Yep. Kinda said that back a few...

Not an inlet, but rather an outlet. Oil flows outside the filter element into the center inside.



Canister filters do pretty much the same thing, although I am not sure if the oil enters from the outside of the filter element or the inside with the cannisters. I know about the KLX, because when looking for any contaminants one looks at the folds on the outside, not the inside. The rubber seals and O-rings seal the inside from the outside on the KLX type, where all of that is built into the cannister type.

Now It's been a while since I changed oil, being down last year for dual sporting. I may have made a mistake in what I inferred.

The KLX650 has the oil feed shaft run through the oil filter seals on the cartridge seal up that inner shaft, which has a couple feed holes for oil return flow to the engine, having entered the housing and being forced through the filter material from the outside. The filter element goes on that internal feed tube, which fits into the case and the oil filter cover, one end being sealed.

The KLX250 is similar but not quite the same. From what I have seen in the videos, and should shortly see when I change my oil and filter in the KLX, the oil feeds in the outside forcing from outside to inside of the element. Inside feeds out to the end and is channeled to the oil feed lines and ports. I don't know if there is an inner feed tube built into the 250 filter, where it is separate with the 650. The O-ring seals the outside from the inside. In the K&N oil change video the feed port from the clutch cover to the oil line that runs to the head is visible as is another port that feeds elsewhere.

But again I would need to get a good fresh look to be sure of this. Regardless, oil flows from outside of element to the inside.

 

No sense trying to make sense of Oil filters - they employ magic.

 

The oil filter is a kidney loop, it does not filter 100% of the flow. I am unaware of any production (not to say there is not one somewhere) vehicle that filters 100% of the flow, otherwise a clogged filter would result in disaster, plus I doubt the filter media could handle cold weather viscosity without over pressurizing and tearing up.

 

Isn't that the bypass valve? Each filter has a psi rating, I believe. This is a reason that getting the right filter for your vehicle is important, not just that the threads are the same and the filter physically fits.

I'm sure that you guys have surfed around this site.

Oil Filter Cross Reference

 

Yep, bypass valve in the system. I am on board with klxster in his comment though.