Originally Posted By: BobsArmory
I have been watching all these cut open filter posts for a few months now and I have a question. Unless there is a horrible tear or missing louvers/holes/ADBV. How can we look at photos of a filter and say, yeah that's a great filter run that sucker 30,000 miles! Or man, that filter is [censored]! I wouldn't take that for free if someone gave it to me!
Lately on BITOG if a cut open filter "looks nice" it's a great filter, run that sucker for ever. If it looks like something else, it's [censored].
So, is there any other way to judge a filter and is qualities or short comings other than internet photos?
Is it possible to ascertain that a filter is good or bad just by looking at photos posted on the internet? Come on people, a Fram Ultra or NAPA Gold could look great in photos but still fail the basic purpose of a filter.
With internet photos, can we tell if the filter media is plugged and used up or still good? I think not.
If you can still see the media, the filter is not "plugged." Assuming your definition of plugged is no more filtration with the bypass working 100%.
I would venture to say most of the filters posted here were used within their intended service life on reasonably maintained vehicles.. none of which had a filter that was even close to being plugged.
Cutting a filter open does tell you how dirty an engine is though. Ideally, there should be little to no carbon chunks in the filter media or can. Finding a few pleats full of sludge tells you that short OCI's are in order for some time.
No I don't think cut and posts are pointless.
I have to be careful about my wording here because somebody here always splits them frog hairs. Lawyers get involved. The oil filter usage police come knocking at my door. I get tied to a chair in a fully lit room. Torn Purolator filters get thrown at me. It's never good.
I have been watching all these cut open filter posts for a few months now and I have a question. Unless there is a horrible tear or missing louvers/holes/ADBV. How can we look at photos of a filter and say, yeah that's a great filter run that sucker 30,000 miles! Or man, that filter is [censored]! I wouldn't take that for free if someone gave it to me!
Lately on BITOG if a cut open filter "looks nice" it's a great filter, run that sucker for ever. If it looks like something else, it's [censored].
So, is there any other way to judge a filter and is qualities or short comings other than internet photos?
Is it possible to ascertain that a filter is good or bad just by looking at photos posted on the internet? Come on people, a Fram Ultra or NAPA Gold could look great in photos but still fail the basic purpose of a filter.
With internet photos, can we tell if the filter media is plugged and used up or still good? I think not.
If you can still see the media, the filter is not "plugged." Assuming your definition of plugged is no more filtration with the bypass working 100%.
I would venture to say most of the filters posted here were used within their intended service life on reasonably maintained vehicles.. none of which had a filter that was even close to being plugged.
Cutting a filter open does tell you how dirty an engine is though. Ideally, there should be little to no carbon chunks in the filter media or can. Finding a few pleats full of sludge tells you that short OCI's are in order for some time.
No I don't think cut and posts are pointless.
I have to be careful about my wording here because somebody here always splits them frog hairs. Lawyers get involved. The oil filter usage police come knocking at my door. I get tied to a chair in a fully lit room. Torn Purolator filters get thrown at me. It's never good.
