Champ/Luber-Finer PH820XL C&P

[GriffinB]

This was on my 2001 Crown Vic for 5,161 miles with Valvoline Restore and Protect 5w30, 149k miles. This was my first time using a Champ filter after I had heard some good things about them and on Whip City Wrenchers YouTube video it shows it is better quality then the FL-820S. I am not particularly impressed by this filter but I also don't really see anything bad to my untrained eye. In Whip City's video the filter is Made in USA, this one was Made in Mexico. Some PH2876XL I got were Made in USA, I also got a PH820 and that is Made in USA. Not sure if I should run that filter or just cut it open still virgin.
UOA: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...0-5k-mi-2001-crown-victoria-149-4k-mi.398546/

Here is what my magnetic drain plug caught.

View of baseplate:

Here is the inside of the baseplate after I cut it open, you can see the sludge and where I ran my finger along it to wipe it away, the R&P at work?:

Here is the silicone ADBV, was super pliable still and felt brand new:

Metal particles on the inside of baseplate:

More metal in the oil left in the bottom of the filter:

Here is all the parts of the filter laid out:

Here are the pleats on the cartridge, they were very even though I expected it to be taller:

End Cap of Filter:

Here is some glue on the end cap, kinda sloppy:

I'm at my picture limit but will post the rest in a reply. So overall this filter seems like it did it's job fine, glue work is a little sloppy but doesn't seem to affect anything. My biggest concern is why is there so much metal coming from this engine!? The UOA looks pretty good, the Fe and Al could be lower compared to the macroanalysis on BITOG.

What are you smarter people's thoughts on this? Next C&P I do on this car will be a Pronto PO4651EX. The oil change on my Bullitt is due and I will be getting a UOA for that and a C&P on the FL-820S that's on it.

 

[GriffinB]

More Sloppy glue work right at the top and near the pleat seam:

Here is metal I got on my fingers from running it through the pleats, once again just a lot of metal, I also found some slivers of metal in the pleats that were much larger:

And finally her is the pleats opened up, not much trash in these, besides metal...

 

[Pablo]

Well that's not good.

 

[Dborch41]

That's indeed a concerning amount of metal, did the drain plug look the same on previous changes? Was this also the first time running R&P?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Something is eating itself alive based on all the metal particles. And obviously some are ferrous since the drain plug shows quite a bit, and some of those look pretty large. Could be both ferrous and non ferrous wear going on.

 

[GriffinB]

That's indeed a concerning amount of metal, did the drain plug look the same on previous changes? Was this also the first time running R&P?

That was my second time running R&P, for a total of 8,116 miles. I would say the plug has looked like that every time, maybe even a little worse, hard to remember as I change the oil on multiple vehicles and I have those drain plugs on all of them. But I have started to take a picture each oil change so I can keep track.

Something is eating itself alive based on all the metal particles. And obviously some are ferrous since the drain plug shows quite a bit, and some of those look pretty large. Could be both ferrous and non ferrous wear going on.

I wonder what is doing it though? I think the only ferrous metals from this engine would be the cylinder walls, and camshafts I guess. I will look at the opened up pleats and run a magnet along it to see how big the ferrous chunks it picks up are.

Otherwise this engine seems very healthy, I've never had the valve covers off and timing chains have never been done. VC gaskets need to be replaced but they suck on these so I've just been procrastinating until it gets very bad. I know the tensioners can wear through the guides into the chains but I would think I'd hear some terrible noises from that.

I hate that all this metal is going through my engine and just wearing it more.

 

[rstcso]

That was my second time running R&P, for a total of 8,116 miles. I would say the plug has looked like that every time, maybe even a little worse, hard to remember as I change the oil on multiple vehicles and I have those drain plugs on all of them. But I have started to take a picture each oil change so I can keep track.

Could the metal not be new, but have been trapped in deposits which the VRP is freeing as the deposits are dissolved? I believe I've read similar experiences with VRP on other threads. VRP doesn't seem to really start dissolving deposits until after the second, third, or even fourth OCI.

I hate that all this metal is going through my engine and just wearing it more.

Looks like the filter and magnet on the drain plug have been doing a good job of catching it. You said the UOA looks good. I'd start worrying if the trend in UOAs' wear metals starting heading north.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Looks like the filter and magnet on the drain plug have been doing a good job of catching it. You said the UOA looks good. I'd start worrying if the trend in UOAs' wear metals starting heading north.

UOAs can only see wear particles that are 5u and less. So it takes a major wear condition to see a significant uptick in the UOA report.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I wonder what is doing it though? I think the only ferrous metals from this engine would be the cylinder walls, and camshafts I guess. I will look at the opened up pleats and run a magnet along it to see how big the ferrous chunks it picks up are.

Otherwise this engine seems very healthy, I've never had the valve covers off and timing chains have never been done. VC gaskets need to be replaced but they suck on these so I've just been procrastinating until it gets very bad. I know the tensioners can wear through the guides into the chains but I would think I'd hear some terrible noises from that.

Definitely determine if the stuff in the oil filter is ferrous or not, or a mix. I would suspect cam lobe going south or something related to the cam-chain.

 

[53' Stude]

More Sloppy glue work right at the top and near the pleat seam:
View attachment 294476
Here is metal I got on my fingers from running it through the pleats, once again just a lot of metal, I also found some slivers of metal in the pleats that were much larger:
View attachment 294478
And finally her is the pleats opened up, not much trash in these, besides metal...
View attachment 294481

Filter looks ok. My vote is MICROGARD select or PENTIUS or Pronto. Thank You sir for pics.