Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: UltrafanUK
If the Ford in question has a petrol engine, the oil has been used for far too long.
The filter looks OK, but you need to do a particle count UOA to figure out how good an oil filter is. Can chopping only tells you how dirty it is and if it failed in a big way.
I am a huge advocate of oil filter efficiency not mattering. For example, look at the used oil analysis with torn Purolator filters being used. This is not an excuse for poor quality, but is proof that a filter in 100% bypass will still filter. Toyota filters aren't known for being efficient either, but boy do their cars sure last forever. Change the oil when the manual says to and use a quality air filter.
IIRC, the Fram rep here said these filters were just under the Fram Extra Guard in terms of efficiency. Many
folks seem to like them too because of their metal end caps. They offer a great bargain and can be had dirt cheap with AAP promo codes, but I believe they now went to Purolator for their house brand filters. My local store still has old stock, but who knows about others.
Mine Gott, how can you say that oil filter efficiency and failed filter media incidents do not matter!
In general terms the bigger the engine, the more important the efficiency of the oil filter is and the more serious the results of a split or relief valve failure are.
Just to confuse things if you have a low tollerance (A block with sloppy bearings when new) engine and do mostly long trips, the oil filter is less important. That's why the original VW engines (Just after WW2) just used a simple magnetic mesh that could be cleaned.