Once you get the filter housing cut off, how do you interpret what the element is telling you? Just like reading the tip of a sparkplug gives you insight into the engine’s combustion chamber performance, regularly examining the oil filter element tells you the status of the engine’s moving parts. Those paper folds can be an early warning system for major engine problems, or help you trace back and diagnose a failed part after an engine failure.
Remember that the “oil wedge” is what keeps the moving engine parts from hitting, scuffing or galling each other, and the simple and taken-for-granted oil filter could save you money in the long term.
Many of us race with a paper element filter that has to be cut open to do any detective work. We might do it once after the first break-in run after an engine rebuild to see if any metal chunks are clogging it. But you’ll get better diagnostic tracking information if you cut open the filter every time you change it. You’ll get a baseline of how it looks at the start of the season, and then recognize small or major changes in the amount and type of contaminants it will trap as the engine wears.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Once you get the top cut off the filter, look inside the canister and top for any obvious debris. Then remove the paper filter element and see if any debris is on the outside of it. Oil flow is from the canister’s outside edge to the inside center tube, so this is the side of the element to concentrate your examination on.
You need to see right down into the creases of the filter element. To do that it is best to lay it flat. Take a sharp utility knife and cut off the filter elements metal end rings. When you get
the end rings off, slice the paper element lengthwise into two or three sections. Then, pull the accordian-crimped sections flat and fan them out.
The center tube of the filter element can sometimes show you a problem. In all likelihood, you won’t find any contaminants there – if the filter element is doing its job. But I know of a racing team that found gummy deposits on the center tube. These were leading to oil filter clogging and engine failure. So, don’t neglect looking over the center tube.
Once you have your accordianed segments of paper laid out, you want to look directly into the creases of the filter element to see what it’s collected. Be sure you are looking at the correct side of the paper – the canister side, not the center tube side. Get a strong light and magnification to look in the creases.
You might see or smell gasket material or rubber bits from hoses. There may be traces of metal flecks in the creases, which are nothing to get too excited about – it’s if you see a change in the quantity of these when you need to troubleshoot further. Gold-colored flakes can indicate bearing or crank bearing issues/deterioration. Aluminum flakes could be from any engine part made of that material. Get a magnet and run it across the element to confirm what is iron or aluminum material.
If you are unsure of what you’re seeing when you try to read the oil filter element, save it and send it or take it to an experienced engine builder who can help you translate what it’s trying to tell you. In the long run, the oil filter’s message can save you money and grief. 
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