Amsoil ea15k03 after 1 year 11k miles

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This is the filter in my Cavalier Ecotec engine after 1 year and about 11k miles. No issues to report. Oil was Amsoil signature 0w40. Same filter and oil went back in for another 1 year oci.




 
I read that wrong, thought you meant you put the SAME oil and filter back in
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted By: SOHCman
I read that wrong, thought you meant you put the SAME oil and filter back in
lol.gif



I guess I should have said same type of oil and filter went back in!
LOL!
 
Looks like it was made a little too long, looks a little squashed. Fortunately strong enough to survive it. IMO, still not sure why cartridges are superior to spin-on filters, seems to be a lot to go wrong!
 
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Looks like it was made a little too long, looks a little squashed. Fortunately strong enough to survive it. IMO, still not sure why cartridges are superior to spin-on filters, seems to be a lot to go wrong!


Every filter I have taken out of this engine looks a little squashed. It is a characteristic of the Ecotec cartridge design.
It is actually why I went with this filter since it has wire backed mesh, I figured it would be stronger. I didn't trust a regular pleated cellulose filter for an extended OCI.
The oem filters looked more squashed than this in 3k miles!
 
The metal pleat clip is straight, so length has to be OK, but the pleats are bent. Suggests clogged and too much diff pressure. Which is also what the close up pics of the media show. Looks caked over, to me anyway.
 
Originally Posted By: goodtimes
The metal pleat clip is straight, so length has to be OK, but the pleats are bent. Suggests clogged and too much diff pressure. Which is also what the close up pics of the media show. Looks caked over, to me anyway.


Not caked over at all. There were some flakes of hard carbon in the bottom of the pleats.
For 1 year and 11k I was actually expecting more in the filter!
Filter looked like I could have let it go longer.
 
Originally Posted By: AntsinmyEyes
I always used the ac delco filters and they never got crushed. over tightening the cap could cause that though
That's what I was going to say-the Hengst AC Delco ones I've used looked better than that (although there's been a lot posted here that looked worse!).
 
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Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
... IMO, still not sure why cartridges are superior to spin-on filters, seems to be a lot to go wrong!
That's true, but on another hand there are also a lot of ways that spin-ons can go wrong but cartridges can't. At least you can easily see any problems with a cartridge, before or after use.
 
Originally Posted By: cronk
Originally Posted By: goodtimes
The metal pleat clip is straight, so length has to be OK, but the pleats are bent. Suggests clogged and too much diff pressure. Which is also what the close up pics of the media show. Looks caked over, to me anyway.


Not caked over at all. There were some flakes of hard carbon in the bottom of the pleats.
For 1 year and 11k I was actually expecting more in the filter!
Filter looked like I could have let it go longer.


I was looking at the second pic from bottom where there is a carbon or some buildup in the pleat. In the same pleat and the one below there is a boundary line like there is a layer of whatever that is on top of the layer below. Digital images I guess. In any case the metal crimp is straight which means the filter wasn't crushed down, it would also be bowed.
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Originally Posted By: AntsinmyEyes
I always used the ac delco filters and they never got crushed. over tightening the cap could cause that though


Even the OEM Delco/Hengst have always come out looking slightly crushed.
Can't really over tighten these, since there is a stop ridge built into the cap.
I just snug it up with a hand ratchet.
 
You cant over tighten these caps and crush the filter... absolute nonsense.. you overtighten the cap or housing and they break. The cap face stops on the flanged face on the filter housing. That is Just the pleats moving due to oil flow. Some filters stand up to it better than others. And rarely, some have wonky dimensions.

Had that crushed pleat (and a couple tears) issue with napa proselects on our malibus at work. switch to golds and the problem has largely disappeared.

I avoid the filters with the thin sharply folded creases on the pleats.
 
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I cut open an Ea15K50 after 26k miles (just about 1 year) and the pleats were bent. I strongly suspect that because of the wire mesh that it takes a "set" over time, and not indicative of anything bad.
 
Lube up the filter ends prior to installing. The filter media is binding as it is being installed when it meets the oil filter housing plate. I saw this on a Mazda that used cartridge filters. Lube up the top and bottom of the filter with oil and it helped a lot. Did this for years and the media came out straight every time.
 
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