PERRYinLA

There's been a great deal of discussion on the Maintenance forum on what oil filter is "best" for our cars, (and I doubt this thread will end the argument!).

But one feature of oil filters that is easy to quantify is the effectiveness of the anti-drain back valve. That is the flexible ring inside the filter that flaps over the outer intake holes. Its job is to keep as much oil as possible in the filter after the engine has stopped, so that when it is restarted it takes minimal time to reach full oil pressure.

A post on the www.BOBisTHEoilGUY.com web site discusses one way to test the ADBV:

1) At your next oil change- after you remove the old filter...
2) Fill it up with warm, used oil
3) Plug the threaded hole with a short bolt & washer (take the replacement filter to a hardware store to get the right sized bolt), or a rubber stopper or wine cork (trim cork with a razor blade, if necessary)
4) Place it on its side (the usual mounted position) in a pie pan and observe how long it takes for the oil to flow out
5) Post your results on this thread. Be sure to mention:
5a) Oil filter brand / part number / retail price
5b) What model Lexus it fits
5c) How much oil drained out, and how long it took.

I realize this is a messy job, and it is no fun getting all the used oil out of your girlfriend's favorite measuring cup. Plus, there are a lot of variables here that will make it hard to get precise results, such as manufacturing variances, total filter capacity, oil temp/viscosity, declining flow rates (i.e.: at what point do you call time- when it drips less than 6 drops a minute?).

But we're not Consumers Union here, and some information is better than none, so even ballpark findings will be useful, especially once we start getting several posts. If anyone has other suggestions to make the test easier or more informative, post away. I'm not due for an oil change for a while, so someone will probably beat me to the punch with the first results.

PERRYinLA

(If I get ambitious, here is where I'll compile abbreviated results from subsequent posts....)

/Aerostar\

iTrader: (2)

i dont really know what this is about

but this may be relevant: when I went to change my oil (the first time doing since I bought the car), the filter that was on there (some no-name brand, something like AutoPride) had maybe an ounce of oil in it. and this was after the car had been sitting for about...4 hours?

if thats relevant, then cool. if not, then ill just delete it

PERRYinLA

Well, not to discourage posts, but you need to remove the filter and observe the drain process. That way, you can see if it drained out quickly within 10 minutes or slowly, over 4 hours. The brand name would help, too.

SC400-V8

iTrader: (1)

Whether it takes 4 hours, or it takes 4 seconds... the dirty oil will drain back into the oil pan.

SC400-V8

iTrader: (1)

And another thing WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TEAR APART AND EXAMINE A FRAM X2 SERIES FILTER?

Yes i know the other fram products are junk, but the X2 seems good. It costs $9 and comes in a pressure sealed can, it must be at least as good as the oem toyota filter.

PERRYinLA

The whole point of this test is to see how long it takes for oil to drain out of the filter. The ADBV is just a rubber or silicone flap, so of course the oil will eventually drain out. But the better ones keep the oil in the filter longer, and the longer it stays in the filter, the better your chances are of quickly attaining full oil pressure if you restart the engine within that time frame.

And if you want someone to tear apart a Fram filter for you, maybe you should post that in a relevant thread. Check the title- this ain't it.

nthach

if someone here paypals me $10 to the name of science, i will.

Caoboy

iTrader: (2)

whats the point? warm up ur car before you go out and aggressively drive it, not to mention change ur oil at regular intervals using correct oil/filter. i stick with oem. and if you really want to know how long it takes ur oil pressure to build to the correct psi, get a oil pressure gauge.