Oil filters — Economy versus premium
In the old days I always believed that if you changed your oil on a regular basis (like every 3,000 miles) you could get away with any old bargain oil filter. I never had any hard evidence of the difference between the bargain filters and the name brand ones. Now I do. I did some research and then cut a few of them apart. I could see the differences right away. You will too.
A high quality oil filter is built from quality components. First, it must have a quality filter media. Most economy filters are made with cellulose that’s only about 80% efficient. But a multi-layered premium filter is made with cellulose and synthetic glass fibers that are 99% efficient. That extra filtration traps more harmful particles. Next, the filter must have enough surface area to keep filtering for the full life of your oil change. That means more pleats, and that costs more money.
But it’s not just an issue of more pleats. As oil pressure pushes against the pleats, they must have support from behind or they will squash. So manufacturers secure the tops and bottoms of the pleats and support the backside with a core tube. Economy filters, (lik
e the one shown here) have a plastic core tube that only partially supports the filter media. The
premium filter has a metal core tube and metal pleat retainers. The FRAM filter shown here even has metal mesh supports behind every pleat. That extra support keeps the pleats from collapsing even after extended run periods and extra long oil change intervals.
Next, the filter must have a bypass valve. A bypass valve opens during periods of high pressure. It allows oil to bypass the filter media 
and drain down the core tube. Because if the filter media gets totally plugged, the oil pressure can destroy the tin can. Some car makers install a bypass valve in the oil pump, so those filters don’t need the valve. This particular economy filter skipped the traditional metal spring-loaded bypass valve and relies
instead on a combination anti-drainback/bypass valve. It rubber valve collapses during high pressure cycles. That allows the oil to drain down the center tube as well.
Finally, the filter must have some type of anti-drainback valve to prevent dry startups on vehicles where the filter is mounted on its side or at an angle. Economy filters use a Nitr
ile valve that can harden and crack after 3,000 miles. Premium filters use a silicone anti-drainback valve that can last the entire length of an extended oil change (7-10,000 miles). It’s easy to tell the difference between the two materials—nitrile is black. Silicone
is either orange or light gray. You won’t find silicone valves on economy filters—they just can’t afford to use those costlier materials.
All this is fine if you do your own oil changes. You can pull a filter out of the box and check for a silicone anti-drainback valve and be reasonably sure that you’re not putting a crummy filter on your engine. But what if you’re at a quickie lube place? Those places buy their filters in bulk and from what I’ve seen so far, they’re not the $8 dollar filters. In fact, an automotive wholesaler near me offers oil filters for $1.49—and I don’t have to buy in bulk. Imagine what my price would be if I bought them by the truckload. I checked with a lube place and asked for their price on a regular oil change and one with synthetic oil. Then I asked which filters they used for both changes. You guessed it—the same filter. The tab on the synthetic oil change was $62.95 plus a disposal fee. So if you’re planning of having a shop do the actual oil change, you may want to buy a premium filter and bring it with you. It’s better to pay a few bucks extra, than to have them install one of those cheapo filters that’s not even rated for 6,000 miles. As a final note, the FRAM filter shown here is rated for extended oil change intervals.
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© 2007 Rick Muscoplat
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