Oil filters

Maintenance/Repairs
1

Years ago The American Petroleum Institute rated oil filters. Best and worse,also the microns of the filter material.Does anyone know where this information can be found?

2

There are a number of sites with such information. Much of it is not all that useful. Some love to cut filters up and say this one is good or bad because of how it looks and they don’t really do any testing. Often they see a material that looks like cardboard, but is not and scare people into thinking this or that filter is bad.

I don't have a good list, but frankly most all oil filters today will far out perform what is asked of them under normal conditions.
3

Oldwrench…

I have never seen the API study.
These are the only ones I am aware of related to oil filters / oil

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/index.html

http://cjsupra.kendra.com/Oil-Spec.html

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/all/misc/all_oilfaq.html

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/index.php

4

Buy based on getting your money’s worth out of them. It’s a waste to spend for a top tier filter if you’re not going to leave it in service long. Warm up cycles load your filters. If you’re doing longer mileage many of the miles are hollow. If you’re changing your oil often (most are below OEM recommendations) then you’re resetting the particle count in your sump.

The only reason not to buy a Fram standard orange can is that they’re overpriced. There’s no reason to reward the absolute cheapest product on the market with a premium price when the alternatives are better. If it was $1.50 …then it would be worth the content. It will serve you just as well as another lower offering, it will just take more of your money to do so.