FRAM TG3600 Cut Open + PZHM Cleaning Ability

[HX520W]

This filter was used for seven months and 3,600 miles on a previously neglected 1997 Saturn SL1 SOHC. The filter still had quite a lot of grit trapped in the pleats but it's substantially cleaner than the last filter I took off.

Seam side

Side opposite the seam

Does anyone know what the gold colored stuff is on the base plate? It wasn't there when the filter was installed.

The car was filled with four quarts of Pennzoil High Mileage and had one quart of Pennzoil High Mileage and two quarts of Rotella T5 as makeup oil. I'm very pleased with how well the oil is cleaning the engine.

Here's a view of where the oil filter screws on.
Before (3,600 miles ago)

After

 

[WankelRotorHead]

And by some small miracle the cardboard end caps survived

Seriously, it looks like it did the job.

 

[KCJeep]

One of my favorite Tough Guards, I have one on the Concorde now in fact. Looks good as usual. I don't know what that "stuff" is though.

 

[Trav]

How do those particles feel? Gritty? Are they hard or metallic? Maybe something like Restore left them behind if it was ever used.

 

[6starprez]

Originally Posted By: HX520W

Does anyone know what the gold colored stuff is on the base plate? It wasn't there when the filter was installed.


From moisture???

Coolant, maybe.

 

[Cristobal]

Fram Tough Guards are great filters.

 

[goodtimes]

I bet the outlet pipe hole is even smaller inside than the inner hex part shown. There was talk about how big the hole was, this shows it's pretty small. The filter media kept its covers glued on, that's good.

 

[spasm3]

Wow that looks like sand on the filter mount!

 

[dlundblad]

The filter looks good, but I am also wondering what that sand stuff its.

It reminds me of the gun powder flakes on the inside of .22 shells. Not that I have ever taken them apart or anything..

 

[HX520W]

Originally Posted By: Trav
How do those particles feel? Gritty? Are they hard or metallic? Maybe something like Restore left them behind if it was ever used.

The particulate on the base plate can't be felt but can be rubbed off. Whatever it is it's a very thin layer.

The car has an unknown service history and I've only been servicing it for about 7,000 miles (it has 135k mi on it now). Since owning it the car has never had any oil additives used in it, I don't know about the previous owner though.

 

[HX520W]

Originally Posted By: 6starprez
From moisture???

Coolant, maybe.

I was wondering about that. When I was topping the oil off a few months ago there was condensation on the fill cap but it went away after a highway drive. I wouldn't think that water would leave deposits in the oil passages but I guess It's possible.

 

[HX520W]

Originally Posted By: goodtimes
I bet the outlet pipe hole is even smaller inside than the inner hex part shown. There was talk about how big the hole was, this shows it's pretty small.

These two pictures aren't very good but they might give you a better idea of the the size of the inlet and outlet holes if you're interested.

 

[Stewie]

That looks like sand.

 

[SJohnson]

So, you added 3 qts make up oil in 3600 miles? Is that normal? If so, sounds like all you need to do is a filter replacement every so often since you're adding so much oil. Ya also might want to get a UOA to find out what that is in you oil.

 

[badtlc]

I can't find any small signs of difference in your before and after pics. Can you point to what you thought you saw?

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
I can't find any small signs of difference in your before and after pics. Can you point to what you thought you saw?

I can see a see a very slight cleaning between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock in this picture versus the original, but nothing earth shattering and everything else remains the same (at least to my POV).

After cleaning:

Before cleaning:

 

[HX520W]

Originally Posted By: SJohnson
So, you added 3 qts make up oil in 3600 miles? Is that normal? If so, sounds like all you need to do is a filter replacement every so often since you're adding so much oil.

That type of oil consumption is pretty standard for these Saturn engines. I would run the oil much longer but every time I drain the oil larger particulate keeps pouring out of the pan.

Here's a picture from the last oil change I did. The particulate in the picture is what two pleats in the last filter caught but it's the same as what drains out of the oil pan. Let me know if I'm wrong but I think it's carbon deposits.

 

[dlundblad]

With crud pouring out of the pan, I think you are doing good by running short intervals.

Heck, maybe run a few 1000 mile intervals of Supertech or whatever you can find cheap.

 

[HX520W]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
I can't find any small signs of difference in your before and after pics. Can you point to what you thought you saw?

2010_FX4 pointed out the main part that I was talking about. And while it doesn't look a huge amount better, I'm sure that the rest of the varnish is thinner and I'll be able to see more bare metal in the next few oil changes. I was always told that removing varnish was incredibly slow or impossible with oil alone so I was surprised to see a difference in such a short time.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: HX520W
Originally Posted By: badtlc
I can't find any small signs of difference in your before and after pics. Can you point to what you thought you saw?

2010_FX4 pointed out the main part that I was talking about. And while it doesn't look a huge amount better, I'm sure that the rest of the varnish is thinner and I'll be able to see more bare metal in the next few oil changes. I was always told that removing varnish was incredibly slow or impossible with oil alone so I was surprised to see a difference in such a short time.

One thing to consider is the oil filter area is constantly covered in oil that is "rushing" around and thus the cleaning action would be more intense there simply due to the flow and velocity of the oil. The area to check to see how heavy the varnish may or may not be would be under the valve covers.

Also, have you tried doing a piston soak with Berryman to see if it will help the oil consumption? If memory serves, these engines have sticky oil control rings that lends itself to higher then normal oil consumption.