There are no stupid questions, but....

[Gary2112]

Looking at an oil filter, it screws onto a kind of spigot or spout coming out of the engine, and has several holes around this threaded portion inside the nitrile gasket that seals to the face of the engine case. I'm assuming during the filtration process, oil shoots out of the spout into the filter, and gets forced back through those surrounding holes into the oil pan? So any trapped dirt and such would be concentrated on the inward facing side of the filtration media? I wonder then, does oil ever pool or concentrate at the top portion of the filter by the outside case long enough for the solution one fellow told me about of sticking a 50 cent magnet to the outside of the oil filter to help grab those metal filings which are magnetic?

 

[jhMalibu]

My understanding is the oil goes through outside -> inside (center).

As for the magnets question, I had a hard drive magnet on my filter and cut the filter open afterwards and there was definitely particles collected. Sort of a very fine silt that followed the magnet when I moved it.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Yeah, the oil flows into the filter through the outside perimeter holes and out of the filter through the center hole...

http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/297.cfm

 

[eljefino]

If you look at the rubber flap inside the holes you'll figure that as a one-way valve it only lets oil in them holes.

There's also a greater volume around the media than inside it, so it would make sense to pack the outside with grime.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

OP:
Oil is pumped into the engine oil galleries, not into the pan. Flow direction is in through the perimeter holes and out of the centre nipple.