Oil Filter got wet

rain water soaked the box. It didn't look like it

If it was sitting with the gasket side down I would use it. If it got water into it........no

??????

Silly question time: why not?

Let's say the filter DID get water inside. Before installing, the OP turns it upside down and drains whatever water he can. Then he installs it and takes the car out for a long enough run to get everything up to operating temps, and any water in the system will be evaporated. Whatever little water was in the filter at startup will be forced thru the system quickly without causing any more harm than the air in a fresh filter on startup, maybe less. And there was probably no more water in the filter at installation than in the sumps of many cars after a short run in very cold winter conditions.

Of course, the filter could just be set aside to dry and used at the next oil change. Ever get a filter with rust on it straight out of the box? I've seen more than a few... I'd bet they get wet frequently in transit or warehousing. What did I miss?

Rick

Your advice to set it aside to dry is good but, aren' the insides of most oil filters made of paper? The ratio of oil filter cost to major engine repair cost would keep me from just pouring the water out and using the filter. Thinking about a lump of paper goo traveling through the system, coupled with the now compromised filtering ability of the filter itself, gives me the willies. In the old days when water was more prevalent in gasoline, the paper fuel filters would get wet and become impassable to gasoline. Even if the paper element didn't turn to goo, the oil will bypass and not be filtered.

If you're sure it was kept gasket side down, AND you're short on funds, AND you don't mind a little risk, I'd let it dry for a while and use it.

Carl

1 Lucky Texan

Rick Courtright wrote:

Thanks for the reply. The filter was kept gasket side down. If any water got into the filter, it got there through moisture in the air; the box was wet all the way through.

Wayne

if the paper gets water soaked it could distort inside or breakup or get out of shape it is designed for oil not water moisture gets carried by the oil

È

No kidding... I was *so* tempted to write the same thing way back when this thread started. All this talk and discussion over a couple of dollars! What a waste. My peace-of-mind would have demanded tossing out the wet filter and getting a new one! John

replying to John, Tom wrote: I agree with the better safe than sorry argument when it comes to a $6 oil filter. However, when you have $55 worth of oil filters that got soaked, it would be nice to know if there's a definite answer to this question before throwing out that much money. Any new insights on this?

Archived copy of parent article:

Dated back in 2003 ... *16 years ago*. No wonder my NNTP provider didn't have a copy of this ancient article. When replying to a post, be sure to note its datestamp.

I looked at the archived starting article where the OP never mentioned the cost of the oil filter that was left out in the rain and sitting in a puddle. Tom's argument about an oil filter costing $55 is irrelevant since we don't know how much the OP paid for his, and after 16 years it is extremely unlikely the OP will return to cite his cost. If the argument is that $55 was for many oil filters, well, I sure wouldn't be taking my car to Tom's shop.

As for whether or not the oil filter is usable or not, that depends on whether just the gasket got wet by contact to the box it was in getting wet versus the level of water of the puddle being higher than the gasket and wetting the paper element inside. Again, we won't know because the OP won't be returning after a 16 year hiatus from this thread. You run your car long enough to make sure the engine gets hot enough to vaporize any moisture that accumulate inside, and why short trips where the engine barely warms up are bad. You don't want water damaging the engine from the inside, especially since the oil drains off the walls when parked. An oil filter whose paper element is soaked will be placing far too much water inside the engine for it to vaporize and get expelled no matter how long you drive. You think pouring in half a cup of water into the oil filler tube comes anywhere close to the tiny bit of water vapor in the air inside the compartments that condense on cooling?

Ever put a paper towel over a small puddle of water and notice how the water gets wicked up and spreads into the paper towel? Well, a paper filter sitting in a puddle is also going to wick up the water. That's why the other respondents in the ancient posts asked how high was the puddle. That the gasket got wet couldn't been just because it was against a wet box, or the puddble could've been high enough for the water to contact the paper inside the oil filter. However, as the other respondents noted, just go buy another new oil filter for a few bucks ... and not likely the $55 you mentioned.

See, it's paper inside for the filter. Sure, you could let it sit around to dry (while hoping no rusting happens inside); however, unless you make a rig that pushes air into the oil filter in one hole to get the air to actually move through the filtering element, it's going to be a LONG time before the oil filter gets dried out. If you cannot afford to just go out to buy another oil filter after the first one gets soaked, you really cannot afford that car.

The guy in the above video bought his Fram filters from Tom's auto parts store where Tom tried to reuse the wetted filters or his warehouse doesn't control the humidity. Below the author shows some other Fram filters that have metal end caps instead of cardboard and no rust.

Do I buy Fram anything? No. You can't tell what you're getting for quality since they bounce all over between their products, and you can't see inside. I do like Wix but that's because it's in the auto parts stores where I shop while the other high-end brands are absent. NAPA stores are just too pricey for me to go there for parts unless they're the only one that has the part (other than the dealer who is as or more expensive). However, if the paper/cotton/fabric filter gets wet, I'm not using it no matter what the cost. I'm not pouring water into my engine whether by using a measuring cup or by using a wet oil filter, and I'm not waiting a week, or more, to let a wet oil filter dry out while it rusts.

I'm just gonna sit the filter on a heater over night what ever water did get in it will evaporate right??

<yep, that's all washer41 cited>

According to the References header, and the archived article copy at:

the thread by "wayne snipped-for-privacy@ukulele.com" was started over 18 years ago. No need to visit some disconnected forum thread. After 18+ years, that unused oil filter's paper element would've already air dried.

Either wayne nymshifted to washer41, or washer41 is trying to usurp the ancient thread as though he was the one that left the oil filter in the rain.

I take of my filter because there was to match oil in my car the i take it of and over night in a bottel and it get water will it invect my car when i put i back