Would it make sense to cut open an oil filter of POSSIBLE sludger?

[paulri]

At this point, more people seem to be suggesting I should change my filter every 5K miles, regardless. If that's the case, then I'm not sure there's a point in mailing the filter to someone to open up. I don't htink I'll put a Wix on, but I'll change it every 5K.

If I decide to change the vc gasket, which looks simple enough for me to attempt, then I'll peek inside and see how much sludge there is, and then decide if I want the filters to go 10K or not. But until I can get something more solid than "I don't think it has sludge," I'll just play it safe.

 

[JC1]

At this point, more people seem to be suggesting I should change my filter every 5K miles, regardless. If that's the case, then I'm not sure there's a point in mailing the filter to someone to open up. I don't htink I'll put a Wix on, but I'll change it every 5K.

If I decide to change the vc gasket, which looks simple enough for me to attempt, then I'll peek inside and see how much sludge there is, and then decide if I want the filters to go 10K or not. But until I can get something more solid than "I don't think it has sludge," I'll just play it safe.

If you have an angle grinder or hacksaw you can cut the filter open yourself. No need to mail it to someone else. I would be inspecting the filter after a 3000K mile OCI first to see what it looks like.

 

[paulri]

You know, a hacksaw is in the garage. I always hear "hacksaw" being used if there is a filter cut open & the media is torn to shreds like bigfoot was cutting it open or something. But I don't have to worry about a decent c&p, or whether the media was torn in the cut job--all I would be looking for is sludge & carbon bits. Use a tool in the garage, save money at the same time, what's not to like about it?

If you have an angle grinder or hacksaw you can cut the filter open yourself. No need to mail it to someone else. I would be inspecting the filter after a 3000K mile OCI first to see what it looks like.

 

[JC1]

You know, a hacksaw is in the garage. I always hear "hacksaw" being used if there is a filter cut open & the media is torn to shreds like bigfoot was cutting it open or something. But I don't have to worry about a decent c&p, or whether the media was torn in the cut job--all I would be looking for is sludge & carbon bits. Use a tool in the garage, save money at the same time, what's not to like about it?

I like the angle grinder better. I put the filter in a vice and cut near the baseplate. Sparks fly everywhere, but it gets cut open within 2-3 mins. Good luck on the C&P.

 

[paulri]

You mean the hacksaw will take longer than that?

I like the angle grinder better. I put the filter in a vice and cut near the baseplate. Sparks fly everywhere, but it gets cut open within 2-3 mins. Good luck on the C&P.

 

[JC1]

You mean the hacksaw will take longer than that?

Maybe you're built like Dwayne Johnson.... Give it a try with the hacksaw and let us know how it goes.....

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

I'm not sure if sludge would accumulate in a filter or not, so I thought I'd ask.

Background--i recently inherited the camry in my sig, no problems with engine, I drove it 30 miles home, no overheating or leaks, no gunk on dipstick. However, there is no maintenance record, so I don't know the OCI.

Now that I just found out that this engine is on the sludge monster list (2.2L 4 cyl), I have decided to run 5K OCIs, no more than that. In the past when Ive run OCIs that short, I liked to use a Wix for two OCIs. I am concerned about clogging it up if I take the filter to 10K, especially since this is such a small one (IIRC it is just about three inches tall, outer dimension).

So I'm wondering if having the current filter cut open, or one that I put on (so I know for how many miles its been on) would be helpful? Or could it have sludge problems but still not show up in the filter, so this would be a waste of time & money to ship it to someone? Or should I just try to oversize the filter and forget about chasing the holy grail (detecting sludge on a car that has shown no evidence of any)?

By the time you get evidence? Well frankly if you're not already cutting those filters its too late. I cut my filters. Longest OCI has been about 71XX miles. No signs of any issues so far. But if you do cut one that's gone 10K miles and its torn when did that happen at 250 miles or a 8998 I don't run my filters for more than 1 OCI just for this very reason.
U do what you want to YMMV.

 

[paulri]

Well no luck with this filter. I took it off yesterday, and it was a 3 hour ordeal Anyways, the can is smashed and i dropped it in the dirt anyways, but I will take the OCOD that I put on it, off in 2500 miles and try my luck opening up that one.

But I do appreciate the comments here--I'll go 5Ks with oil & filters on this one.

 

[JC1]

Well no luck with this filter. I took it off yesterday, and it was a 3 hour ordeal Anyways, the can is smashed and i dropped it in the dirt anyways, but I will take the OCOD that I put on it, off in 2500 miles and try my luck opening up that one.

But I do appreciate the comments here--I'll go 5Ks with oil & filters on this one.

Even if you mangled up the filter, did it have sludge inside?

 

[paulri]

I didn't cut it open, there was dirt on it after I dropped it.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I didn't cut it open, there was dirt on it after I dropped it.

Wipe the dirt off and cut it open ... no dirt is going to get inside where the media is located.

 

[paulri]

Hmmm ok, I was thinking dirt covered with oil, would be indistinguishable from carbon/sludge deposits inside the filter. OK I'll get on that this week.

Wipe the dirt off and cut it open ... no dirt is going to get inside where the media is located.

 

[ZZman]

Of course. We like dirty pictures....

 

[paulri]

Just realized what you meant. No, my shaking head gif was not that I am so freaking strong it won't take me that long.... just the opposite... it was I ain't gonna stand there and saw for any longer than that.

Maybe you're built like Dwayne Johnson.... Give it a try with the hacksaw and let us know how it goes.....