Have you ever wanted to know just what is inside that oil filter? Well I picked up a oil filter cutting tool from summit so I'm going to be disecting different new oil filters to see just what's inside them.

First up:
Walmart Super Tech ST3614 application 1997 Lexus SC400 1uzfe













Looks like even the cheap walmart filter does have an anti drain back valve. No mention of actual efficiency, just "2x national leading brand". Plastic internals on the filter material. No word on gasket material, but it does apear to be some type of rubber.

 

K&N Performance gold oil filter HP-1002 for 1997 Lexus SC400 1uzfe















Looks like a rating of 90% efficient at 10-20 microns & larger. Does have a drain back valve and a bypass assembly. Full metal internal construction on the filter element (besides the filter media).

 

Pretty cool pics here, thanks.

 

Usually the black rubber is the nitrile anti drain back valve and the one you see with the k&n filter orangish brown rubber is the silicon anti drain back valve. Nitrile ADBV is usually more brittle and not as pliable as a silicon valve.

 

Mobile One M1-102 Lexus SC 400 1UZFE


















Funny thing about this filter, it looked EXACTLY the same inside as the K&N filter, all the same parts, the filter media was even the same color. Rated 99.2% efficiency but not at what micron level. It also lists this as multi-pass so no idea on single pass. Full metal end caps on the on filter media, with a peferated metal core. Actual spring loaded bypass valve. So far, this and the K&N (since they're the same) tie for the filter I would put on my car if I couldn't get an AMSOIL filter for the app, or was in pinch.

 

What about an OEM filter from the dealer?

 

IIRC Jefftsai said that Mobil makes supertech filters. I think Champion makes them and Mobil owns Champion.

 

or the ever so highly praised amsoil filter....

I use Mobil1 for pretty much everything...

 

Not quite sure what the point of this thread is, but check out this page which already went through this excercise.
http://www.knizefamily.net/minimopar...rs/toyota.html

My opinion is:
Unless you're doing something crazy with your car, I think even the cheapest filter that is applicable to your car will perform perfectly for a manf. recommended oil change interval. If your car is working properly, there shouldn't be that much gunk moving around in your oil to begin with, and the perception of Fram failures as the is probably a bit overrated and not likely that to happen in standard usage.

It's a bit of a catch-22 that if you're the type of person that actually reads up on these things and picks out a "premium filter", you'd also be the least likely person who actually need it, since you would probably change your oil and filter.
It's the people who completely disregard maintenance and never change their oil until their engine makes funny sounds who would actually benefit the most from a premium filter.

 

The AMSOIL Filter is coming. I just didn't happen to have one I could cut open in stock. I'll have one in soon enough.


OEM is coming soon too.

 

Given the mention of Mobil 1 filters vs. Amsoil, I thought you all would be interested in my comparison of particle counts on the Amsoil and Mobil 1 filters. The filter is the EaO-34 and M1-209, which fit the Toyotas and Lexuses - It's larger than the standard M1-102.

Note the particle counts clearly indicate the Mobil 1 filters better, at least for the intervals I am using them for (5,000 miles).

 

Is that the standard filter that mobil 1 lists for the 4.7? I tore apart the m1-102 as that was the only one that I saw for the 1uzfe.

Clearly mobile 1 still makes a very good filter.

 

The M1-102 is the one spec'd for the 4.7, but I use the M1-209. Same specs, just a larger filter.

 

I would also like to see how the AMSOIL bypass setup stacks up. I may be doing it on my car to test it out.

 

Does the Mobil1 Filter have a magnetic core?