Interchangable Oil Filters for Echo (or any car)

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by alohaspirit

why do we put a lighter weight oil when the big companies that spend millions on oil research recommend 10w-30?

Who still recommends 10W30 5w30 is much newer chemistry, 0w30 and 0w20 are even newer and the direction that things are moving in.

I would prefer to have a longer filter for the sole reason of when the weather is cold (-20F) and the oil is thick I would rather have more filter area for the cold thicker oil to pass, rather then have it force open the bypass valve.

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by Ryland

I would prefer to have a longer filter when the oil is thick I would rather have more filter area for the thicker oil to pass, rather then have it force open the bypass valve.

I was thinking the same since I always use thicker oil, 5w/10w-30.

I get oil for less than $1/qt so I cant always get the one I want.
(Havent bought from a store for over 10 years tho)

I do buy my filters from the store.

[Frank Lee]

You get cold temps

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by alohaspirit

I was thinking the same since I always use thicker oil, 5w/10w-30.

I get oil for less than $1/qt so I cant always get the one I want.
(Havent bought from a store for over 10 years tho)

I do buy my filters from the store.

I would think your car would call for 5w30 or 5w20 oil, 10w30 seems way to thick unless you are running a turbo, if you are really worried you could also go for something like an amsoil filer that claims 15 micron filtration, to use to thick of oil is going to be hard on your oil pump and the rest of your engine, it will also reduce your gas mileage.

[alohaspirit]

5w-30 is recommended

standard 10w-30 is typically the oil Im able to get, but I do have some 5w too

I drive around 5k a year so I change oil 1/year
(sometimes I get oil for free, so I really only pay for the filter)

Thats why Im exploring the options for a larger/better filter

[Frank Lee]

In Hawaii I suspect the "5" or "10" doesn't come into play a whole lot. It is the "30" that counts most.

Annual oil change at 5000m/year seems reasonable. Unless you run a severe service schedule of constant "cold" starts 'n' stops and never let it warm up an annual filter change with the regular filter should be more than enough too. One of my vehicles, in fact, recommends changing the filter every OTHER oil change. I have several things with canister oil filters. The neat thing about them is you can easily see what all's in there without cutting stuff apart. OK in 35 years of playing with this stuff I've not yet seen a filter or canister housing anywhere near plugged up with gook- have you? I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't pour dirt into my engines- just oil. Oh, one time some SeaFoam to free up a ticky lifter. Also, most of my engines don't have any unfiltered crankcase exposure to the atmosphere, so no dirt is getting in that way either. Not dirt then? How about combustion byproducts? Simple- they are taken care of after short order when the engine reaches operating temp. What else is there? Wear particles? Of course... in itty bitty eeny teeny minute quantities that one stock filter over the entire life of the engine should be able to catch! Seriously, there is not going to be a pound of wear particles, or even 1/2 lb, or even probably 1 oz of those in there.

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

In Hawaii I suspect the "5" or "10" doesn't come into play a whole lot. It is the "30" that counts most.

Annual oil change at 5000m/year seems reasonable. Unless you run a severe service schedule of constant "cold" starts 'n' stops and never let it warm up an annual filter change with the regular filter should be more than enough too. One of my vehicles, in fact, recommends changing the filter every OTHER oil change. I have several things with canister oil filters. The neat thing about them is you can easily see what all's in there without cutting stuff apart. OK in 35 years of playing with this stuff I've not yet seen a filter or canister housing anywhere near plugged up with gook- have you? I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't pour dirt into my engines- just oil. Oh, one time some SeaFoam to free up a ticky lifter. Also, most of my engines don't have any unfiltered crankcase exposure to the atmosphere, so no dirt is getting in that way either. Not dirt then? How about combustion byproducts? Simple- they are taken care of after short order when the engine reaches operating temp. What else is there? Wear particles? Of course... in itty bitty eeny teeny minute quantities that one stock filter over the entire life of the engine should be able to catch! Seriously, there is not going to be a pound of wear particles, or even 1/2 lb, or even probably 1 oz of those in there.

Agreed.

The "cold" number on the oil doesnt matter too much as it never falls below 65F

And I totally agree with changing the oil filter once every 2 years (10k)

It just feels weird to get to a year and NOT change the filter
(but theres a first-time for everything and Im overdue)

[Ryland]

all of my motorcycles have been older Honda motorcycles that have a centrifuge oil cleaner, a little spinning cup on the where the gunk spins to the outside of the little cup, I've rebuilt a number of these motorcycle engines, all the bearings are within spec still and there is nearly a table spoon of silver glittery gunk that I scrape out, the last two that I did were 350cc two cylinder engines.
I agree that a good 10-15 micron filter should be able to be used for longer, but when you change oil it seems like a good idea to get as much of the old oil out as possible as oil additives tend to burn off and wear out.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by alohaspirit

The "cold" number on the oil doesnt matter too much as it never falls below 65F

Mrs. A is currently recalibrating our retirement fund to move there...

[solarguy]

Don't forget, that as the filter is used, some of the pores in the filter media plug up. This is normal. Over the life span of the filter, it will actually become more effective at removing finer particles. If you use an oversize filter, you deny yourself that improvement to a large degree.

If your car experiences regular/frequent circumstances where the filter goes into bypass mode, due to cold oil or a truly plugged filter, you have other and bigger problems that I would fix first. Maybe, for you, that means an oversized oil filter.

But, until confronted by evidence of its necessity, I wouldn't go oversize.

Back when I was young and dumb, I set up a subaru with the super duper amazing two stage remote oil filter, with the second stage filtering down in the one micron range. Amsoil sells them. The guy I sold the car to got a little hole poked in the rad and he drove it that way until it grossly overheated and toasted the engine.

Really, even cheap name-brand filters do a pretty creditable job.

Finest regards,

troy