Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Oil filters are over rated anyway. Use what you want. It wont matter in the end.
Agree.
I used many different low end to mid range oil filters in my 1994 LS400 with over 370k miles, the filter change interval was 1 year average about 18k miles, the engine is still running.
What were those filters ? They were Fram Extra Guard, STP, Motocraft, Pep Boys house brand ... It never had any oil filter costs more than $5.
I'll add to this concept with another anecdotal storyline:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjRgiAOHm-E
Ford Superduty with over a million miles on the engine at the time.
But I wanted to know more than just a short 'Tube video would tell me. So I called that tire/service dealer directly and spoke to the manager on duty. Here is what he told me ...
That SuperDuty is owned by a guy who shuttles racing greyhounds from track to track for the owners. He drives around the country a LOT. (for perspective, the video of the 2006 truck was shot in 2011, and the vehicle had over a million miles on it!)
Anyway, the truck had the 5.4L mod-motor Ford in it from the beginning. The owner had that truck serviced routinely at that service center religiously. The "service package" was 10w-40 Kendall (PCMO) and normal everyday filters. Those filters were sourced from various places over the years; all brands we'd recognize. Generally the O/FCIs were around 7-8k miles, at times a bit more if the calendar dictated a quick run prior to service.
The first engine died unexpectedly at 100k miles. No one knew why and no one cared. The owner needed his truck ASAP, so they had no time available for a tear-down diagnosis and rebuild. Instead, they located a used 5.4L out of a wrecked truck; in it went. And that second engine lasted over a million miles on the same maintenance routine!
But it does not stop there. The video from 2011 is only a snapshot in time. The truck eventually killed the second motor with over 1,000,000 miles on the engine. They bought yet another used 5.4L from the wrecking yard and that third motor also ran more than 1,000,000 miles. All on bulk drum Kendall oil and normal filters.
The truck was finally taken out of service by a wreck; it was total'ed. It had over 3 MILLION miles on it at the time. The owner has since bought a couple of used 7.3L SD trucks to run his routes.
And so, the first 5.4L engine died quickly using the "wrong" vis 10w-40 bulk oil and normal filters. But the subsequent next two 5.4L engines both went well over a million miles each on that same oil and filter selection.
And this Ford truck storyline is not unique. There are actually lot's of very-high-mileage vehicles that run over a million miles, and they generally get there with all manner of products. Just Google "million mile (insert your favorite brand here)"; there are Ford trucks and Chevy trucks and Dodge trucks and Toyota cars and Volvo cars and GM cars and Ford cars and Honda cars and ...
Overall, the two things they have in common are a routine maintenance program and a splash of good luck. Most of them have a LOT of O/FCIs under their belt, with no particular proof that any brand is better than another.
Why do I bring this up? Because too many people here have the false impression that ONLY premium products will make a piece of equipment last. That is completely false.
There are a few things that will take any equipment out of service:
1) manufacturing defect that results in some terminal failure, be it acute or chronic
2) a catastrophic event that destroys the equipment
3) chronic decay (time/age such as rust and rot)
4) sheer boredom (wanting something else and you get rid of it while it still has life left in it)
5) neglected maintenance
Premium products such as syns and top-tier filters do NOT equipment last longer. They will be able to extend your OCI; that makes them a fiscal tool. You may be able to save money if you can manage your operational maintenance plan correctly.
What makes equipment last is a proven maintenance routine and a bit of good luck. Managing the sump to have a continued low contamination level is what makes an engine last, presuming there are no other failure modes (cam chain snaps, con-rod breaks, etc).
There are two roads to keeping a sump clean:
1) flush it out (frequent OCIs)
2) filter it out (higher tier products that can withstand longer OCIs)
Neither is superior or inferior to the other. They are simply two roads to the same destination. But you'll only get there if you manage the overall maintenance program befitting of your selections. Using a premium filter and syn lube is not going to assure a long equipment life-cycle. They can, depending upon how you manage them, save or waste your money.
So, on topic here, is the K&N a decent filter? Yes.
Is that K&N filter the "best" buy? That depends upon how he uses it.
Are there other filters that will likely perform as well, for less money? Yes, I believe there are.
Is the OP free to do as he chooses? Absolutely!
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