FILTRATION MYTHS
OIL FILTERS ARE ALL CONSTRUCTED THE SAME, CORRECT?
NO!!! It is true that many brand names of oil filters you see in stores are manufactured by single, larger companies. However, the filter construction varies from filter-to-filter when crossing brands. For example, a FRAM oil filter is not identical to a WIX oil filter in terms of the components within the filter. Beware the cheap and/or off-brand oil filters! They will allow damage to occur inside your engine from abrasive particles which they cannot filter. There are cases where the 'cheaper' oil filters have come apart internally or burst and caused additional engine damage.
ANY OIL FILTER WILL WORK FOR MY VEHICLE AS LONG AS THE THREAD SIZE AND PITCH ARE CORRECT, RIGHT?
YIKES. This is not true at all for many reasons. Just because the thread size and pitch are correct does not mean the replacement oil filter is the right diameter or height. The sealing gasket (on the top of the filter--seals the filter body to the engine sealing surface) diameter may also be different which could cause the filter to fail to seal properly, if at all. It may not have an anti-drain back valve, and this can be very important (read about it below). The bypass valve may have a different PSI rating which can be problematic (more info on this below). High-quality oil filter construction includes strong stamped end caps on the filter media, louvered center tube, and a heavy-duty baseplate. The material of the sealing gasket is very important especially when extending drain intervals which mean the gasket will be sitting in the same position for a longer time.
THE FILTER MEDIA IN ALL OIL FILTERS IS THE SAME AND FILTERS GREAT!
Drum roll please...FALSE! Most oil filters contain plain old paper (a.k.a. cellulose) filter elements. Paper elements can vary greatly in both quality and filtration effectiveness. Many paper oil filters are not designed to last very long in terms of both mileage and time installed on the vehicle because (1) they do not have a large contaminant capacity (a.k.a. loading capacity--more info on this below) and (2) the element will begin to come apart.
Glass-enhanced cellulose filters can be used with conventional, synthetic blend, and 100% synthetic oils. They have a longer service life and filter better compared to plain cellulose oil filters.
Filters with wire-backed synthetic media are able to withstand conventional, synthetic blend, and 100% synthetic oils. With 100% synthetic oils, these oil filters are perfect for extended oil drain intervals. They tend to filter much better than cellulose and glass-enhanced cellulose filters due to the narrow passages through the media. Synthetic media oil filters also have a greater contaminant capacity than cellulose and glass-enhanced cellulose filters which is another reason they can remain installed for a longer period before replacement is necessary. Since the fibers are smaller than traditional cellulose and glass-enhanced cellulose, the oil flows easier due to less restriction.
THIS FILTER HAS A NOMINAL MICRON RATING OF (insert number here); THAT IS GOOD, RIGHT?
Nominal micron ratings tell you NOTHING about how well a filter will do its job. If a person/company strongly advertises a filter based on a nominal micron rating (NMR), pay no attention. What you must look for is the Beta Ratio of the filter; this is the best data for evaluating a filter's performance. A Beta Ratio of '2' means the filter is 50% efficient at filtering particles of a certain size. For example, a Beta Ratio expressed as '2=20' means the filter is 50% efficient at removing particles of the 20 micron size from the fluid stream.
A Beta Ratio (BR) of 20 equals 95% filter efficiency at the stated micron size. BR of 75 equals 98.7% efficiency. BR of 200 equals 99.5% efficiency. BR of 1000 equals 99.9% efficiency.
ANTI-DRAIN BACK VALVE? I DON'T NEED THAT!
Oh, how wrong this can be! Some factory oil filter locations put the oil filter at an angle which allows the oil to drain out of the filter when the engine is not running. This causes a delay in oil pressure and, therefore, full system oil flow once the engine is started again because the empty or mostly empty oil filter must be filled with oil. An anti-drain back valve prevents the oil from draining out of the filter and allows full system oil pressure and flow to be reached quickly when the engine is started. Silicone is the material of choice for anti-drain back valves since it remains flexible in extreme temperatures.
OILED AIR FILTERS (COTTON GAUZE, FOR EXAMPLE) ARE THE BEST AIR FILTERS ON THE MARKET.
No. No. No. The oiled air filters available from well-known manufacturers cannot stop the fine dust particles from entering the engine. These particles cause wear and can contaminate the oil. Throw that oiled air filter in the trash! OEM or quality replacement paper air filters (such as WIX, Purolator) filter well but do not have an extended service life.
What air filter should you use for extended service intervals? Dry air filters with synthetic filtration media are your best option. The dry synthetic filters perform extremely well when it comes to filtering out abrasive particles of all sizes. They also have an extended service life which will save you money in the long run compared to paper and oiled filters. AMSOIL synthetic nanofiber air filters filter out particles down to under 2 microns in size!
NO!!! It is true that many brand names of oil filters you see in stores are manufactured by single, larger companies. However, the filter construction varies from filter-to-filter when crossing brands. For example, a FRAM oil filter is not identical to a WIX oil filter in terms of the components within the filter. Beware the cheap and/or off-brand oil filters! They will allow damage to occur inside your engine from abrasive particles which they cannot filter. There are cases where the 'cheaper' oil filters have come apart internally or burst and caused additional engine damage.
ANY OIL FILTER WILL WORK FOR MY VEHICLE AS LONG AS THE THREAD SIZE AND PITCH ARE CORRECT, RIGHT?
YIKES. This is not true at all for many reasons. Just because the thread size and pitch are correct does not mean the replacement oil filter is the right diameter or height. The sealing gasket (on the top of the filter--seals the filter body to the engine sealing surface) diameter may also be different which could cause the filter to fail to seal properly, if at all. It may not have an anti-drain back valve, and this can be very important (read about it below). The bypass valve may have a different PSI rating which can be problematic (more info on this below). High-quality oil filter construction includes strong stamped end caps on the filter media, louvered center tube, and a heavy-duty baseplate. The material of the sealing gasket is very important especially when extending drain intervals which mean the gasket will be sitting in the same position for a longer time.
THE FILTER MEDIA IN ALL OIL FILTERS IS THE SAME AND FILTERS GREAT!
Drum roll please...FALSE! Most oil filters contain plain old paper (a.k.a. cellulose) filter elements. Paper elements can vary greatly in both quality and filtration effectiveness. Many paper oil filters are not designed to last very long in terms of both mileage and time installed on the vehicle because (1) they do not have a large contaminant capacity (a.k.a. loading capacity--more info on this below) and (2) the element will begin to come apart.
Glass-enhanced cellulose filters can be used with conventional, synthetic blend, and 100% synthetic oils. They have a longer service life and filter better compared to plain cellulose oil filters.
Filters with wire-backed synthetic media are able to withstand conventional, synthetic blend, and 100% synthetic oils. With 100% synthetic oils, these oil filters are perfect for extended oil drain intervals. They tend to filter much better than cellulose and glass-enhanced cellulose filters due to the narrow passages through the media. Synthetic media oil filters also have a greater contaminant capacity than cellulose and glass-enhanced cellulose filters which is another reason they can remain installed for a longer period before replacement is necessary. Since the fibers are smaller than traditional cellulose and glass-enhanced cellulose, the oil flows easier due to less restriction.
THIS FILTER HAS A NOMINAL MICRON RATING OF (insert number here); THAT IS GOOD, RIGHT?
Nominal micron ratings tell you NOTHING about how well a filter will do its job. If a person/company strongly advertises a filter based on a nominal micron rating (NMR), pay no attention. What you must look for is the Beta Ratio of the filter; this is the best data for evaluating a filter's performance. A Beta Ratio of '2' means the filter is 50% efficient at filtering particles of a certain size. For example, a Beta Ratio expressed as '2=20' means the filter is 50% efficient at removing particles of the 20 micron size from the fluid stream.
A Beta Ratio (BR) of 20 equals 95% filter efficiency at the stated micron size. BR of 75 equals 98.7% efficiency. BR of 200 equals 99.5% efficiency. BR of 1000 equals 99.9% efficiency.
ANTI-DRAIN BACK VALVE? I DON'T NEED THAT!
Oh, how wrong this can be! Some factory oil filter locations put the oil filter at an angle which allows the oil to drain out of the filter when the engine is not running. This causes a delay in oil pressure and, therefore, full system oil flow once the engine is started again because the empty or mostly empty oil filter must be filled with oil. An anti-drain back valve prevents the oil from draining out of the filter and allows full system oil pressure and flow to be reached quickly when the engine is started. Silicone is the material of choice for anti-drain back valves since it remains flexible in extreme temperatures.
OILED AIR FILTERS (COTTON GAUZE, FOR EXAMPLE) ARE THE BEST AIR FILTERS ON THE MARKET.
No. No. No. The oiled air filters available from well-known manufacturers cannot stop the fine dust particles from entering the engine. These particles cause wear and can contaminate the oil. Throw that oiled air filter in the trash! OEM or quality replacement paper air filters (such as WIX, Purolator) filter well but do not have an extended service life.
What air filter should you use for extended service intervals? Dry air filters with synthetic filtration media are your best option. The dry synthetic filters perform extremely well when it comes to filtering out abrasive particles of all sizes. They also have an extended service life which will save you money in the long run compared to paper and oiled filters. AMSOIL synthetic nanofiber air filters filter out particles down to under 2 microns in size!
TERMS YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND
Oil Filter Bypass Valve
This valve changes the path of the circulating
oil based on pressure. A difference in pressure (called a 'pressure
drop' or 'pressure differential') exists across the oil filter when the
engine is running. This means the pressure of the dirty oil entering
the filter is different (higher) than the pressure of the 'clean' oil
leaving the filter.
During sudden, large engine RPM increase, the pressure drop across the oil filter is high which means a lot more oil is trying to enter the oil filter than is leaving it. This can starve the engine of oil, so the bypass valve opens to allow the oil to pass straight from the oil pump into the engine without first being filtered by the oil filter. The bypass valve temporarily removes the oil filter from the system. While this keeps the engine from running low on oil during a critical period, it results in dirty oil being circulated in the engine.
A lubricant is considered 'cold' when it has a temperature that is lower than its operating temperature. 'Cold' is typically used to refer to a lubricant that is the same temperature as the outside ambient air temperature; this can be -30 degrees Fahrenheit or 110 degrees Fahrenheit, for example. Oil is thicker when it is cold. When starting a cold engine, an oil that is too thick will cause a large pressure drop across the oil filter. Therefore, the bypass valve opens so that unfiltered, dirty oil can reach critical engine components.
It is important to pay attention to the viscosity of the engine oil! Do not use an oil that is too thick. Equally as important is the pressure rating of the oil filter bypass valve. A thick engine oil and/or a bypass valve with a low pressure setting will cause a lot of dirty oil to be pumped through the engine. An oil filter without a bypass valve will filter all incoming oil but may starve the engine of oil if it is too restrictive to flow and/or if the oil is too thick.
During sudden, large engine RPM increase, the pressure drop across the oil filter is high which means a lot more oil is trying to enter the oil filter than is leaving it. This can starve the engine of oil, so the bypass valve opens to allow the oil to pass straight from the oil pump into the engine without first being filtered by the oil filter. The bypass valve temporarily removes the oil filter from the system. While this keeps the engine from running low on oil during a critical period, it results in dirty oil being circulated in the engine.
A lubricant is considered 'cold' when it has a temperature that is lower than its operating temperature. 'Cold' is typically used to refer to a lubricant that is the same temperature as the outside ambient air temperature; this can be -30 degrees Fahrenheit or 110 degrees Fahrenheit, for example. Oil is thicker when it is cold. When starting a cold engine, an oil that is too thick will cause a large pressure drop across the oil filter. Therefore, the bypass valve opens so that unfiltered, dirty oil can reach critical engine components.
It is important to pay attention to the viscosity of the engine oil! Do not use an oil that is too thick. Equally as important is the pressure rating of the oil filter bypass valve. A thick engine oil and/or a bypass valve with a low pressure setting will cause a lot of dirty oil to be pumped through the engine. An oil filter without a bypass valve will filter all incoming oil but may starve the engine of oil if it is too restrictive to flow and/or if the oil is too thick.
Contaminant Capacity (a.k.a Loading Capacity)
Every oil filter produced has a certain contaminant capacity. This is the maximum amount of contaminants (debris, particles, whatever you want to call it) the filter media will hold when it is considered plugged. This is usually measured by weight in units of grams.
Filters with low contaminant capacities (less than 20 grams for oil filters) are not suitable for long intervals. The larger the contaminant capacity, the longer the filter can be used.
What happens when an oil filter becomes plugged? Say 'hello' to the open bypass valve which prevents the oil from being filtered. Period. Dirty oil is cycled continuously through the engine and becomes even more contaminated. Mayday! Can you say 'excessive engine wear'?
What happens when an air filter becomes plugged? Restricted airflow creates all kinds of issues. Your vehicle or equipment will seem angry and stubborn. Hard to impossible starts, awful fuel economy, horrific acceleration, and fuel-rich conditions are some of the effects.
Filters with low contaminant capacities (less than 20 grams for oil filters) are not suitable for long intervals. The larger the contaminant capacity, the longer the filter can be used.
What happens when an oil filter becomes plugged? Say 'hello' to the open bypass valve which prevents the oil from being filtered. Period. Dirty oil is cycled continuously through the engine and becomes even more contaminated. Mayday! Can you say 'excessive engine wear'?
What happens when an air filter becomes plugged? Restricted airflow creates all kinds of issues. Your vehicle or equipment will seem angry and stubborn. Hard to impossible starts, awful fuel economy, horrific acceleration, and fuel-rich conditions are some of the effects.
Oler Equipment Care - Tulsa, Oklahoma
918-949-1504
918-949-1504