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 | Cleaning Out the Engine from the Inside
Oil is often referred to as the lifeblood of an automobile engine. The thin
layer of oil molecules that rides in between engine parts is in reality all
that prevents the friction between these moving parts from creating excessive
heat and turning the engine into a useless heap of expensive scrap metal. If
oil is the engine's lifeblood, then the oil filter is the liver. Like the
liver, the oil filter takes in dirty oil and removes the particulates and
crud. This engine-damaging crud remains trapped in the filter media and the
oil filter returns the clean oil back into the engine. Changing the oil and
filter on a regular basis gives the engine a fresh transfusion for longer life.
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| Inside the Filter
Choosing a quality oil and oil filter is just as important as regular oil and
oil filter changes. All oil filters are not created equal. A poor quality oil
filter may temporarily save a dollar or two, but can instantly cause thousands
of dollars in engine damage upon burst or failure. At the heart of the engine
oiling system is the oil pump. The pump circulates oil through the engine at a
required pressure. The materials and construction of an oil filter must be
able to withstand this pressure under torturous conditions of heat and cold.
If an oil filter housing or oil filter base gasket fails due to rupture, a
rapid loss of oil pressure and oil will result and it will be time for a new
engine. Engines usually cost more than a few bucks.
Hidden Horrors
Worse than outright failure is an oil filter that fails in its task without
ever letting on. A poorly constructed internal bypass valve inside the filter
can open unnecessarily and cause the oil to simply go around the filter.
Filtration is lost without any outward signs. Conversely, a clogged oil filter
will also cause a bypass valve to open. Just because an oil filter looks right
or screws onto an engine does not mean it's the right one for the job. Oil
filters are manufactured to match engine requirements to maintain the correct
oil pressure, flow volume, pressure relief valve opening and of course
filtration. Always select only an oil filter designed and built specifically
to work with the engine and oil system it is to be spun onto.
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