Oil Filter Shelf Life

[cdavidc1949]

I came across 2 Mobil 1-104 oil filters when cleaning out a closet.The reciept says I bought them in 2003.Does the filter media dry out after time and make them unusable? The O ring looks fine. Thanks

 

[Mike_dup1]

Not likely if they were stored in a controlled environment that where moisture is not a problem.

I know people who have hunted up and found new old stock oil filters from 1970 back and have used them on the expensive collector cars. Many pay a premium price (100's of $$) for period correct oil filter so something that has been in your closet for 3+/- yrs would be perfectly safe to use IMO.

Heck many filters your buy at discount prices may be this old or more.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Inside the temperature-controlled home & not showing any visible signs of degradation -- they are generally fine for longer than 2003. I have a few from that date. They still look like the day I purchased them. I trust storing a couple of mine for a few more years - totally several years shelf-life.

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I have two sale topics in the "Items For Sale" forum-room here at BITOG.

 

[RacerE7773]

I have a shed beside our trailer so I don't really concern myself with shelf life or such. I feel that the engineers designed a decent filter (otherwise I would still be using Fram)so as long as it isn't outside it should be fine.

 

[Kestas]

I had two filters (Sears Spectrum) stored in my garage that were over twenty years old that I put into service in one of our cars. They did their job just fine.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Quote:

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I had two filters (Sears Spectrum) stored in my garage that were over twenty years old that I put into service in one of our cars. They did their job just fine.

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Pics of that 20 year-old filter - subjected to varying temps and humidity over 20 years - would of been interesting to see. Paper media not crumbling to pieces from the pressures of oil flow after 20 years on the shelf -- well that's interesting also.