OK folks, First and foremost I am not going to tell anyone which filter to use as this gets to be as personal to some people as religion. I hear so many theories tossed about on the forum it's hard for some to weed through to make an informed decision. So I set out to present some info and the choice is up to YOU. I have heard many people talk about the initial oil change and how it should be done in as little as a few hundred miles to remove the metal in the engine from when it was built. I had the good fortune to have a customer come in the other day with an Xa for their first oil change at 6500 mi. I changed the oil and saved the filter. After letting the filter drain, I opened it and took the element out and put it in an ultra-sonic cleaner with some acetone to see exactly what if anything was in it. After 3 hours I took the element out and poured the acetone in a glass jar. A few hours later, anything that was in there would have surely settled out and could be easily seen in the jar. There was nothing in the jar. Inspecting the element with a magnifying glass revealed no visible debris. Well my experiment turned up nothing but I had the filter opened so I thought I'd show you what's on the inside. This is the factory installed filter from Japan:

 

If you can find out at what Micron rate the paper elements filter at ... I know the Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil filters filters down to about 15 Microns. Most of your regular oil filters go down to about 25 Microns ... If you can try to find out how many Mircrons they filter to.

 

somekbody crack open more filters and take pictures.

 

If is possible check on the K&N Oil Filter. That's what I use, but if I can get something cheaper and better that would be great.

 

Wallyworld uses Fram filters...but I will agree that not all filters are created equally...I tend to use Mobil 1 filters

 

The Mobil 1 Oil Filters are probably the best on the market right now. They have the best filter rate and they can handle extended drain intervals. The filter element in all of these cheap $1.00 filters will collapse after 3,000 - 5,000 miles and then you won't have an oil filter!

 

Here's the linkto Mightys ad. http://www.mightyautoparts.com/produ...ml#engineguard According to their text, they filter 50% more at 10-20 microns. So if we measure performance at the brochure, like many do, these sound like the best to me.

 

Their ad, http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...l_Filters.aspxmakes no claim of filter rate.

 

what do you use to cut 'em open???

i tried a hacksaw but that didn't go all too well

 

K&N has a cross-section picture on their ad. Looks very similar to the fine Mighty filters construction.http://www.knfilters.com/oilfilter.htm One interesting note is the copy that reads:"Anti-drainback valve (where applicable) eliminates dry starts, prevents oil from draining back into crankcase during engine shutdown ". It sort of begs the question WHERE is it applicable, and if it is a good thing, why isn't it ALLWAYS applicable?

 

I started my career working on aircraft, and on small piston-engine planes when you change the oil you use a filter-cutter to open the filter to check for debris. It's sort of like a can opener that cuts from the side.

 

I think the reason some filters do not have anti drainback valves is because the engine (that it is used on) itself is designed with one in the oil pump...I will check on that...

 

I've never heard of one.

 

me either...perhaps filter mounting position plays a role in that...vertical filter vs. horizontal filter...

 

Motorcraft, Pureolater Pure One filters, and a few others contain anti drain back valves its common in the industry and prevents dry starts

 

Good write up...food for thought.

 

Anyone know how a Mobil 1 oil filter looks on the inside? That's the one that I use on my xA. I hope it's alright. I would be willing to switch to the Japanese filter but where would one buy it at? Also is it alright if I continue to use Mobil 1 synthetic oil?

 

guess I'll juist stick with the toyota filter

 

I work for an ExxonMobil distrubitor so I know all this info ...

There is no way they can filter down to 10 Microns ... I work with a company called RTI. They make the Engine flush machine that you see in a lot of dealership and quick lubes, the filter they use in the machines filters down to 5 Microns ... you should see how thick this filter is ...

 

Here are some pics of something we use as a sales tool. Its a clear cut away of a Mobil 1 Oil Filter. I tried to take the pics as best as I can. I hope this helps with the filter comparison.

If anyone wants one of these to have or examn let me know and I can send you one. You would just need to cover the shipping cost.









Here is the filter that the RTI Engine Flush Machine uses. Car dealerships and quick lubes use this machine to flush out the old oil and grime in the engine. They filter the old oil and grime though a 5 Micron Filter. Here is a picture of how thick the flter is. The thickness measures at 3/4"