[bugman]

When it comes down to filters and expiration dates I have no problems with having 2 or 3 years worth of them sitting on my garage shelf.

It's a lot like food, do you go through your pantry or refrigerator and throw away everything that has a good by date that has expired? Or do you take a wiff or taste of it to see if it is still edible?

 

[bigb]

That may not be as logically conservative as it seems, manufacturers have a commercial interest to churn sales, setting a shelf life for commercial reasons, not technical or physical longevity, is common. Other reasons are the unpredictable complexity of shipping, downstream use and storage. Some filters, like Fram, I don't use regardless of age. On the bus from their plant, nah.
In my 70 years I have cut countless automotive and industrial filter elements apart and found all types of debris, never a filter element that the media just came apart as described "detioriated" ....... as long as it was an oil application. I have found detiorated filter element media where an automotive filter element was used for chemicals, aromatic fuels or solvents. Water with a high sulfur content can get so acidic it will cause media failure.
I have also started abandoned equipment that sat in a field for a decade, it's oil filter when changed was just dirty, but intact.
Maybe someone with direct personal experience with an age failed filter element can tell us about it? I have been unable to find one.
Be happy, change oil often, use quality filters and keep up with oil condition.

Have never seen one cut open that was deteriorated but saw a few cases online of cartridge drop ins that were deteriorated for one reason or another. Since very few folks cut filters open it makes sense that they would not know if it was deteriorated but with a drop in cartridge type it would be obvious.

 

[John in OkieLand]

Milk is generally good 20+ dates after Expiration,
provided it was kept at 36*F or below.

Saltine Crackers?
go bad before their Expiration Date, the packaging is bad, high humidity zones, it creeps in the box, and the wafers are bad before i get to eat them. we quit buying more than we can eat int 2 weeks time.

back when Cv19 yelled at us, we bought 6 boxes, 4 of them thrown away.

Tuna in sealed packs?
always good it seems to me.

 

[Oneof6]

Have never seen one cut open that was deteriorated but saw a few cases online of cartridge drop ins that were deteriorated for one reason or another. Since very few folks cut filters open it makes sense that they would not know if it was deteriorated but with a drop in cartridge type it would be obvious.

Your report of for " one reason or another " does that include age over use date issues?

 

[TooCoolTwo]

My senior memory acting up...I did try one oil change with Rotella T5 a couple of years ago. Made my engine run extremely smooth, noticeable quieter, and much easier to start.
After a couple of months I developed a leak where the dipstick case enters the oil pan. Had the leak fixed.
So I went back to my trusted petroleum based Rotella T4. No more leaks since.