I just completed a 10,988 mile OCI on my '03 Highlander using Mobil 1 5W-30 motor oil. I used a Napa Gold filter for the first 6k miles then changed over to a MicroGreen filter. I had a UOA done and cut open the filter to see how it was constructed. Here is what I found:
Here is a photo of the filter:
This filter is roughly the same size as the stock filter. Here is a photo of the filter next to a Napa Gold filter:
A picture of the base plate:
After cutting the filter open, here is what it looked like:
Notice the plastic bypass unit on the end opposite of the baseplate. Here is a photo looking in the filter from the baseplate end. There was a butyl rubber Anti-drainback valve that did a pretty good job. When I cut the filter open, lots of oil spilled out. Notice the spiral wound perforated steel tube inside:
Here is a photo of the bypass end. A heavy spring is used to keep the unit snug against the baseplate:
This is what it looks like with the spring and the metal cover plate removed:
That dark surface is the top of the sintered PTFE (teflon) bypass disc.
This bypass section comes in two plastic units. The outer section holds the sintered PTFE bypass media, and the inner section holds the bypass valve. In the photo below, I have removed the outer section, exposing the top of the bypass valve. Note that all of the oil that is filtered by the PTFE media goes through that small hole in the inner section.
In the photo below I am pushing down on the bypass valve:
Here is a close-up photo of the top of the PTFE disc:
More to come on the next post.
Here is a photo of the filter:
This filter is roughly the same size as the stock filter. Here is a photo of the filter next to a Napa Gold filter:
A picture of the base plate:
After cutting the filter open, here is what it looked like:
Notice the plastic bypass unit on the end opposite of the baseplate. Here is a photo looking in the filter from the baseplate end. There was a butyl rubber Anti-drainback valve that did a pretty good job. When I cut the filter open, lots of oil spilled out. Notice the spiral wound perforated steel tube inside:
Here is a photo of the bypass end. A heavy spring is used to keep the unit snug against the baseplate:
This is what it looks like with the spring and the metal cover plate removed:
That dark surface is the top of the sintered PTFE (teflon) bypass disc.
This bypass section comes in two plastic units. The outer section holds the sintered PTFE bypass media, and the inner section holds the bypass valve. In the photo below, I have removed the outer section, exposing the top of the bypass valve. Note that all of the oil that is filtered by the PTFE media goes through that small hole in the inner section.
In the photo below I am pushing down on the bypass valve:
Here is a close-up photo of the top of the PTFE disc:
More to come on the next post.