What are the different types of oil filters, and which one is best?
Did you ever stop to think about what kind of oil filter is on your motorcycle?
Your motorcycle's oil filter is likely one of those items you just replace indiscriminately every time you take your motorbike to the dealership or casa for preventive maintenance service (PMS). It's easy to dismiss the inner workings of an oil filter and simply believe what the manufacturer claims. As a result, we're frequently misled into thinking that the most expensive option is the best.
Now, if you watch a lot of motorcycle related content on the internet, apart of course from MotoDeal’s extensive selection of YouTube videos, you’re probably familiar with FortNine. Ryan has been producing high-quality motorbike videos for years and just published an exceptionally thorough video demonstrating how each type of filter works. Through a series of rigorous tests, the video also decides which type of filter is best. Continue reading after watching the video. You might be surprised by the outcome.
Paper filter
Paper filters are the most frequent type of oil filter found on OEM oil filters. They're inexpensive, simple to make, and can be found at almost every car and motorbike supply store. The modest paper filter came out on top in FortNine's tests. For starters, owing to its fibrous structure, which is made up of cellulose, cotton, wood fibers, and other absorbent materials. This implies it may remove water from your oil to keep your engine's innards from rusting. The paper filter had the best overall capacity and had a flow rate at 24 PSI.
An oil filter's duty, as you surely know, is to filter away crud, metal shavings, and particles while still allowing oil to reach your engine. The paper filter could handle the most metal shavings before it clogged—34 teaspoons of aluminum shavings. Finally, but certainly not least, effectiveness. The paper filter performed the best, reducing the ferrous metal index (FMI) of the used engine oil to 16, down from an initial measurement of 21, and a much lower 16 parts per million (PPM) of pollutants from an initial reading of 20.
Metal oil filters
Steel oil filters operate in the same way as your trusty old kitchen strainer does while you're making pancit canton. It permits liquids, such as oil, to flow freely while retaining heavier, gunkier particles like particulates and metal shavings—things you don't want near your engine's key components. As a result, you could assume that steel filters are superior to paper filters, but you'd be mistaken.
Sure, the steel filter provided the best flow at 22 PSI with the same pump power. Because of the improved oil flow, the engine should be less stressed. Steel filters are also incredibly durable, withstanding tremendous heat and pressure without breaking. The steel filter, however, was the first to get substantially saturated with metal shavings and clog, with just 9 teaspoons of particles before fully failing. Finally, the steel filter struggled to clean the old motor oil, lowering the FMI to 19 but allowing all 20 parts per million of particles to get through.
Fiberglass filters
Fiberglass filters are frequently touted as having the best of both worlds: the effectiveness of a paper filter combined with the durability and smooth flow rate of a steel filter. The main filtering mechanism is fiber glass strands, which should theoretically be able to deliver the high flow rate of a steel filter combined with the decent absorption traits of a traditional paper filter. In theory , this makes sense since glass fibers are slippery and oil can easily pass through them. They are, nevertheless, excellent at trapping muck, detritus, and sludge because of their random strand matting. As a result, fiberglass filters tend to be the most expensive option.
The test results, however, show that fiberglass filters aren't all that wonderful. To begin with, at 25 PSI, the fiberglass filter had the most restricted oil flow. Second, although not clogging as quickly as the steel filter, it did so much faster than the paper filter, with just 14 teaspoons of particles. Finally, the fiberglass filter performed poorly, decreasing the FMI to 20 and the PPM to 18.
Related Articles
-
Have these documents ready when buying a used motorcycle / Featured Article
Here are some essential documents you need to ensure are complete before buying a used motorcycle.
-
Is it normal for my motorcycle to backfire? / Featured Article
If you’ve ever wondered why your motorcycle makes pops, bangs, and crackles upon deceleration, here are a few reasons why.
-
Track day 101- Track etiquette / Tips & Advice
Here are a few tips you can follow so you can have a fun and safe track day aboard your motorcycle.
-
Here are 5 easily overlooked maintenance jobs that can leave you stranded / Tips & Advice
Getting stranded is a huge pain in the butt. Be sure to keep these 5 things in check so as to have a worry-free ride.
-
Your guide to the most popular types of motorcycle gloves / Featured Article
There are a variety of different types of riding gloves suited for all sorts of applications. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular types out there.
Latest Features
-
Top 5 naked bike upgrades and accessories / Featured Article
Here’s a quick list of 5 upgrades to your naked sportbike to enhance your riding experience.
-
Sunra’s new electric motorcycles make the EV shift easy on your budget / Featured Article
Electric motorcycles have been growing in popularity all over the world, and here in the Philippines, Sunra hopes to change the game with its affordable new models.
-
3 warning signs that a motorcycle has been in a serious accident / Featured Article
Let’s take a look at three warning signs that could point to a motorcycle having been in a major accident, and being repaired to hide its past.