Oil Filters - The Latest?

[Tredsdert]

For the money, there is no filter that outperforms the FRAM Endurance.

Realistically speaking, depending how often you change your oil, do you really need a higher quality oil filter, or is cost savings more effective?

20 microns is 20 microns.

Shit I have a HUBB aluminum oil filter on my wife's Subaru Forester goes down to 5 microns, 15 under what's necessary. Only cost me $65 and it's reusable. Wish they had a screw on oil filter option for the EcoDiesel! I would be running the 8-in HUBB oil filter for sure!

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[Odyssey USA]

Just curious, would the better media being of tighter tolerance to filter 99% at 20 microns create lower oil pressure? As the pump would have to work harder to push through the denser material. Also, is it possible that it can go into by pass mode because it's pushing through the thicker media? Just curious on your thoughts.

There’s more pleats/surface area.

 

[Roky]

I’ve been using the same oil filter for over 40 years….. the one that’s on sale, lol…usually it’s the vehicle manufacturer brand or Fram, this Jeep has only seen Fram…..I change my oil often enough (3500-5000 miles depending on use) that I’ll never live long enough to see any benefits from using a 12000+ mile filter….I try my best not to sweat the small stuff, I got bigger things to worry about, like what to get the wife that already has everything Amazon ever sold, for Xmas….

 

[roaniecowpony]

I’ve been using the same oil filter for over 40 years….. the one that’s on sale, lol…usually it’s the vehicle manufacturer brand or Fram, this Jeep has only seen Fram…..I change my oil often enough (3500-5000 miles depending on use) that I’ll never live long enough to see any benefits from using a 12000+ mile filter….I try my best not to sweat the small stuff, I got bigger things to worry about, like what to get the wife that already has everything Amazon ever sold, for Xmas….

Wait, are we married to the same woman?

 

[3TV]

Got it running a few days ago. It was indeed the PCM as Alphawolff was on track with. The PCM outfit I used fumbled the programming until the 4th try. Took them twice on a brand new Mopar PCM to get right.

I have over 500 miles on it running all around socal. So far, it's good. I had some codes for stuff that was basically nuisance stuff (brake pedal position, emissions learn, etc), which I had a dealer clear in the service lane yesterday. I'm almost ready for the Rubicon in a week, with forum member 3TV. I was going to install the RPM Extreme fan control today.

Looking forward to that Rubicon trip this year. I've made several improvements to my Jeep after last year. Nothing like a new engine though, that is pretty impressive to be able to do that on your own, especially with all the electronics on engines these days.

Get yourself a room in Pollack Pines the night before.

I'm off to Sportsman's Warehouse (again). My wife is going to ride shotgun this year. I didn't realize you have to triple the gear you are bringing by adding that one person, LOL.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Just curious, would the better media being of tighter tolerance to filter 99% at 20 microns create lower oil pressure? As the pump would have to work harder to push through the denser material. Also, is it possible that it can go into by pass mode because it's pushing through the thicker media? Just curious on your thoughts.

All modern engines have positive displacement oil pumps so it would not work harder and in addition, synthetic media has less resistance to flow versus more due to the way it is constructed.

 

[YBABRAT]

1 micron is the smallest that I have found. There is a +/- effect with high filtration capabilities. You need more surface area to allow proper flow. But given the size of the oem filter, there will be a limit to flow capacity when particles start to become trapped. You can only pack so many pleats in oem size. As for filter manufacturers being better... if they have synthetic materials and are specific to oem standards, none will out perform the other, unless the have more surface area for extended use. The main issue is choice of oil and gas. There are cleaner burning fuels, which are mostly found in higher prices and octane. As for oil to run... higher viscosity will increase your pressure and effect filter effectiveness. The filter could be damaged or act as a road block when the filter element cannot pass out of spec viscosity effectively. Contaminates in higher viscosity oil may trip the pressure relief valve, causing a lower volume of oil to circulate within the engine. Today's higher specification oils and filters, tightening the belt with consumables can be tricky. Purolator and Fram both had issues with cheapening their filters. STP filters are pretty much rebranded Mobil 1., and there may be others having rebrands as well.

 

[IanNubbit]

OEM is OEM for a reason and works great. With that, most importantly don't go 10k miles. go 3-6k miles.

 

[roaniecowpony]

OEM is OEM for a reason and works great. With that, most importantly don't go 10k miles. go 3-6k miles.

OEM filters are like OEM tires, you just can't see the name on the sidewall, but the OEM doesn't make them. That's why there's USCAR36 specification. ... so everyone makes them to the same spec. Mopar filters are from Mann-Hummel owned Wix and Purolator.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Realistically speaking, depending how often you change your oil, do you really need a higher quality oil filter, or is cost savings more effective?

20 microns is 20 microns.

Shit I have a HUBB aluminum oil filter on my wife's Subaru Forester goes down to 5 microns, 15 under what's necessary. Only cost me $65 and it's reusable. Wish they had a screw on oil filter option for the EcoDiesel! I would be running the 8-in HUBB oil filter for sure!

How much would be saved? $6? Most people piss off more money than that on vices in a day, then want to cheap out on a 70K vehicle, but I digress.

20 microns is indeed 20 microns, but you are leaving out filter efficiency, particularly when not measured via ISO 4548-12.

Here is something that I posted on another forum that gives some insight:

Oil Filters:

I have spent hundreds of hours digging into the minutiae of oil filter construction, reviewing dissections, and overall filter quality. I tend to collate filter quality into 3 categories--media quality and efficiency, overall construction quality, and cost.

For many things, short of having access to a multimillion-dollar lab and a controlled testing environment, we have to rely on industry standards and specifications and to some degree customer reviews. For filter media, if I do not see an efficiency rating listed using ISO 4548-12 standards, I am left (as are all of you) guessing at how efficient a particular filter is.

Filter efficiency refers to a measure of a filter’s ability to collect and retain particles of a specific size. For example, if a filter can collect and retain 95% of particles that are 25 micron-sized or larger, the filter can be said to be 95% efficient at 25 microns. In other words, a micron rating of 25 at 95% efficiency. The same filter may also be able to collect and retain 20% of particles that are 5 microns or larger. In a such case, the filter can be said to be 20% efficient at 5 microns or have a micron rating of 5 at 20% efficiency.

What you are seeking is something on the order of ≥99% efficiency at 20 microns. Filters that have this level of efficiency are typically the best in their class with the exception of bypass filtering systems which can go down to 2 microns, but such systems are typically not cost effective for the average user.

We also have to keep in mind there are different media types such as cellulose, cellulose-synthetic blends, and full synthetic. The best filters will have full synthetic media because it typically has a higher efficiency rating and can trap more contaminates for a longer period of time versus a cellulose counterpart.

So, what does this mean for me? It means that if I want "the best" that may not be "the cheapest" choice and could mean (depending upon my chosen oil change interval) that I am wasting part of the filter's life. How's that? Imagine using a 12-foot ladder to climb out of a 4-foot-deep hole. Would a 4 or 5-foot ladder have sufficed? The same applies for some filters whereas if a filter has a stated service life of 20,000 miles and it is changed at 5,000-mile intervals, you may be choosing a filter that far exceeds your needs.

That is, of course, unless there are features the 20K filter provides that a lesser filter does not, and you are willing to accept the cost delta between the two. This is exactly my use case; I want the best filtering I can buy with the best media there is without worrying about cost (within reason).

So that brings us to filter choices. Which is best? It all depends...

For those seeking maximum filter efficiency with very durable media, you will certainly be looking for a mesh backed synthetic media filter. There is also unbacked synthetic or synthetic blend media as well as cellulose media.

 

[Tredsdert]

How much would be saved? $6? Most people piss off more money than that on vices in a day, then want to cheap out on a 70K vehicle, but I digress.

20 microns is indeed 20 microns, but you are leaving out filter efficiency, particularly when not measured via ISO 4548-12.

Here is something that I posted on another forum that gives some insight:

You missed the point, man...

 

[CarbonSteel]

You missed the point, man...

Doubtful...but never let data and facts get in the way...

 

[roaniecowpony]

I would respectfully argue that the spec isn't "too" tight because that's what the housing and cap were actually rated for by the designers. Not surprisingly, my housing and cap were conveniently marked with two witness marks at the factory, which match up perfectly at the prescribed torque. The fact that we can actually get away with tightening at a lower torque is just coincidental.

Additionally, I disagree that tightening to the prescribed torque spec would cause the engine issues you described above, although I totally agree that they could easily manifest if overtightening the cap beyond torque spec. We all know that the filter housing is a weak point on the 3.6L, which is why I always use a torque wrench. That way I can be 100% sure that I'm not overtorquing the cap with my non-calibrated gorilla hand, ratchet, pipe wrench, impact driver, etc.

After decades in the military and civilian aviation communities, this is just part and parcel to the simplest of maintenance activities, ensuring both safety and reliability. Obviously, it is not as critical in the automotive world, but you are at least guaranteed to encounter fewer mechanical problems when the prescribed torque spec is applied....no more, no less.

If this were an aircraft, the filter cap would get safety wired. As it is, there are no provisions for safety wiring the cap.

 

[Jeep Wick]

Perhaps you are right, but I just assume the engineers knew what they were doing when they published the specs. Plus, I’m not knowledgeable or brave enough to experiment with lower torque values and risk causing a leak. To each his/her own though. I’m glad you found a lower torque value and perhaps I’ll even try that in the future.

My 2020 had a factory paint mark that I always tightened to without issue. I torqued my 2022 one time and marked it the same way. No issues.

 

[flyer92]

My 2020 had a paint mark that I always tightened to without issue. I torqued my 2022 one time and marked it the same way. No issues

My JL is marked the same way. Makes me wonder if they are all like that and people just haven't noticed it.

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