In my first job behind the automotive counter, I remember selling an awful lot of 10W30, 10W40, and even some of that newfangled 5W30.
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Now, of course, things are much different; we have many weights of oil, most trending toward lower viscosity, and more and more vehicles specify synthetic oil, partially due to consumer demand for longer service intervals. Most customers won&#;t bat an eye at a fully synthetic oil that costs ten bucks a quart if the car requires it. But how many people who walk up to your counter quiz you about the filter?
If you aren&#;t a counterman but instead work in a shop, you probably stock one brand of filter, and I&#;m betting it&#;s likely an economy filter. Vehicles and lubricants have both changed a lot over the years. Installing an old-fashioned filter on a modern vehicle because that&#;s what&#;s in stock may not the best course of action.
Whether a spin-on or cartridge style, the heart of the filter is the media. Automotive oil filters generally have a filtration media that falls into one of three camps: cellulose (paper), synthetic, or mixed fiber media, which is a blend of both types. Paper media is simply not as resistant to aging (weakening) as a properly chosen synthetic media. This matters a great deal on today&#;s vehicles that may spec really extreme oil change intervals. (Jaguar is up to 15,000 mile intervals on their vehicles!) Do you really want to pair up oil that can go that interval with a cardboard or paper filter that was originally designed for a then-standard 3,000 mile change?
Compounding this issue is ethanol fuel, which represents a significant portion of the gasoline sold in the United States. Ethanol generates more water as a byproduct of the combustion process. That water mixes with the engine oil and passes through the filter media until the oil has gotten hot enough to drive the water off.
Water weakens paper filter media to the point of being able to tear, reducing its efficacy as a filter and shortening its effective life. In extreme cases, pieces of media can actually detach from the filter and circulate within the oiling system. It&#;s also a bit less tolerant of higher temperatures. Quite a few modern vehicles are now packing turbos under the hood&#;more and more mundane vehicles are relying on forced induction, and turbos spin pretty fast. Higher temperatures and speeds mean clean oil is more critical than ever in these applications.
Remember, too, that many modern vehicles have stop-start systems. Synthetic filters can not only filter smaller particles but can often offer more consistent pressures while doing so. (This is why oil filters are generally a little smaller than they used to be. When was the last time you poured a quart of oil into a modern vehicle&#;s oil filter?) Media that has clogged and created higher-than-normal pressures will open the bypass valve, sending dirty oil that&#;s bypassed the filter media back into service. This obviously is compounded with a stop-start vehicle. Further, if a stop-start is pressed into stop-and-go traffic immediately, achieving proper operating temperature takes longer than if the car remained running. This exacerbates that water-in-the-oil problem we already covered.
Let&#;s also not forget about the myriad of systems that run off oil now, like variable valve timing and multiple displacement systems; do you really want filter media coming loose with that componentry? Sludge or dirty oil are ultra-problematic for vehicles with this fairly advanced technology. Even the move to overhead cams has dictated much longer timing chains than the days of cam-in-block motors. Experienced techs know that timing chains don&#;t stretch, they actually wear as the fit between pins and links gets sloppier. Poorly filtered oil accelerates that wear greatly.
A quality filter goes beyond the media, however. Generally, a manufacturer using a high-quality filtration media is also going to use a premium gasket, bypass valve spring, and anti-drainback valve, too. Building a better oil filter costs money, but that money is amortized in many cases by the savings on reduced service. Educating your customer (and being aware of the differences yourself) can help you have a customer feel confident in the parts you&#;re installing&#;especially if those parts need to last longer than they ever have before.
Every time you drive your car, the oil filter is the first line of defense against microscopic debris that could damage your engine. But have you ever wondered what goes inside an oil filter and how it works? An oil filter is made of several key components, and their materials and construction are what make the difference.
The primary role of the oil filter is to clean the engine oil as it circulates through the engine&#;s components. This process is essential because clean oil ensures smooth and efficient operation, reduces wear and tear, and prevents the accumulation of harmful deposits. An effective oil filter captures a variety of contaminants such as dust, metal shavings, and combustion byproducts before they reach the engine.
The quality of an oil filter is often gauged by three metrics:
Efficiency: This measures the filter&#;s ability to block contaminants of specific particle sizes, indicated by the size. A lower micron rating signifies a higher precision in filtering smaller particles, which are often the most harmful to engine components. The standard measurement in testing is efficiency at 20 micron.
Capacity: This is the volume of contaminants the filter can hold before becoming saturated. A higher capacity allows the oil filter to capture more impurities over longer intervals, ensuring engine protection for more miles of driving.
Restriction: Also known as flow rate, this parameter measures the ease with which oil passes through the filter. A good flow rate is crucial because it ensures optimal engine lubrication without restricting oil circulation.
A spin-on oil filter is a filtering tool that is comprised of many components working in tandem to protect engines from harmful contaminants within the oil. Each component has a specific function in the filtering process.
This is the metal container that encases the filter media. It needs to be strong enough to withstand the pressure and temperature fluctuations of the engine environment. This shell shields the filter media and plays a crucial role in managing oil flow.
Attached to the open end of this shell is the threaded baseplate, keeping all the components securely inside the filter. The baseplate is engineered with inlet and outlet ports that direct the flow of oil into the filter media and back out to the engine.
For spin-on filters this steel shell becomes an all-in-one unit that houses all the filter components. In cartridge filters, the design is slightly different. There's a permanent housing bolted directly onto the engine block that acts as the shell. With cartridge oil filters, this housing doesn't get replaced during servicing. Instead, only the inner cartridge, which contains the filter media, is replaced with a new one.
The relief or bypass valve is designed to prevent oil starvation in the engine. If the filter media becomes clogged or the oil becomes too cold and thick, the bypass valve opens, allowing unfiltered oil to circulate through the engine instead of being blocked entirely. It's better to get unfiltered oil to the engine than no oil at all.
The key component group in a spin-on oil filter is the filter element assembly constructed of filter media, a core (steel or nylon), and end caps.
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The media is the heart of the filter where actual filtration occurs. It is made from one of the following materials, which affects the filter efficiency and capacity:
Traditional Cellulose: Strikes a balance between efficiency and capacity, suitable for standard vehicle requirements with conventional oil change intervals.
Synthetic Blend: Enhances filtration efficiency without affecting the filter's capacity.
Full Synthetic: Offers high efficiency and capacity, ideal for heavy-duty applications, commercial vehicles, high-performance engines, and extended oil change intervals.
The design of the media often involves pleats, which increase the surface area for filtration within a compact space. However, it's important to remember that the quality and material of the filter media are more critical than the number of pleats it contains.
The steel and nylon core acts as the central pillar, providing strength and stability to pleated filter media and preventing it from collapsing under pressure. The end caps, on the other hand, provide structural support to the filter media and create a chamber for the oil to flow through. These end caps can be made from a variety of materials.
Modern engines rely on a quick oil supply upon startup. The anti-drainback valve plays a key role in this by preventing the oil from draining out of the filter when the engine is turned off. This ensures a sufficient amount of oil is readily available for lubrication when the engine is restarted, minimizing friction and wear.
The anti-drainback valve comes in various materials. Nitrile valves are common in standard filters, but they can become brittle and crack when exposed to excessive heat. Filters with silicone valves, like FRAM Synthetic Endurance&#;, exhibit better resistance to heat-related issues and deliver maximum engine protection.
The primary function of a gasket is to create a tight seal between the filter and the engine block. This prevents engine oil from leaking out, which could starve the engine of lubrication and cause damage. While gaskets are designed to last for the life of the oil filter, they can wear out over time or get damaged during installation. It's crucial to inspect them whenever you replace the oil filter. If they appear cracked or worn, they should be replaced to prevent oil leaks.
Cartridge oil filters include only the filter media element and applicable gaskets or O-rings, without a housing. This design has been adopted by several vehicle manufacturers to reduce overall weight and increase the vehicle's reusable content.
Permanent canister: Bolted onto the engine block.
Replaceable filter element: Similar to the filter media in spin-on oil filters, this traps contaminants. Only the replaceable filter element inside the canister needs to be changed, while the canister itself remains on the engine.
Bypass valve: Located within the canister housing, it functions similarly to the relief valve in spin-on filters, keeping the oil flowing when the filter is clogged.
When the engine runs, oil circulates and enters the filter through the inlet ports and is directed into and through the filter media. The media traps contaminants like dirt, metal shavings, and combustion byproducts as the oil flows through. Clean oil exits the filter through the central outlet and is recirculated back into the engine.
During conditions where the oil filter is clogged or the oil is too thick to pass through the media, the pressure relief valve activates. This bypass allows unfiltered oil to continue flowing to the engine. The anti-drain back valve ensures that oil does not flow back and empty from critical engine areas when the engine is off.
Will a smaller filter flow less oil?
No. Oil flow is controlled by engine operating conditions, not filter size. Advancements in filter and media design have allowed for smaller filters to meet or exceed the performance of a larger filter.
Will a small filter hold enough contaminants?
The capacity of a small oil filter to hold contaminants depends on its design and the materials used in the filter media. Although smaller filters have less surface area and volume compared to larger ones, many are efficiently designed to maximize their contaminant-holding capacity without compromising filtration quality.
Are oil filters universal?
No. There are different types of oil filters in various sizes and shapes. Different engines require different filters. Follow the specifications in your car's owner manual to ensure that the filter is compatible with your car's engine and oil system.
Is a different filter required when the engine uses synthetic oil?
When using synthetic oil, it's recommended to use a filter specifically designed for synthetic oil. These filters are typically constructed with synthetic media that can better handle the longer service intervals and enhanced flow characteristics of synthetic oils. Our most durable oil filter, FRAM Synthetic Endurance&#;, is engineered to work with synthetic oils to deliver 99% filtration efficiency for 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers).
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