Is A Performance Oil Filter Worth It?

Is A Performance Oil Filter Worth It?

Picking out a vehicle is more complex than just choosing your color preferences and the number of cupholders they have. There are numerous factors that need to be considered, including choosing the right oil filter. The oil filter is a very important component as it captures waste, debris, dirt, and more from your motor oil. Without an oil filter, these harmful particles would get into your motor oil and damage your vehicle’s engine. Maintaining clean motor oil from any debris is very important and will save you money from potential engine repair costs in the long run. 

When it comes to buying oil filters, most people get conflicted as vehicle’s manuals, installers, quick-lube operators, mechanics and retail clerks all have different opinions about which type is best for your vehicle. Buying the best oil and opting for a cheap oil won’t cut it either. This is due to the fact that dirt, fuel, metal particles, and other particles can still make their way through the engine and eventually damage it.

If you’re like most vehicle owners, changing your vehicle’s engine oil is probably the last thing on your list. Many vehicle owners may still overlook the importance of choosing the right oil filter for your vehicle. When choosing an oil filter, it’s crucial you take driving habits and road conditions into consideration. For instance, an advanced high-flow oil filter is a great choice when it comes to highway driving, road trips, or longer commutes, optimizing its service life and longevity.

 

All About Oil FIlters

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of which oil filter to choose, it’s probably best to explain exactly what an oil filter is and what it does. The main function of an oil filter is to help remove dirt and hazardous internal elements from your vehicle’s engine oil that can accumulate over time and damage the bearing surfaces in the engine.

During normal engine operation, the oil becomes contaminated by build-up particles such as dirt, fuel, metal particles, and other contaminants in your engine oil is a normal by-product of vehicle use and can accelerate over time. This is where oil filters come in as they remove dirt and other hazardous elements from the oil, which slowly become saturated, ensuring smooth and efficient operation for as long as the vehicle remains in service. 

However, to achieve that, you need to make sure that your oil filter is compatible with your driving habits and inspected and changed regularly. If not regularly filtered and changed, the accumulation of those contaminants in the oil filter will build , which makes it harder to remove contaminants and eventually affects the engine’s performance. 

In conclusion, not changing the oil regularly is a slow killer for your engine as oil plays an important part in keeping your vehicle running smoothly as it should for years to come. 

 

Does It Matter Which Oil Filter You Use?

When it comes to increasing the life of your vehicle’s engine oil, choosing the right oil filter with a filtration media is important to achieve high filtration performance while ensuring a smooth flow of engine oil. The oil filter has to be porous enough to let good oil pass through and trap any contaminants that could do damage to the engine’s oil.

Generally speaking, using the wrong filter can lead to serious engine damage such as the engine drying out, oil leak, engine performance degraded, and many more. Either of these situations could lead to serious engine damage. So it’s of the utmost importance to check your engine’s manual before choosing the oil filter for your vehicle. 

Although most oil filters look very similar, make sure to check for small differences in the threads or gasket size that can determine whether or not a particular filter is the right choice for your vehicle. Even the wrong oil filter can be deceiving, just because the threads line up and look like it fits properly, doesn’t mean that it is the right type.

There are usually several grades of filters made by filter manufacturers – good, better, best. If you use mineral oil, one of the ways to remove any contamination and debris and restore the dielectric strength, is to filter the mineral oil. The filtering process isn’t complex, it is fast and very effective for particulate removal, so you don’t need to spend more for a better filter. But if you use a synthetic oil or intend to go longer between oil changes, consider buying a top-of-the-line name-brand filter.

Generally speaking, more expensive filters are better than cheap ones, because they use better filtration materials. They also have many benefits such as more filter capacity, efficiency, and compatibility with synthetic oils. Performance oil filters such as the Royal Purple Extended Life Premium Oil Filter and Fram Ultra Synthetic use high-end materials like synthetic glass microfibers, which have the ability to capture and hold more debris as it is likely to encounter in its service in life. That’s also why smaller filters can be used. In addition to providing more filtration, they can also provide a smaller volume of filtration to meet the engine’s needs.

 

OEM Filters vs Aftermarket Oil Filters

Some people prefer to stick with OEM filters due to their regulated flow, while others suggest aftermarket oil filters are better than OEM filters, because they will last longer and offer better performance.

OEM filters are specifically designed to lubricate according to your engine specifications, meeting the exact flow rates, pressures, temperatures, and filtration requirements demanded by your performance engine. Even the National Sanitation Foundation will typically endorse only an OEM filter. This means that your OEM filter is not just designed to protect your vehicle and optimize its performance. It’s also designed to protect the environment.

On the other hand, It is common for aftermarket manufacturers to cut costs using thin and low-quality metals. Aftermarket oil filters have lower quality including its filter body material and exact measurements when compared with OEM filters.

When shopping for an aftermarket oil filter, you have to make sure to do a lot of research to see if any of the filters you find have uniformity of the filter media, pleat openings, and a good quality air filter material. Some might, and some will not. Choosing an OEM oil filter is much more convenient since they already contain all of these features.

We tend to stick with OEM filters – the filters made by the vehicle’s manufacturer. Industry oil filters are usually not produced using the same materials and specifications as the original product, which can lead to damage or affect the functional integrity of your equipment. OEM oil filters have higher quality including its filter body material and exact measurements. So you can never go wrong with those.

 

Why Performance Oil Filters Are Worth It?

Modern engines are becoming more and more powerful these days, and with the increase of maintenance intervals, things are becoming more complex. But no matter how complex our vehicles have become, they still need regular service and maintenance to keep them running smoothly and efficiently. This means it’s important than ever to not compromise when choosing a product for your vehicle to maximize the longevity of your engine and optimize its performance.

Maintaining high-quality oil is key to preventing premature engine wear, corrosion and overheating, which can lead to engine damage. It is also important to make sure that your oil filter is inspected and changed regularly. Like other vehicle parts, the filter gets dirty and functions less effectively with continual wear and tear. If left unfiltered, clean motor oil will start to collect small contaminants such as dirt and metal and other abrasive elements that could be harmful to the engine components. Other than keeping the oil clean, an oil filter also helps direct the flow of oil so that it is in the right place at the right time. 

What makes a good quality filter is its efficiency in capturing the dirt and its capacity to hold the debris. Like most things in life, it’s widely understood that you get what you pay for. If you splash out a little extra on your filter, it’ll last longer. That’s where performance oil filters come in. In spite of their affordability, performance oil filters such as K&N Premium Oil FIlter, BOSCH Premium FILTECH Oil Filter, and Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil Filter are designed to be more durable and easier to trap any debris that could do damage to your vehicle’s engine oil than the filter you’ll likely find in your vehicle already.

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