More Important? Oil or Air Filter?

[S2000driver]

Let's say you have a car that has both a mediocre oil filter and a mediocre air filter.

You are only allowed to upgrade one.

Which would you pick and why?

 

[higney85]

they are really cheap- why not both?

 

[S2000driver]

Let's say you live in a third world country earning 10 cents an hour and the government only allows you to buy one or the other

 

[UncleS2]

I'd upgrade the air filter, no question. Even a mediocre(heck, semi-lousy) full-flow oil filter should trap almost everything from ~40-45 microns & up. Our favorite oil analyzer(Terry Dyson) has posted several times in the past that using more "open"(ie, cheaper & lets bigger cooties pass through) oil filters seems to produce no higher wear numbers at all in oil analysis. And Bob has recent results that he thinks show that flow is more important than filtering really small particles.

A lousy air filter will let dust/dirt into your combustion chamber all the time, greatly acclerating ring & cylinder wear, as well as contaminating your oil- giving even your better filter lots extra to filter.

I have no doubt the engine would be "happier" & last longer with a 1st-rate air filter & middle of the road oil filter, than it would the other way around. Some say the K&N air filters let in too much dirt; maybe so, but the last analysis said that mine was working well!

[ January 19, 2003, 11:53 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Hughes ]

 

[Spector]

Definitely air. I am convinced that oil filters are useless appendages in 99% of applications.

 

[S2000driver]

This is a comprehensive statement of what I thought might be the case.

Everthing that comes in through the air filter has to go through the engine at least once, while wear particles might only ever make it to the filter.

Any ideas what % of contaminants in oil are due to engine friction, and what % are due to incoming air? How do the wear particle sizes compare to air particles?

 

[Rick in PA]

quote:

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Originally posted by S2000driver:
Let's say you live in a third world country earning 10 cents an hour and the government only allows you to buy one or the other

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And in this case, you have a car?

 

[S2000driver]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rick in PA:

quote:

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Originally posted by S2000driver:
Let's say you live in a third world country earning 10 cents an hour and the government only allows you to buy one or the other

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And in this case, you have a car?

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Saddam Hussein bought you the car after a member of your family performed a suicide bombing.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Spector:
Definitely air. I am convinced that oil filters are useless appendages in 99% of applications.

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Yep, people are more concerned with finding an oil filter that has the lowest micron value, when it appears they'd be doing themselves a bigger favor by finding the filter that is the least restrictive to oil flow instead. I just wish more companies would publish oil flow figures on their filters!

 

[Rick in PA]

quote:

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Originally posted by S2000driver:

quote:

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Originally posted by Rick in PA:

quote:

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Originally posted by S2000driver:
Let's say you live in a third world country earning 10 cents an hour and the government only allows you to buy one or the other

---

And in this case, you have a car?

---

Saddam Hussein bought you the car after a member of your family performed a suicide bombing.

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And what color is the car?



snicker, snicker, snicker

 

[Idrinkmotoroil]

don't look past the Honda oil filter made for your engine, it will be plenty good and then some. Thus a good air filter is all you should spend time and money on, out of those two choices. Although your stock air filter is pretty **** good too.

 

[digitaldrifter91]

quote:

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Originally posted by Idrinkmotoroil:
don't look past the Honda oil filter made for your engine, it will be plenty good and then some. Thus a good air filter is all you should spend time and money on, out of those two choices. Although your stock air filter is pretty **** good too.

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correct me if im wrong but honda oil filter is a fram...a little lesser in quality..i was kinda confused of ur post but hopefully hehe i interpreted it right.

 

[mph]

quote:

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Originally posted by digitaldrifter91:
correct me if im wrong but honda oil filter is a fram...a little lesser in quality..

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Honda filters in the US are made by either Fram or Filtech. The Filtech ones have a good rep (but I've heard they're hard to find these days).

[ January 30, 2003, 01:48 PM: Message edited by: mph ]

 

[digitaldrifter91]

since honda is getting really cheap i bet they are going to go with all fram..maybe thats why its hard to find. though i would rather just buy a bosch or a supertech filter...

on my 91 accord it came with stock ceramic brake pads. honda discontinued the making of stock ceramic and went with the conventional semi mettalic pads. they claim that it is the same and that it is cheaper to make. basically semi metallics soemtimes mess up ur rotor..this is how they are starting to get a little cheap

 

[oilcanboyd]

yup. its harder to find the made in the usa honda oil filters nowadays. the made in canada fram honda filter is plentyful at all the dealers.