[TR] TR4 Spin On Oil Filter

[terryrs at comcast.net]

>My point is that you cannot tell how well a filter element performs by
>looking at it with the naked eye. B It's like saying which car is faster by
>how big the exhaust pipe is.

I don't pretend to be knowledgable enough to enter the debate, but I do have a
question about all this.



When I first investigated oil filters so as to make an informed decision about
brand, the thing that caught my eye during research was "porosity."B  That is,
of course, how many microns wide the holes were that allowed passage of oil
and trapping of particulates.



The stuff I read came to the conclusion that WIX (NAPA) had smaller holes that
allowed greater trapping of particles.B  In theory, this seemed to my
(admittedly untutored) judgment, that fewer particles would make it through
the filter to abrade metal surfaces.B  What would follow, it seemed to me,
would be longer engine lifeB  (...at least when combined with high quality
synthetic oils that have perfectly round and same-sized molecules so as to
enhance friction reduction).B 



Your experience may vary and all that.B  But I have 155,000 miles on my
Tacoma, change oil twice a year, fall and spring, and it doesn't burn a drop
between changes.



So question:B  how important is the filter as a variable, since Randall and
others can also reportB  high milage cars with FRAM filters?B  Since I know he
also uses high quality Valvoline multi-viscosityB  (ehr, don't you Randall, or
do I need more Vitamen B12 for memory?), maybe filters don't mean as much as
quality oil.B 



All I can say is, with a small micrometer porosity filter, and highest quality
oil, I only change oil every 6 months and get extended engine life on all my
vehicles.



Okay, come get me.B  I was, after all, only an English major!



Terry Smith, '59 TR3A

New Hampshire