First Oil Change

[vettmike]

Did the first oil change over the weekend. The 'X' had 4338 miles. About a 50/50 mix of towing and not towing.

The oil didn't look bad at all, it actually looked like the ashless oil you mix for 2-stroke motors.

The factory oil filter must have been installed by a gorilla as I broke my oil filter wrench trying to break it loose, I ended up poking a hole in the side and using a long screwdriver to break it loose. I installed a K & N filter so I won't have this problem again. BTY, I poked a hole in the bottom and drained the filter before I tried to remove, saved a lot of mess.

An interesting side note, I took out the air filter for a quick inspection, ended up changing it, it was very, very dirty. I have never seen one this dirty with so little milage, I don't drive on any dirt roads and living in the south I don't get the dust that you get in the southwest.

I would suggest others do a quick inspection on their air filters.

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Mike

'00 White XLT with PSD Badging

[BadExcursion]

I had the same problem with my oil filter the first time as well. I currently have over 10,000 miles on my X and change the oil every 3000 and haven't had the problem since.

My air filter also gets very dirty in a short time. These diesels pull in a lot of air so the filter is bound to get dirty faster than a gasser.

[ExcursionPSD]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BadExcursion:
...My air filter also gets very dirty in a short time. These diesels pull in a lot of air so the filter is bound to get dirty faster than a gasser.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Most 'filtration experts' (I am NOT one) will tell you to pay attention to the filterminder gauge on the airbox. Don't change until that says you should, unless you see some physical damage (tear or rip or damaged seal).

Most airfilters actually do a better job of filtering when somewhat dirty. Until they start being restrictive, it is BETTER to leave them in, than to replace them.


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2000 Excursion Limited born 11/99 4x4 Toreador Red ext./gray int. 7.3PSD, 3.73LS, Skidplates, Pwr/Htd TeleMirrors, 6CDchanger, HtdBuckets, LT265/75R16D AT, Ford Wraparound deflector, PSDV8 badging, RoofMarkerLights, Tekonsha Sentinel brake cntrlr

[djellenz]

Excursion PSD:
You are correct! A dirty filter (provided it's not plugged) will do a better job cleaning than a brand new filter. Dirt particles plug off the larger pores in the filter element allowing the filter to do a better job of catching the smaller particles of dirt.

'00 PSD LTD, 4X4, All Options.

[MCelitom]

Nonsence, as a filter gets dirty, the vacuum direrential between the inlet(dirty) side and the outlet(clean) side goes up, due to restriction. When it is driven beyond the specified interval and becomes too dirty, previously trapped dirt will be sucked through the filter media, into the engine. Think of it this way, if you held the suction tube of a shop vac to the clean side of said filter, the greater vacuum would dislodge and pull some of the smaller micron(previously trapped) crud into the vac.

00 EX LTD PSD all options.

[qadsan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
ExcursionPSD:
Most airfilters actually do a better job of filtering when somewhat dirty

djellenz:
You are correct! A dirty filter (provided it's not plugged) will do a better job cleaning than a brand new filter
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


MCelitom, your point is well taken concering a PAPER FILTER, but ExcursionPSD & djellenz are actually correct when referring to a K&N filter as the filtration efficiency actually increases as the filter collects dirt.


Paper vs K&N

By comparison, paper filters are made from compressed fibers. The spaces between these fibers provide microscopic holes the air must pass through. One by one, these holes become plugged with dirt and dust particles. Once a hole becomes plugged, the air must find an alternate route through the medium. As the filter collects more dirt, its resistance to air flow increases because there are fewer and fewer holes left open and as restriction goes up, horsepower and fuel economy go down. But to meet minimum filtration standards, the paper must be thick and/or the fibers must be tightly compressed and dense. Therefore paper elements that provide adequate filtration are restrictive to air flow by design. Any paper element that could flow as much air as an equivalent K&N would not provide safe filtration. Additionally, as a paper filter becomes more and more clogged, the pressure inside the filter drops while the atmospheric air pressure (approximately 14.6 psig at sea level) outside the filter remains the same. It's like using your lungs to draw the air out of a plastic milk bottle. When the pressure differential becomes too great, the bottle will collapse. The same thing could happen to your paper filter, although it is unlikely. But what will happen could be just as severe. An excessively high pressure differential created by a restricted filter can literally pull dirt particles through the paper medium. In other words, the performance of a paper filter, i.e. air flow through the filter and its ability to protect your engine, DECREASES near the end of its service interval.


The K&N air filter is somewhat more complex. Its unique design features an oiled cotton fabric which holds airborne dirt particles. These dirt particles cling to the outside of the filter and actually become part of the filtering media. The cotton fabric is sandwiched between pleated aluminum screen. Pleating increases surface area which in turn promotes air flow and prolongs service intervals. Pleating exposes five times the surface area compared to a flat element like foam.

The dirt particles collected on the surface of a K&N element have very little effect on air flow because there are no small holes to clog. Particles are stopped by crisscrossed cotton fibers and held in suspension by the oil. As the filter begins to collect debris, an additional form of filter action begins to take place because air must first pass through the dirt particles trapped on the surface. That means the filtration efficiency of a K&N element actually increase as the filter collects dirt. Tests have shown that K&N filters will typically flow 60 percent of their maximum flow capacity after 50,000 miles of street use.

Conversely, dirt trapped by a paper element will impregnate the fibers which will impede air flow at a proportional rate. In other words, performance decreases dramatically as a paper element gets dirty. At the service interval, say 14,000 miles, air flow through a paper element can decrease as much as 70 percent. The efficiency of K&N's oiled cotton gauze medium has been proven time and time again. The condition of the filter can be monitored with a vacuum gauge. The vacuum reading increases as the filter nears its service interval. A high vacuum reading means the filter is dirty and needs to be serviced. Some trucks have logged over 100,000 miles with no loss in air flow as reported by the service technicians. Again this is due in part because a clean K&N filter will flow half again as much air as a comparable paper element.

[roller]

I HAVE A K&N IN MY CREWCAB AND IT'S ONLY GOOD FOR ABOUT 3 OIL CHANGES AND THEN NEEDS CLEANED AS FOR THE STOCK AIR FILTER IT ONLY LASTED 5000 MILES AND WAS SHOT .I ORDERED A AMSOIL FILTER FOR THE EXCURSION TO SEE IF I WILL FLOW BETTER FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME THAN K&N DOES . ALSO THE CLOGGED INDICATOR DIDN'T EVEN MOVE ON MINE OR THE WIFES WHEN I PLUGGED IT UP SO HARDLY ANY AIR PASSES THROUGH . YOU GUYS SPENT 30K AND UP ON YOUR TRUCKS SO 10.00 EVERY 5K MILES WON'T KILL YA

[ExcursionPSD]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ExcursionPSD:
...Until they start being restrictive, it is BETTER to leave them in, than to replace them.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And a double Nonsence!(spelling error not corrected) to MCelitom!

We drive in widely varying conditions, I am never on a gravel or dirt road, and with all the rain we've gotten here this summer, rarely on a dirty road. My filterminder gauge will show a restriction, and I inspect the air filter every 5,000 miles for dirt, as well as sealing problems.

I am interested in the comparison between the Amsoil & K&N air filters. I guess to do it right you would need a vacuum gauge hooked up to the engine side of the air filter.

I am very interested in the RamAir from Western Diesel, the specs seem good on it, the price is serious.

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2000 Excursion Limited born 11/99 4x4 Toreador Red ext./gray int. 7.3PSD, 3.73LS, Skidplates, Pwr/Htd TeleMirrors, 6CDchanger, HtdBuckets, LT265/75R16D AT, Ford Wraparound deflector, PSDV8 badging, RoofMarkerLights, Tekonsha Sentinel brake cntrlr