Time on oil filter before degrading??

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All..

Does anybody have any evidence on an oil filter related failure due to time and not mileage?? I have heard rumor about an oil filter in general being saturated in oil for enough time cam start to "break apart" internally?? Again just rumors... My vehicle in question is a harley davidson motorcycle which I usually change oil and filter before winter storage..but due to an injury this year I have not put on many miles, and was thinking about storing bike this winter without a full oil/filter change...and possibly running this filter out until next winter (2015) . If im being "cheap"..chime in and tell me please. I use an expensive synthetic oil (Redline 20w50) in this bike which is hopped up a bit and driven very hard...but at the same time I do not like to throw away money. I personally do not think that 2 years time wise is harmful (with low mileage)...but if im wrong than please tell me. With proof of course : . )

-Thank you
 
Yes a cellulose filter will suffer some integrity loss over time but not in two years. Two years is acceptable.

For vehicles that can run full synthetic media like Fram Ultras, they don't have to worry about time since they aren't cellulose based, just mileage.
 
No evidence here, I've opened filters that's been on for YEARS And no degrading what so ever that I could see.

One was on a stored Camaro for 10 years.
 
I would think once saturated in oil, they would last quite a while.

...now how long will a filter stay good on the shelf? My concern would be using a old shelf filter, it might weaken slightly at first startup when the oil first strikes it, before it's saturated.

I really don't see this an issue, unless the filter is like 30 years old.
 
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Ponch, you can avoid the whole freshness issue (both oil and filter) if you change the oil after storage in the spring. If you don't ride in the winter, you technically don't even need oil (or filter) in the engine. But, putting fresh oil in just to have it sit there doesn't make sense to me.

Why do you change it in the fall instead of the spring?
 
Originally Posted By: Noey
Ponch, you can avoid the whole freshness issue (both oil and filter) if you change the oil after storage in the spring. If you don't ride in the winter, you technically don't even need oil (or filter) in the engine. But, putting fresh oil in just to have it sit there doesn't make sense to me.

Why do you change it in the fall instead of the spring?


I would expect that removing the old oil, with all the combustion by products, including acids, is better to do in fall rather than letting it sit all winter.
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: Noey
Ponch, you can avoid the whole freshness issue (both oil and filter) if you change the oil after storage in the spring. If you don't ride in the winter, you technically don't even need oil (or filter) in the engine. But, putting fresh oil in just to have it sit there doesn't make sense to me.

Why do you change it in the fall instead of the spring?


I would expect that removing the old oil, with all the combustion by products, including acids, is better to do in fall rather than letting it sit all winter.


Yep... I'd rather change before storage than after storage, personally (and it's what I do in the cars I store for long periods of time)
 
Thanks for the reply's so far... I choose to change oil before storage as it makes sense to me to not let the old oil sit in motor over winter storage. (combustion by products/acids and such).. I also do NOT start and let idle like some choose to do. I don't believe in this practice, (crankcase moisture). Even letting an engine idle for a half hour or so..the piston rings are not under full tension from such a low load which causes blowby to add to the moisture. If im going to run an engine I want to get it up to temp under load. Years ago I used to start an old motorcycle weekly during winter storage and let run for 10 mins at a time...with clean oil the crankcase turned nasty and full of condensation.
 
I still don't understand why you just don't drain the oil in the fall and leave it empty, since you're not starting the engine anyways?
 
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