cutting open an oil filter?

[formula]

I was just curious if you guys had any tricks on how to cut open an oil filter on the cheap to examine the insides.

thoughts?

[Matt@RFR]

hacksaw, tin snips, etc. They are very thin, and the cut doesn't have to be anything special.

[formula]

in case you were wondering, a sawzall is a very entertaining way to cut an oil filter open.

[mpozzi]

Place the cut near the flange so you can slide the cartridge out of the housing in one piece. From there, you can separate the corrugation and examine the filter medium. And a hacksaw works the best for this; just work your way around the housing to keep the actual filter in one piece.

Another quickie oil analysis technique is to use a clean coffee filter and put a small amount of the drained crankcase oil, trans fluid, whatever you're trying to check metal of, inside. The fluid will drain and the residue should stay in the filter. Hold it around a light and you can see if there's metal (will be shiny and sparkle) left. If you do see evidence of metal, another quickie test to determine the most probable origin is with a magnet. Iron is magnetic whereas copper, aluminum, and such are not. Iron is blocks, heads, crankshafts, camshafts, and most of the major parts of the engine. Aluminum, copper, brass, etc. are bearings, bushings, and such. Sometimes you can catch a problem in the minor stages, correct it, and stop it before you're looking at major $$$ in repairs or unit replacement.

If you want to get a full-fledged analysis, try www.herguth.com or type in Herguth Laboratories under your search engine. For a nominal fee, they'll do a spectroanalysis of your fluid.

[Matt@RFR]

If you use anything other than an actual filter cutter, rig a shop vac up so it sucks all the chips made from cutting the can. If you don't, you won't know if you're looking at an unhappy engine or parts of your filter housing.

Real filter cutters are WELL worth the money if you're gonna be doing this more than a couple times.

[Whistler]

You can do it with a chisel, just work your way around and you wont get any shavings in the oil like you will with a sawzall or hacksaw.

[MarkM66]

Poke a hole in it near the top with a screwdriver, cut the rest off with a tin snip. Super easy, and no matal shavings.

[Maxoctane]

hacksaws, sawzalls and cut off wheels will put metal shavings into even a brand new oil filter. Use a chain-type exhaust tubing cutter.

[Piet]

a goat

[Restomod]

If you really want to impress yourself put an old speaker magnet on the flat end of the filter a few days befor you remove it to cut it open..................