Inline oil filter construction

[artr]

I noticed my inline oil filter is installed backwards (arrow to the tank) and has been that way for at least two seasons I have owned it. It appears to be a standard filter (275000051, 275000262) and has not caused any issues. Has anyone ever opened one up to see how it is constructed internally and actually how dirty it really gets after 100 hours of use? My guess is that it is similar to the gas filter with a plastic mesh screen that is either a cylinder like the gas filter or a mesh cone. If that were the case then it seems that it would still do its job even if the flow was reversed. If there is a paper element inside then that could be different depending on the construction. I plan to replace it but I'm interested in how it works internally and how long they really last (100 hours for me is at least 3 seasons). Thanks for any insights.

 

[mikidymac]

Why don't you just get a new one to be safe and cut the old one apart.

A few years ago they actually changed them and the arrow is pointing a different direction so that is probably how yours got on backwards, they probably just put it on like the old one and didn't look at the arrow.