Toyota Oil Filters

Toyota filters aren’t the best. However they are fairly inexpensive and readily available. I use them exclusively on the Toyota. Dealer near me has them for ~$5 which is pretty reasonable. WM near me has them for ~$7 which is ok but not great. Auto part stores average ~ $10 which is meh. I think I’d pick up the house brand filter instead at that price especially if it’s made by Premium Guard.
 
I use the Toyota filters on my Rav4 (and previously, my 4Runner). The filters are reasonably priced at the dealer and they throw in a new crush washer. Not a bad deal for me. Toyotas have a reputation of lasting hundreds of thousands of miles, so the filters can't be all that bad.

I use aftermarket filters on all my other Hondas. I use the same filter on all of them so I buy them buy the case when on sale (Mobil1, Bosh, Fram, Purolator, etc). Finishing up my stash of Purolator Boss, then on to the case of Pentius filters I scored for $2 each off Amazon.
 
A flow vs dP difference of 2 to 3 PSI between filters at 7 to 8 GPM with hot oil (12 to 15 cSt) isn't going to matter to an engine. A PD oil pump is used for a reason to feed an oiling system.
 
None that I am aware of. I was responding to post #13, who was responding to post #12 in this thread.
I'm post #12.. I wasn't saying I know Toyota filters have a problem with flow. I was referring to the consensus on this forum about the old test saying it didn't filter a lot, then people started saying things about the Toyota filters prioritizing flow over filtration. So no I don't want to start some rumor, that info was on here for a long, long time saying that.

And I doubt that Toyota's filters have any issue with flow. And as far as that old test, I think it was AMSOIL who said that Toyota's filters were not high in filtration way back in the day. Who knows what the Toyota filters are today, no recent tests were done, that I know of. if they were such an issue how can the Toyota engines go for as long as they do? I don't have any issue with Toyota's filters, it's what I use on mine.
 
I was referring to the consensus on this forum about the old test saying it didn't filter a lot, then people started saying things about the Toyota filters prioritizing flow over filtration.
There really isn't much substance to the "flow over filtration" mantra that's often repeated. When the oil if force fed to the oiling system by a PD oil pump, and there's only a few PSI difference in flow vs dP between filters then "flow over filtration" doesn't really exist or matter.
 
I have 2 Toyota 2AZ-FE engines. One is an 03', the other is an 06'. The LAST year of the bullet proof 2AZ-FE engines was in 06', then Toyota ruined them over CAFE issues. Became oil burners. I think they installed low tension rings on the pistons. Nothing goes back in them but OEM Toyota filters & 5w30 synthetic oil. Not about to ruin the last of the greats. One has 128k, the other 126k. They are still wearing diapers in my book. The gas mileage these things get is phenomenal !!!!!,,,,with plenty of power for me. And I like that Toyota pre-lubes the "0" rings with grease and seals the end off with plastic.
 
Last edited:
There really isn't much substance to the "flow over filtration" mantra that's often repeated. When the oil if force fed to the oiling system by a PD oil pump, and there's only a few PSI difference in flow vs dP between filters then "flow over filtration" doesn't really exist or matter.
It matters for those who like thick oil, live in the cold climates, and the bypass valve can’t handle the flow so the oil pump relief opens. We see filters like Roki showing many holes in the media, and other oe filters too. They aren’t unaware of filtration so why do they make filters like that? Probably because they need to warranty vehicles in Alaska. Toyota filters seem less extreme in holes than the Roki and probably are a good balance. I trust older companies more than the newbies. German filters too have been known to be less efficient by the standardized dust test.
 
It matters for those who like thick oil, live in the cold climates, and the bypass valve can’t handle the flow so the oil pump relief opens.
Pretty much all oil is thick in cold climates ... even a 0W-xx grade can be pretty thick at very cold temperatures compared to any KV100 grade at 200 deg C. In cases like that, pretty much every oil filter is going to be in bypass and every PD oil pump is going to be in pressure relief if the engine is revved up pretty high before the oil heats up and thins down. That's why it's wise to keep the engine RPM down until the oil gets warmed up and thinned down some.

Go look at BR's cold oil (500 cSt) dP vs flow graphs and you'll see that all the OEM filters pretty much show the same dP vs flow curve up to around 3 GPM. Once the filter bypass valve opens then the dP vs flow curve is cut down. The size and flow capability of the filter bypass valve is a completely separate function and design issue compared to the media's dP vs flow characteristics.

We see filters like Roki showing many holes in the media, and other oe filters too. They aren’t unaware of filtration so why do they make filters like that? Probably because they need to warranty vehicles in Alaska. Toyota filters seem less extreme in holes than the Roki and probably are a good balance. I trust older companies more than the newbies. German filters too have been known to be less efficient by the standardized dust test.
How many blown up engines in Alaska, Canada and northern US states have you seen because they didn't use a filter with an inefficient "holey" media? Realize that the oilng system is typically about 15 times more flow restictive than the oil filter, so in very cold wearther when the oil is thick the oil pump is going to hit pressure relief at pretty low RPM, and the the oil filter go into bypass at pretty low RPM too, depending on its bypass valve setting. Not all OEM filters are as inefficiet as say Toyota, and most OEMs will try to meet USCAR-36 like Motorcraft. Doesn't appear that Toyota tries for USCAR-36.
 
Pretty much all oil is thick in cold climates ... even a 0W-xx grade can be pretty thick at very cold temperatures compared to any KV100 grade at 200 deg C. In cases like that, pretty much every oil filter is going to be in bypass and every PD oil pump is going to be in pressure relief if the engine is revved up pretty high before the oil heats up and thins down. That's why it's wise to keep the engine RPM down until the oil gets warmed up and thinned down some.

Go look at BR's cold oil (500 cSt) dP vs flow graphs and you'll see that all the OEM filters pretty much show the same dP vs flow curve up to around 3 GPM. Once the filter bypass valve opens then the dP vs flow curve is cut down. The size and flow capability of the filter bypass valve is a separate function and issue compared to the media's dP vs flow characteristics.


How many blown up engines in Alaska, Canada and northern US states have you seen because they didn't use a filter with an inefficient "holey" media? Realize that the oilng system is typically about 15 times more flow restictive than the oil filter, so in very cold wearther when the oil is thick the oil pump is going to hit pressure relief at pretty low RPM, and the the oil filter go into bypass at pretty low RPM too, depending on its bypass valve setting. Not all OEM filters are as inefficiet as say Toyota, and most OEMs will try to meet USCAR-36 like Motorcraft. Doesn't appear that Toyota tries for USCAR-36.
For the 834th time.
 
Pretty much all oil is thick in cold climates ... even a 0W-xx grade can be pretty thick at very cold temperatures compared to any KV100 grade at 200 deg C. In cases like that, pretty much every oil filter is going to be in bypass and every PD oil pump is going to be in pressure relief if the engine is revved up pretty high before the oil heats up and thins down. That's why it's wise to keep the engine RPM down until the oil gets warmed up and thinned down some.

Go look at BR's cold oil (500 cSt) dP vs flow graphs and you'll see that all the OEM filters pretty much show the same dP vs flow curve up to around 3 GPM. Once the filter bypass valve opens then the dP vs flow curve is cut down. The size and flow capability of the filter bypass valve is a completely separate function and design issue compared to the media's dP vs flow characteristics.


How many blown up engines in Alaska, Canada and northern US states have you seen because they didn't use a filter with an inefficient "holey" media? Realize that the oilng system is typically about 15 times more flow restictive than the oil filter, so in very cold wearther when the oil is thick the oil pump is going to hit pressure relief at pretty low RPM, and the the oil filter go into bypass at pretty low RPM too, depending on its bypass valve setting. Not all OEM filters are as inefficiet as say Toyota, and most OEMs will try to meet USCAR-36 like Motorcraft. Doesn't appear that Toyota tries for USCAR-36.
Everything I wrote was fine.
 
^^^ The bottom line is there's not a big enough difference in the dP vs flow performance of most big name oil filters to really matter unless you're at or near redline with pretty thick oil and the engine has a high volume pump putting out more than 8 GPM.

And even in a case like that there's probably still enough oil volume to give adequate lubrication when the filter is in bypass and the oil pump is in relief if the system was designed correctly.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom