Magazine for the auto service professional
Issue link: http://asp.epubxp.com/i/684411
40 | ASP June 2016 Technical flter's casing wall thickness may not provide enough strength to deal with this pressure, potentially resulting in a burst canister or a blow-out of the flter's gasket. Do yourself and your customers a favor and stick with known- quality flters, and avoid no-name/inexpensive flters. We shouldn't have to remind anyone of this, but always follow basic flter installation guidelines. Make sure that the flter mounting base is clean and free of grit or other contami- nants. Always apply a flm of clean engine oil to the flter's gasket, and always install the flter at the recommended torque value. Realistically, it's not practical to advise using a torque wrench, but a simple caution of proper tightening (avoiding under- or over-tightening) goes a long way to establish a secure attachment to avoid leaks such as those that can result from over-tightening and crushing the rubber gasket. Also, as long as the flter location is such that it's not upside-down or near 90 degrees, flling the flter with fresh oil prior to installing aids in more immediate oil fow. It's not a deal- breaker, but when possible, pre-fll the flter. Although shops other than racers rarely take the time to inspect a used flter, consider this. Using a dedicated oil flter cutter, the casing can be removed to expose the flter media, allowing you to inspect the flter material for signs of metallic deposits, which can be used as a diagnostic to help determine the condition of engine bearings. Granted, it's an extra step that may take another 10 or 15 minutes, but it's something to at least consider. Also, never assume that you have the correct oil flter for a given application. I've encountered a few flters that were improperly packaged, with a flter that has the wrong thread size or incorrect gasket diameter. It's not common, but take the time to check before attempting to install it. Transmission oil and flters One of the reasons that we need to change engine oil on a routine basis is because combustion heat and combustion by-products tend to contaminate the oil. Also, if the fuel system has been running rich and/ or injectors have been dripping with the engine of, the oil becomes contaminated and thinned-out. If the engine's coolant leaks into the oiling system (crack or pinhole in the block, damaged head gasket, etc.) this further contaminates the oil and lowers its lubrication properties. With that said, a transmission is not exposed to fuel, combustion deposit or coolant contamination. Tat's why transmis- sion fuid change intervals are much longer. However, exposure to heat (thermal break- down) is the enemy of transmissions and their lubricating oils. Because the tranny may seem to operate fne, and if they see no evidence of external leaks, far too many customers tend to completely ignore the need to replace this fuid. It's your job to remind them, and urge them to have their transmission fuid (and flter, in the case of automatic models) changed per the automaker's mileage recom- mendation. A fuid and flter change is a heck of a lot cheaper than replacing a transmission. Cabin air flters It's easy to ignore a vehicle's cabin air flter(s) — out of sight, out of mind. Let's be honest: It's easy to simply forget that they exist in the frst place. However, starting with select models in the 1990s, cabin air flters have become commonplace, with over 80% of new cars ftted with these cockpit cleansers. Replacing these flters benefts both the vehicle owner and the shop that is astute enough to highlight these flters on their standard lube and flter checklist. Choosing the correct oil and replenishing on a regular basis maintains proper oil fow and reduction of frictional wear.