Micron Wars

You've been there. The advertisement tells you their oil filter will filter down to 0.10 microns, and challenges you to beat that. Welcome to the Micron Wars. Your weapon of choice: the truth.

The truth is, any filter can filter out some particles 0.10 microns in size. The question is how many? The bigger question is, how many bigger particles does the filter leave behind?

You can't tell by the micron rating. What's worse, you can't compare micron ratings between filter brands because each manufacturer does its own testing. There is no standard micron rating test in the filtration industry.

Why not? Because the automotive industry finds the information useless. You see, particles in the five to twenty micron size range cause the most engine damage and wear, so the industry really only cares about how well a filter removes particles in the five to 20 micron size range.

Filtration efficiency and capacity are both measured by the industry standard SAE HS806 test, and its results are the method most commonly used to report efficiency and capacity. Filters may be compared only if they've been tested by the same test, and the industry standard SAE HS806 is the test endorsed by the automotive industry.

Efficiency
Efficiency is the amount of particulate matter in a given size range that a filter stops without sacrificing oil flow. Filter efficiency is expressed as the percentage of particles stopped by the filter compared to the number of total particles in the test oil.

Capacity
Capacity is the amount of particles a filter will hold without plugging, which is measured as the difference in pressure on the inlet side of the filter compared to the outlet side.

AMSOIL Super Duty Oil Filter
The AMSOIL Super Duty Oil Filter (SDF) uses an advanced blend of cellulose, fiberglass and synthetic media, which allows for tighter-than-normal pleating. Tighter pleating increases filter surface area, which increases filter capacity. SAE HS806 testing shows the SDF offers up to 300 percent more capacity than other leading filters offer. In other words, the SDF stops more dirt, holds more dirt and lasts longer than other filters do.

The fineness and uniformity of the filtration media give the Super Duty its superior efficiency. SAE HS806 testing shows the SDF offers up to 25 percent greater efficiency than other leading filter brands do. Its superior media also guarantees superior oil flow. The AMSOIL SDF is simply the best all-around filter available.

AMSOIL Foam Air Filters AMSOIL By-Pass Oil Filters
The AMSOIL By-Pass Oil Filter is used in conjunction with a full flow filter. The by-pass removes a portion of the oil from circulation and submits it to very fine filtration, which removes water (full flow filters can't) and virtually all the particles in the wear-causing 5 to 20-micron size range. It also removes a significant number of particles smaller than 5 microns. The superior filtration offered by the AMSOIL By-Pass Oil Filter significantly extends oil and engine life.

AMSOIL TS Air Filter
The AMSOIL TS Air Filter is reusable. Its double layer of oil-wetted foam wrapped around an expanded metal cage allows it to catch more dirt that other leading air filter brands do while allowing greater air flow. Airflow is critical to engine performance.

The testing performed on air filters takes into account the total weight of the particles captured by the filter or the time it takes the filter to reach saturation. No measurement is made of the sizes of particles captured by air filters.

The AMSOIL TS Air Filter lasts longer, captures more dirt and provides better air flow than other filters. That translates into better engine performance and longer engine life.

The Big Picture When you look at the big picture, the overall superiority of the AMSOIL SDF Oil Filter makes a big difference. Oil filters need good efficiency and good capacity to protect engines. Those with poor efficiency fail to trap a significant portion of particles large enough to damage the engine. Those with poor capacity fill quickly, and once filled allow dirty oil to bypass the filtration media, circulate unfiltered and damage the engine. Capacity becomes an especially critical issue with extended oil drain. The AMSOIL Super Duty Oil Filter offers superior efficiency and capacity to those offered by other popular filters. While some other filters offer good efficiency, they do not offer nearly the capacity of the AMSOIL SDF. For those who wish to extend their oil drain intervals -- or even for those who simply go too long on an oil change -- the extra safety offered by the AMSOIL SDF Oil Filter makes a big difference.
SAE HS806 Filtration Efficiency	SAE HS806 Filter Capacity

Click on Graph to Enlarge	Click on Graph to Enlarge
Efficiency -- A filter's ability to trap contaminants.	Capacity -- The amount of contaminants a filter media can hold without loss of oil flow and filtration.