Oil Filters, whose is best, and Why?

edwardn1

...we get an ad from checker auto in the sunday paper, with GTX Castrol for 75c qt after rebate. Also havoline for 59c, also after rebate. KEEP BUYING THE SUPERTECH SO THAT WALMART KEEPS THEM ON THE SHELVES. HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE VALLEY OF THE SUN.

fleetwoodsimca

They had NO oil filters of any brand, but did have Car and Driver as a brand of oil.

cutehumor

dang, that's a real good deal for dino oil. castrol gtx has moly in it. I paid 1.66 a quart for castrol from walmart three weeks ago. I notice the price of gas has shot straight up here recently too. sad to say, we don't have checker auto here. I went to sam club yesterday and the 12 qt case of castrol gtx was 1.53 a quart. I think I will check castrol website to see if they have the rebate so you can print it out. I wonder if Memphis, TN doesn't qualify. I still buy supertechs, however they are still short at some walmarts for some reason. I do have enough for five oil changes though.

Fleetwood-

maybe they don't stock them in certain areas. I have heard from others that at walmart..they can't find any supertech oil filters..but find plenty of the supertech oil. some never heard of the supertech oil filters. could be regional how they allocate the filters. the walmarts here don't carry chevron supreme but everyone on bob's board swear they get it there up north.

bluedevils

Last time I looked (probably a few months ago), my local (SE Michigan) Target store had some C&D oil filters on the shelves.

according2me

Target store in my hometown. I'm glad of this because with K-mart looking like it's dead on the vine, Walmart needs the competition.

alternator

no longer carries oil filters of any kind! At least in my Indianapolis area. Maybe different where you are?

edwardn1

Besides the supertech is the proline at pepboys, they are a rebadged purolator.

fleetwoodsimca

All the Purolator made filters at my local Pep Boys are more expensive than Walmart Supertechs by Champion Labs. I must say, I have and do use Purolators, and accept them as totally satisfactory. It's just that the Supertechs are a better value, in my opinion. I can typically buy three Supertechs for the price of two Purolators. So why do I have both? Variety is the spice of life, they say.(:oß

plutonium

Since Kmart discontinued selling Castrol Max Pro and Penske oil filters.

Are they any more places that stock WIX filters besides NAPA Gold and Carquest Filters?

fleetwoodsimca

I thought about searching for an email address to ask WIX that very question. I haven't done it.

edwardn1

...about the supertech at Walmart. They are a very good buy at 1.97, very available, high quality and have a semi synthetic fiber element, which should make it cost MUCH MORE THAN IT DOES. I just hope that enough people buy them or they will dissapear from the shelves. HAPPY NEW YEAR

fleetwoodsimca

http://www.wixfilters.com/contact/index.html

Above is the place to go to ask WIX about availability. I presume they might reveal house brands they produce.

runpanther

and let them know you prefer they keep Supertech in stock. Hoping they keep the filters in stock is not productive.

Walmart website is www.walmart.com

behhpp

It appears that Fram would not be a recommended filter of many on this board. Being new to comparing oil filters,and to this board, can you tell why this is?

What is the prefered store bought filter?
Thank you.

edwardn1

...and you too will come to the conclusion that FRAM IS THE BEST MARKETED and WORST MADE filter out there. I personally bought nothing but frams from 73 until 2002. Unless I'm in the middle of nowhere and my filter falls off and is so damaged I cannot re install it, and there is only fram available, I'll never buy another fram.

armtdm

After cutting open multiple fitlers over the past year or so I have come to the conclusion that filters are worthless appendages, like an appendix. they filter out nothing! Even recently, using a mild engine cleaner that placed pin head sized particles into the drain pan, I cut open the filters (one a fram the other a K&N) and I found no debris in the filter media but did find it in the canister shell. Why wasn't the media loaded with debris, wish I knew. My opinion now is if you have a concern about the ability of the drain back valve to work after 6 months change the filter but from now on I am not changing filters between my drains which are from 7,500-12,000 miles depending on the car and driving using synthetic. Filters are useless and only to prevent catastophic failure due to huge particles. I have yet to cut one open that even looked full or contaminated with crud! The oil does the work and in my opnion the filters do nothing but add to cost. Granted Fram construction is crap but perhaps this is why they keep selling so many, filters in general do nothing so a Fram is as good as a Pure One or K&N or Mobil 1

bigorange30

Have you posted this on Bob's website? If so, what reaction did you get? I'd be interested in how this might be explained. I do think they filter but can't explain why you don't see the junk on the media. I wonder if the pressure drop across them has increased after 10-15 K miles. That is the best indication to me that some material has stopped up holes.

malachy72

heard your position before on the DIY board. The guy got very little opposition and said most particles remained suspended in the oil.

bluedevils

It seems a couple other folks have echoed armtdm's sentiments. I don't quite know what to believe, but there sure seems to be validity to what armtdm is saying. Seems quite possible that filters don't do as much as folks previously thought. Still, I think I'll keep using them!

The idea that filters do very little may be supported by the recommended change interval of some automakers - many automakers recommend replacing engine oil every x miles but filter every 2x miles.

goral

Just curious - anyone knows who makes Audi OEM oil filters? Are they any better than STs???

wain

what scientific evidence moved us from the 50s or 60s "change filter every other oil change" to how its done now - every change. Oil is better now too

opera_house_wk

I've cut open my share and generally find very little, at least on the filter media. They take out the big chunks! Don't need much of a filter for that. I like Fords concept for the FL-1A, a low restriction filter that can go 20K and the bypass on top so the dreggs don't get sucked through on real cold startup. A filter designed for the real forgetful American public. I take cold flow rates any day over filtering. When a filter is under $3 you don't have to think too hard about changing it.

americanflag

I was thinking about going with a Mobil 1 filter but after these opinions on filters maybe I will just save my money plus I have heard Motorcraft actually makes a pretty good filter.

bluedevils

The owners manual for my 2002 Kia Sedona minivan specifies filter change interval twice as long as oil - 7500 miles for oil, 15000 miles for filter in normal service. I'm not sure, but I think my 98 Isuzu Trooper manual may specify the same.

fleetwoodsimca

americanflag: Supertech filters by Champion Laboratories are superb for the vast majority of applications and I know of no bigger bang for the buck. Motorcraft filters may come from Champion. STP filters at Autozone are also by Champion, and Bosch as well.

americanflag

to go with the Motorcraft filter. I think the filter for the 5W-20 is actually termed a water filter

ruking1

#1850

I am also in agreement.

americanflag

efficacy of oil filters in general, I would like to offer my layman's two cents. I would think the best oil filter would be an oil change.

fleetwoodsimca

Before you get too far into dismissing oil filters, consider the case of air filters: Sometimes when inspecting an air filter, I will hold the used filter and a brand new one up to a light in my shop. What looked like a "not so very dirty" filter will be blocking a lot of light from passing to my eyes, compared to the volume of light passing through the new filter. The point here is that often, filters are a lot dirtier than reflected light inspection leads us to believe. Don't forget that filters work on a nearly microscopic level and stop particles a lot smaller than the miniature dirt clods our eyes can see.

edwardn1

...just buy a new supertech at Walmart and change at each oil change if for no other reason than to get out the additional dirty oil held in the filter. I, too have held up a seemingly good air filter to a light and thought it looked good, but hold it up to a new one and see the difference. A lot of the oil cooling occurs in the filter, if its in bypass mode, air is not flowing over moving oil. So change it before it gets to that point. And I agree with fleetwood, the Champion Labs made Supertech at Walmart is the most bang for the buck.

fleetwoodsimca

Great point about the dirty oil residing in the unchanged filter. I just can't abide the idea of mixing new oil with a whole canister full of cruddy black oil. There's enough residual scrunge in the block for the new oil to sanitize as it is, let alone a whole canister... etc.

chas_in_okc

filters. Must have been 10 or 15 years now. Hasting at that time (not sure if they are in business now)used fibers instead of paper. From what I read it filtered more than most others but was not recommended because it restricted oil flow to much and starved the top end of engines. So it doesn't suprise me that todays filters don't filter much. They don't want to be sued and know regular oil changes cover thier butt.
To me car companys giving long oil change intervals are crazy. 3k to 5k changes flush the junk suspended in the oil that filters let pass. I still change the filter every oil change just to be be safe.

joe3891

filter will bypass oil not starve the engine,if that was the case a lot of cars would be broke down.

fleetwoodsimca

You've got to ask yourself if you are willing to trust that little, inexpensive valve in the filter to not slow the flow of oil to your very expensive engine. Most modern engines have some safe guards built in that favor keeping the oil flow up, and not allowing the secondary circuit of filtration to intercede in that volume per engine speed equation.

csandste

are Purolators. I do agree that SuperTechs are better, especially concerning the money.

joe3891

of course i trust that little ole valve,have been for many years.
>You've got to ask yourself if you are willing to trust that little, inexpensive valve in the filter to not slow the flow of oil to your very expensive engine. Most modern engines have some safe guards built in that favor keeping the oil flow up, and not allowing the secondary circuit of filtration to intercede in that volume per engine speed equation.<

fleetwoodsimca

...with Purolator filters (thin skinned, maybe?) and trustin' those little valves is probably very low risk. All is well in this automotive seance!

armtdm

Still in business, sort of. They were purchased by Baldwin filters years ago and they kept the Hastings name as it signified quality and they use it as a marketing gimick. However, Baldwin is also owned by another conglemorate as well. So, Baldwin owns Hastings and Hastings also makes the Amsoil filters. WHo know who makes what anymore, and to what specs?

acelink

I use this filter for my car. Mobil advertises its "low torque lubricated gasket." The sticker on the side of the filter shows that it only need to be turned 3/4 of a circle for a tight seal (I believe this can be done by hand). Yet, I couldn't help noticing the mechanic tightening it with a tool(?) till his face got red. I showed him the Mobil instruction to which he replied, "that cannot be trusted." Any suggestions?

bigorange30

or change the filter yourself. If is has a sticker warning on it from the manufacturer, it is foolish to ignore it.

wain

are ham fisted.
Surprised he did not use his impact wrench to get it on "tite'

ruking1

#1865

On one of my vehicles I actually have a torque value that is buried in the 3 volume 7 in thick specs.

The value is 22ft#'s.

While I have had good experience with the turn 3/4 past just seating procedure, (after 39 years of changing oil filters) I used the 22ft#'s after seeing a slight oil drip pool. The drips have not returned!

While each and every vehicle may or may not have its own spec. that part is more or less built the same as most any vehicle so I would have no trouble putting a 22ft# spec on my other vehicles.

fleetwoodsimca

I agree that snugging filters up with hand tools is wise. You should keep in mind that you are not trying to get past the sliding friction to a dead stop. To the contrary, you are attempting to get snug enough to assure immobilization for retention, yet not enough pressure to crush the gasket, or to favor it being "cooked" into place by engine heat.

ruking1

#1869

Incidently I use a torque wrench to get the 22#ft. I also would agree that the gasket "seating" is the operative action. In that the AC Delco PF44 oil gasket looks and acts materially like almost any other.

So I am second guessing the OEM manual by saying that 22#ft is that value that takes your post into account.

Objectively 22#ft it is an easier and more positive number to achieve than the 3/4 turn past just seating will ever be.

joffficer

Hi,
I just did an oil change on a '91 Dodge Spirit RT. At idle the oil pressure would drop to almost zero (the engine has probably had a hard life!), but is within limits over 1000 rpms. I've always used larger filters when possible, but never saw this:
The oil pressure hasn't dropped since I changed to the larger filter (ST8 instead of the ST16 listed for the car). I did go to 10W40 oil, but that's from 10W30. Could the filter have done this? I like having the extra oil/filter in there, but the pressure is an added benefit!

fleetwoodsimca

I agree with your assessment that the 16 filter is a shortened version of the classic 8A. I have to think, though, that your better idle oil pressure is due to the gain in viscosity at running temperature that your 10W-40 provides over the previous 10W-30.

bburton1

Happen to notice a certain brand of filter seems to cause my already noisey Honda I4 engine to be a lot louder on start up than others. It does quiet down in a few seconds but makes me wonder why a filter should cause that.

Also the thread about filters doing precious little is interesting. Maybe will take on apart and see how what I can find in the filter element.

thanks

lobsenza

The filter may not have had a valve to prevent oil from flowing out of the filter before a cold start. It would almost be like an empty filter after an oil change. That is why I fill my oil filters prior to screwing them on.

knapp3

And it could be that the filter brand you are using simply isn't using valve material that's good enough. The silicone valves are thought to do a better job than the ones made out of nitrate or rubber.

csandste