Have you got a new/late-model car with a cartridge rather than spin-on oil filter? The latter have been weirdly disappearing in favor of the former, which were nearly universal until just a few years ago. What’s the difference? Why does it matter?
And why the change?
The difference is obvious. A spin-on (and off) oil filter is a self-contained, one-piece filter that houses the filter in its own . . . housing. It spins on a threaded male fitting and that’s all there is to it. Spin-on filters can be installed and removed by hand, without tools – assuming whoever did the last oil change didn’t install the old filter more than about a quarter turn past hand tight. Even if you do need an oil filter wrench to get the old one off, the task is simpler because there’s nothing else to do.
At least insofar as getting the old filter off.
Replacing it with the new one is the same easy process. Just spin it on and tighten it. Being sure to wipe off the mounting boss and also making sure the old oil filter’s rubber gasket didn’t stick to the boss. Some like to fill the new filter with oil prior to install to accelerate the build-up of oil pressure at re-start. That’s pretty much the end of the story. Except for the one thing that is the reason why spin-on filters are being replaced by the cartridge type that are are more complicated because there is some disassembly involved and so more mess involved – which is ironic given the reason you’re about to read about and may have already guessed.
What do you do with the old spin-on oil filter? Probably, you throw it in the garbage.
Oh, the humanity!
The spin on filter is harder to recycle, because it is made of metal and the paper element parts, plus some plastic/rubber gasket and it is likely to contain more used oil than the old filter element of a cartridge-style unit, because most of the old oil was in the housing – and for that reason it’s now probably all over your garage floor or work bench rather than in the trash.
It is hard not to spill some of the old oil during the disassembly process. The expectation of the “environmentalists” is that you will do the disassembly of the cartridge housing/filter over a catch pan and thus most of the old oil will go in the catch pan and from there to a “proper” disposal place for recycling, while only the old filter element will be tossed in the trash.
The reality is there’s likely to be more spillage onto the “environment” – as well as your hands – and there’s no debating that it’s a messier job now that generally requires a special tool to loosen/tighten the cartridge housing. One more thing to buy. Several more things to do.
Another thing to take into account is that the housing part of the cartridge filter system is almost always made of . . . plastic. That wonderful material that gets brittle and cracks as it ages. At some point, it is likely you’ll have to replace the housing as well as the element within. More plastic, in other words, tossed into the “environment” (as well as extracted from it in that making plastic requires – here it comes! – oil).
The beauty – one of them – of the spin-on oil filter is that it’s made of metal, which is inherently sturdier. But the more fundamental thing is that it’s a self-contained assembly; the whole works, as it were. Every time you replace a spin-on oil filter, you have replaced the works, in other words. It’s as if that part of the vehicle had just left the assembly line. With cartridge-style filters, you’re re-using an old part, over and over again.
A final thought about this . . . “transition.”
It might be a paranoid thought, but what if the “environmentalists” manage to get spin-on filters banned? That would serve to make owning an older vehicle much more difficult because cartridge-type filters do not work (cannot be installed) on older engines that weren’t designed for them. The aftermarket could and probably would come up with a fix such as an adaptor that would allow a cartridge-type filter to be attached to the existing spin-on filter male thread and boss.
But it would make things harder and more expensive – which isn’t good for the “environment” but is excellent at advancing the Green-Red agenda that pretends it is only “concerned” about the “environment.”
. . .
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Corollas had those (we called them “Euto-style”) a little while, and went back to the regular ones.
Personally I like them, except for the fact that the housing is plastic and people tend to WAY over-tighten it.
Makes it easier to check to see if there is gunk collecting in the pleats.
Since I’m a collector and a fan of old tech, I can’t get too excited about the return of the paper filter. Old Honda bikes had a really neat and effective centrifugal filter, air cooled VWs had a strainer to pull and wash occasionally, and the flatheads had no oil filter, but the oil bath air cleaner kept the system pretty clean.
Of course with tiny passages and things like cam phases the game changes…
Another article near and dear to my heart! When I bought my 18 Colorado I just assume, since it was a truck, it had a spin on oil filter right “next door” to the drain plug. Upon doing my 1st oil change I was disappointed to discover it had a gay car type cartridge oil filter. Even better, it’s located in the most difficult place to R&R it. Buried beneath a myriad of electrical and ac lines that make reinstalling the new filter almost impossible to do without knocking the cartridge off of the base. I’ll never be able to trust a shop to do it. Don’t get me started on how big of a PIA the air filter is to change out! Thanks gm! PS I was pleasantly surprised to see that my daughters Trax has a spin on oil filter right next to the drain plug as God intended!
I always save and toss my spin-on filters in the wood stove in the garage….Red greens would be pissed. They already don`t like my wood burner…….Can hear Greta now….Fuck em.
Same here. Burn em up, then toss the steel in the scrap metal bin.
Don’t matter what you do, these kind of folks are born pissed off AND convinced they have the right to rule over you.
I was showing my daughter how to change the oil on her 98 Dodge Ram last weekend, having her actually do it instead of just watching me. She gets the oil filter off and puts on the new one and tightens it down.
After we’re done, I tell her to start the truck and let it run and check for any leaks. Oil starts gushing onto the driveway. I hadn’t noticed at the time, but the gasket from the old filter stayed put, so when she put the new filter on it was a double gasket and didn’t seal.
A messy lesson. Only lost about a quart on the ground.
I had the exact same thing happen to me back on the 2nd of August. Changed the oil and filter in my wife’s ’07 Odyssey.
First time I’d ever had the old gasket stick behind and, yep, ended with an easy quart (or more) of oil all over the ground. That a mess. I won’t make that mistake again anytime soon.
Ha! Reminds me of the first time I changed the oil on my 1989 Grand Marquis, except a different problem. I opened the oil plug and drained the oil, but only one quart came out. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong, so I drained the rest of the oil by leaving the plug open and starting the engine for a few seconds. Oil all over the place, but I got most of it out, and finished the job. I asked a mechanic neighbor what the heck was wrong, and he told me that the LTDs/Grand Marquis had two oil plugs. I didn’t even know that was a possibility, but he was right. I learned a lot from that.
Wow, “the LTDs/Grand Marquis had two oil plugs.”
Had no idea.
Anyway, this seems like a super bad plan, “so I drained the rest of the oil by leaving the plug open and starting the engine for a few seconds.”
…Idk. Just seems so very bad. I could be wrong. It’s happened 4 times before. Glad it seemed to work out ok for you.
Morning, Dood!
Memories! I briefly owned an ’88 Lincoln Mark VII that had the 5.0 V8. It had the two oil drain plugs. Because the oil pan didn’t clear the front crossmember. So Ford just bent the oil pan and added a front and rear drain plug…
My first encounter was in a 1978 CB750F, and it is rather annoying and messy, but then I ended up with a 2013 grand cherokee that also had it. It is far less messy on the GC, and being on the top of the engine, it is easy to get to and takes a regular socket to unscrew. Really dont like the plastic housing, but it is a thick durable plastic that will probably last longer than I have it. If this plastic was on the bottom of the engine, I would have a real problem with it. Could get hit by a rock or something. I generally prefer spin on filters though. Except in Moto Guzzi Motorcycles. They – at least in the 70s- put the spin on filter inside the oil pan. So you have to drop the pan every time you change the filter.
2003 California
Still inside the pan.
Lol, oh man. Got a ’77 LM1. I actually have a kit my uncle bought years ago to relocate it outside with a deeper pan, but I haven’t installed it. I got a reusable silicone gasket from Tennessee gaskets and change the oil about yearly since it’s not my daily rider.
My 1955 Dodge had a cartridge oil filter, it was a metal reservoir housing with a cap on it.
Back when the spin on filters came on the market people complained that it was wasteful and lazy, the main advantage is it was faster to remove and install. That is convenient. Since they can hide the element you had to cut one open, ruining it, to see the build. When you have a replacement element cartridge type what you see is what you get.
OEMs going back to a housing doesn’t bother me. Being cheap plastic does, I’d prefer such an important part of my car to be cast aluminum or steel.
Whether you make a mess or not is how they design it. The cartridge on that old Dodge could be replaced without draining the oil. You’d have an oily filter element to deal with, though. At that point in time the engines burned more oil and the quality wasn’t as good so you’d conceivably be doing things independently, sometimes draining all the oil, sometimes just putting in a new filter, sometimes just topping up the oil.
Great. Another turd circling the bowl.
Spin on filters are time tested and easy to deal with. That’s why they must go. Kinda like putting the fuel pump in the tank. Grrr.
I had a 1993 BMW 325, which was my first encounter with the cartridge style of filtering. BMW put it on the top of the engine, and in front, made from a metal alloy, and making access easier. Top comes off, remove filter with paper towels in hand, replace filter, wipe down spillage. My wife’s 2007 Audi A3 had it underneath. The lower plastic cover had to be removed, then that plastic “cup” had to be unscrewed, which still spilled oil, then the cartridge and “o” ring were replaced. Very messy process that required replacement of the cup and the plastic module that attached to the engine after a few years. What a waste of time, material, and engineering.
Amen, EGS –
And for what? So that automakers can “preen” about how “green” they are…
The biggest down side to cartridge filters is that it negates my need for more tools.
Can’t justify a cool oil filter cutter to open the steel canister on a spin on filter to inspect the filtration media to see what sort of contamination has been in there.
Now that the Orange Fail has increased tariffs on steel it makes even less sense to be throwing steel away. The move toward cartridges makes even more sense when steel is no longer a cheap commodity.
…and yet not a one of these “greens” will stop driving vehicles first for the environmental cause. They should be the first ones forced to walk everywhere, give up heating fuel, air conditioner, electricity, and they should have to grow their own food and not be allowed to buy anything at the store because fossil fuels delivered said items to them. But that will never happen because these people are damned determined to sacrifice the rest of us for their cause, whether we believe in it or not.
The RedGreens would ban horses for use by farmers and ranchers. You can’t force horses to do field work, can’t make horses slaves. You’ll be fined and given a decent beat down.
Your morale should improve.
The Plains Indians knew better, buffalo hides for TPs and buffalo meat for sustainability.
You have to eat, living is important.
Lions at zoos can eat vegetables, RedGreens will dictate that too. They’ll starve to death, nobody cares. RedGreens will also starve to death by following irrational diktats. Nobody will care there either.
Go buy 10 oil filters for future use, good for 75,000 miles using Mobil1 10W30.
Buy the oil too, currently at bargain prices compared to dairy products.
I have a plastic gas can with a simple filler, a yellow cap on the end, the only one to use.
Discard the fillers that make you angry, use the screw-on piece and one of those red stops. Take a hacksaw to the thing to make it great again.
Have a decent galvanized steel funnel with a flexible hose and a screen, keep it in good shape.
I’m beginning to think Bill Gates is the arsonist in Canada starting all of those forest fires up there. Atmospheric dimming is here. Bill has weaponized fire, Satan is wringing his hands in delight, Bill does what Satan commands.
Plenty of smokey haze today, the particulate matter is at the unhealthy stage. Air quality is poor here.
Bill is grinning ear to ear.
If you want the New York Yankees to start winning some baseball games, you will have to seek peace, not war.
I’m beginning to think that Bibi has a genetic defect, hypertrichosis pinnae. Hair growing out of and all around your ears, genetics has determined that the genetic defect results in a human male that has a propensity to criminal activity.
I think Bibi shaves his ears every day.
Doesn’t really bother him to murder a few hundred thousand Palestinians.
A true blue dyed-in-the-wool Bolshevik through and through.
Bibi has shit running out of his ears, plain to see.
Get a life, Bibi. You too, Donnie.
You dumbasses ain’t running a well-oiled machine, that’s for sure. You two cucks ain’t doin’ shit.
See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya!
Couple of years ago Wally had Motorcraft OEM filters for $3.99. Now they’re $8.49!!! Frams are still four bucks. How can Fram still sell them for $4 but not Ford? Are we getting ripped off by the blue oval? God forbid… I might have to start using the Orange Can of Death…
Morning X!
Yup. I just changed the TA’s oil; filters (Wix) are $12. They were about $6 just a couple years ago. A jug of oil (five quarts) is $50.
You’ll want to check that Wix inside – holes or poorly formed slots? They ain’t what they used to be.
Yee-Gads, who does this?: “You’ll want to check that Wix inside – holes or poorly formed slots? They ain’t what they used to be.”
…The Crapification of America rolls on, i guess?
Yes and Harley redesigned or re-sourced their oil filters. Now holes on the core no slots. I bailed out on Harley branded oil filters and now use HiFlo which ONLY use holes in the core.
There were pictures on the HD forums of the poorly punched slots, many closed or nearly closed off. Harley motor is a high flow low pressure system so a restricted filter is not welcome. I also noticed closed up slots on a small Wix filter for the daughter’s Acura.
What’s the big deal?
Both cartridge and canister filters have been around for literally decades upon decades.
Has nothing to do with green / red environmentalism.
I have vehicles with both types and do my own oil changes. Literally zero difference in time or effort between them.
Seems like an untrue statement, ‘Burn it Down’.
Also, seems like you missed the main points of the conclusion?
…WhOOSH! Over your head.
Speaking of messy filter changes I loved how all the maintenance items on my old ‘75 Dodge with the 225 slant six were easily accessible, but the upside down mounted oil filter was impossible to remove without oil dripping down the side of the engine
One thing not mentioned but critical too your engine’s life is that if the incorrect filter or o-ring is used the oil can bypass the filter and if this happens you can say “Sayonara” to your fancy turbocharged engine. And yes my mechanic had an engine with issue come into his shop, luckily all my cars have spin on filters; just as God intended them to have.
The cartridge systems probably have Patents which the manufacturers cross license to each other.
Also, depending on volume, a third party can manufacture a metal filter housing for a lot lower start up cost than making the plastic components involved in a cartridge system. Only very high volume vehicles will have third party options, and, anymore, Ford and GM seem interested in just supplying the collector market with Garage Queens.
Speaking of volume manufacturing – hope these aren’t for export!
https://youtu.be/CXwGHl7ohxw
More “environmentally friendly”- Yeah, just like these stupid 5-gallon gas cans! I’ve never spilled so much gas in my life as I have using these stupid bumblefucked Rube Goldberg-esque modern cans! I recently ordered a pack of old-style screw-on caps, spouts, and vents from Amazon, to retrofit all of my cans….I couldn’t take it anymore!!!!!!!
So now, you buy a gas can…and then you have to also buy a real spout and vent for it…….thanks to Uncle Scam!
I got a small gas can off Amazon with a push button spout. Nope, dribbled out no flow with button fully depressed. Found a gas can vent from an old school spout kit & that did the trick. Put a screw thru the push button now full flow no hassle.
THIS! -> times a million+ people, “I’ve never spilled so much gas in my life as I have using these stupid bumblefucked Rube Goldberg-esque modern cans!”
Preach it, brother.
Is there a law or standard driving these element style oil filters? I haven’t heard of one.
My guess is they are cheaper for the manufacturer. What they avoid is the need for a machined surface on a casting for the spin on filter to seal to. Be it the block or separate piece. Actually for cars where the oil filter mounts to an oil cooler or some separate piece multiple machined surfaces go away.
It’s very easy to have a nice sealing surface on an injection molded plastic part. You have to pay attention to it once when the mold is made. Or multiple times if there are several cavities in the mold, but that’s it. It’s in the tooling. Every part will then come out ready to go.
Modern resins shouldn’t have any long term problems. That is if they chose the right one and paid up for it.
“ What they avoid is the need for a machined surface “
Bingo. Every metal machining step removed = $$ saved. Tool up the plastic process to include molded threads and sealing surfaces wham bam done. Now the engine block has less machine time, fewer cutters to sharpen, less cutting fluids.
Toyota has a drain plug on the assembly so you can drain all the oil out first before removing the cartridge housing. It keeps the mess to a minimum.
Another “environmental intervention” for the good of the world, I see.
This seems a bit like the gas cans that are available these days with the “new-and-improved” spout that necessitates that you pop-in the spouts mechanism to make the gas inside pourable. The intention here was likely to mitigate the spilling of gas, but the reality is that this makes it almost certain that you WILL spill gas whilst dicking around with fucking thing in order to get the gas to pour.
These days I just put a funnel in the gas-hole and take the whole spout off of the gas can to pour the gas uninhibited.
Behold the painful cost of these “benevolent” mandates.
I just punch out the innards. Makes it easier to fill the cans as well.
Again, + a million people, maybe 2oo million?
“These days I just put a funnel in the gas-hole and take the whole spout off of the gas can to pour the gas uninhibited.”
…Yep.
The plastics concern me. 2018 Jeep V6 has the top mounted cartridge filter. Easy to change and I can do the removal without making a mess. Cartridge stays in the cap for removal, right into a plastic bag then grab the old cartridge with the plastic bag and pull the cap.
That plastic cap after 7 years is showing its age. Buy a new cap sure. However the base piece is also plastic and that’s a major tear down to replace if it gets damaged or ages out. I marked the cap and base with a white paint pen the first time I changed the filter to ensure the cap went on snug but not too tight, just line up the marks.
Also the pressure relief valve is in that cap and there is a factory bulletin to NOT rock the cartridge to remove, ONLY pull it straight off to prevent damaging the relief valve. Another reason to DIY oil and filter change. I don’t think Cletus at the quick lube would be aware and the “quick lube” means he’s always in a hurry no thanks.
If that’s a 3.6 Pentastar, that whole plastic filter/cooler abortion is a known issue. Fortunately the Chinese aluminum replacement is not too speedy and the job on a caravan ot T&C is not too long or difficult.
Thanks! Another item to tuck away for future fixin’.