up by the oil companies and "quick lube" places.
Late 60s, automakers recommended 6000 miles with the filter every-other oil change, but that was for large part before the spin-on filter. The old cartridge filters had twice the media of a modern large housing filter... over a quart in the housing.

 

Yes, but remember: oil companies may want to sell oil, but car companies want to sell new cars.

I put 350,000 miles on my last truck (F-150) before selling it still running strong, and I'm well on my way to getting at least that much out of this one. That's 700,000 miles on just two vehicles.

This is NOT what the auto makers want to see happen.

 

Changing oil early won't hurt. And if you are in a rough environment (extreme temps, dust, lots of idling or stop+go driving, etc..) then that can break down the oil or get it dirty earlier. If you have a question about the state of your oil at your next change (did it really need to be changed), take a sample and send it to an oil analysis company. they will tell you how good or bad the oil is. That will give you an idea about how good your oil change interval is.

 

Does anyone have contact info for a company that tests oil samples???

 

Google Blackstone Labs. They send the kits for free and it's like 25 bucks for a test.

 

bosch