That old timer in Tulsa changed how I think about oil filters

Guy named Jerry at a shop in Tulsa told me he cuts open every used filter to check for metal. Showed me one that looked fine on the outside but had tiny shavings in the pleats. Has anyone else started doing this or am I the only one?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix1471mo ago

And here I thought I was being paranoid just changing my oil every 5,000 miles like a responsible adult. Now I'm supposed to become a forensic scientist with a box cutter every time I swap filters? I cut one open once, saw some sparkly bits, panicked, replaced the whole engine. Turns out it was just normal break-in debris from a rebuild. Your mileage may vary, but that old timer Jerry probably saved someone a rebuild or two with that trick.

troyreed1mo ago

My old man swore by cutting open every filter at 3,000 miles back in the 70s... saved his '67 F100 from a spun bearing just by catching some fine bronze dust before it got worse. @felix147 you're right that it takes practice to tell the difference between scary metal and normal wear.