Champion, Champ, and Service Champ

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Jan 16, 2021
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Okay, guys, tell me if I've got this right.

There is Champion, best known for spark plugs and batteries; there's Champ filters, made by Champion Labs; and there's Service Champ filters.

As far as I have been able to determine, there's no connection between the two Champions. The spark plug and battery Champion is owned by Federal Mogul, and Champion Labs was owned by UCI but is now owned by First Brands, which is also the parent of Fram (there goes the neighborhood).

Service Champ appears to be an automotive industry jobber that sells a lot of different tools and supplies under their own and other brands, including private-branded filters. I don't know who makes the filters. Probably not Champion Labs, because their numbering scheme is different.

I'm bringing this up because either there are a lot of confused people on the internet who believe these companies are related, or else I'm the confused one. Anyone want to confirm or rebut my understanding here?
 
Some of the confusion comes from Champion Oil Filters which you can order from Summit and we’re blown out the door by Rock Auto a few years ago. They have the traditional Champion Logo.

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The only one of those I would use is Champ as they are supertech white cans. The Champion filters were made in mexico and mediocre but not too bad. Seen em at Pep boys before they went out of business for parts. Service champ was something I took off my aunts accord from some lube spot.
 
Service Champ appears to be an automotive industry jobber that sells a lot of different tools and supplies under their own and other brands, including private-branded filters. I don't know who makes the filters. Probably not Champion Labs, because their numbering scheme is different.
Champ filters and Service Champ are made by Champiom Labs, which is now part of First Brands who also owns Fram.
 
Champ filters and Service Champ are made by Champiom Labs, which is now part of First Brands who also owns Fram.
I know Champ filters are made by Champion Labs, that's part of what I said in the first post, but how do you know Service Champ is also made by Champion Labs? Where did you get that info?

To me it seems unlikely, because teardowns show Service Champ filters with a cheaper internal construction than Champ filters (cardboard end caps and plastic core on the Service Champ, vs. metal on the Champ), and why would Champion Labs participate in diluting their own brand by private-labeling for a similarly-named brand? But on the other hand the baseplates do look similar, with the six little nubs to secure the gasket. And I suppose it's possible that Champion would build a low-spec filter if the customer wants it.

Interestingly, the teardown linked above shows Fram-style internals, but that link was posted in 2019, before First Brands bought Champion Labs.

Maybe I'll reach out to the two companies and ask them directly.
 
I know Champ filters are made by Champion Labs, that's part of what I said in the first post, but how do you know Service Champ is also made by Champion Labs? Where did you get that info?

To me it seems unlikely, because teardowns show Service Champ filters with a cheaper internal construction than Champ filters (cardboard end caps and plastic core on the Service Champ, vs. metal on the Champ), and why would Champion Labs participate in diluting their own brand by private-labeling for a similarly-named brand? But on the other hand the baseplates do look similar, with the six little nubs to secure the gasket. And I suppose it's possible that Champion would build a low-spec filter if the customer wants it.

Interestingly, the teardown linked above shows Fram-style internals, but that link was posted in 2019, before First Brands bought Champion Labs.

Maybe I'll reach out to the two companies and ask them directly.
Those six little nubs and 8 large holes in the base plate are the give away it was a Champion Labs filter. I’ll post a few of the filters they make starting with the Motomaster OE Plus.

E76A5CBD-4D18-4824-A838-0A834F7109EF.jpeg
 
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Having said that, even if they have the 6 nubs there still two versions, one with fiber end caps and one with metal end caps. The Motomaster OE Plus gets the metal end caps. The AC Delco PF 48E gets fiber end caps.
 
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I know Champ filters are made by Champion Labs, that's part of what I said in the first post, but how do you know Service Champ is also made by Champion Labs? Where did you get that info?

To me it seems unlikely, because teardowns show Service Champ filters with a cheaper internal construction than Champ filters (cardboard end caps and plastic core on the Service Champ, vs. metal on the Champ), and why would Champion Labs participate in diluting their own brand by private-labeling for a similarly-named brand? But on the other hand the baseplates do look similar, with the six little nubs to secure the gasket. And I suppose it's possible that Champion would build a low-spec filter if the customer wants it.

Interestingly, the teardown linked above shows Fram-style internals, but that link was posted in 2019, before First Brands bought Champion Labs.

Maybe I'll reach out to the two companies and ask them directly.
Your larger CHAMP filters like PH 400, 500 etc are e core design inside. I’ve cut thousands apart also. Service Champ I’m betting is made in Korea or China also. CHAMP filters we used for years at my work; never a issue at all
 
Here is a Service Champ filter. The ad alludes to the fact they are made by the leading manufacturer of private brand and OE filters. I believe that is Champion Labs. This photo shows 6 holes in the base plate. The other examples of Champion Labs built filters had 8.

EEF88BDF-9AEF-4B25-A845-18F6F6D4A17D.png
 
The Champion filters from Summit, PB, & others were Frederal Mogul built in Mexico; Champ, Super Tech, Service Champ, AC Delco, Motomaster, Fram, Luberfiner, & about a gazillion other private labels are built by First Brands/Trico in both the Champion Labs and Fram plants, and cross pollination is already occurring (Fram labeled Force [Champ] filters at AAP). At the rate things are going Mann, First Brands, and the Chinese factories will be building every oil filter available in the USA.
 
The Champion filters from Summit, PB, & others were Frederal Mogul built in Mexico; Champ, Super Tech, Service Champ, AC Delco, Motomaster, Fram, Luberfiner, & about a gazillion other private labels are built by First Brands/Trico in both the Champion Labs and Fram plants, and cross pollination is already occurring (Fram labeled Force [Champ] filters at AAP). At the rate things are going Mann, First Brands, and the Chinese factories will be building every oil filter available in the USA.
What a grim picture of the future.
 
The case of 12 Champ filters I recently bought are labeled USA with a 2018 manufacturing date, which is prior to the First Brands takeover, so I think I can be reasonably sure they are not Fram design. I guess I'll have to do the research all over again once I use them up.
 
The case of 12 Champ filters I recently bought are labeled USA with a 2018 manufacturing date, which is prior to the First Brands takeover, so I think I can be reasonably sure they are not Fram design. I guess I'll have to do the research all over again once I use them up.
Interesting thing is, Champion Labs is still building their designs (Ecore, combo valves,etc.) and Fram is still building theirs. I’ve been tempted to use the Champ made Ecore VO-88/PH48 combo valve filter in my Express since they seem to flow really well, and I could use a little more oil pressure. Sub $2 at Rock Auto too, a case of 12 is under $35 shipped w/tax.
 
I’ve been tempted to use the Champ made Ecore VO-88/PH48 combo valve filter in my Express since they seem to flow really well, and I could use a little more oil pressure.
The only time you'll see a change in oil pressure due to the delta-p factor of the filter is if the oil pressure sensor is located before the filter. Most engines have the oil pressure sensor located after the filter.
 
The only time you'll see a change in oil pressure due to the delta-p factor of the filter is if the oil pressure sensor is located before the filter. Most engines have the oil pressure sensor located after the filter.
The GM LS engines have the OPS way up in the back, at the top rear of the engine, so they seem to be flow & viscosity sensitive. I’m sure my pickup o-ring, oil pump, and bearings could be better at 142K miles of God-knows what oil when Hertz had it. I just want to stop hearing lifter ticks at hot idle…
 
The only time you'll see a change in oil pressure due to the delta-p factor of the filter is if the oil pressure sensor is located before the filter. Most engines have the oil pressure sensor located after the filter.
Wait, I'm not sure I understand this.

If filter B is more restrictive than filter A, wouldn't switching from A to B cause higher pressure before the filter and lower pressure downstream? And wouldn't the converse also be true if switching from B to A?

As a thought experiment, imagine filter A as the hypothetical ideal filter that adds no restriction at all (delta-p of zero, I guess you would say), and filter B as a completely blocked filter, delta-p of . If you switch from A to B, the pre-filter pressure goes up, but the post-filter pressure goes down (to zero). Conversely, if you switch back to A, the pre-filter pressure will drop, and the post-filter pressure will increase.

Wouldn't it be logical to expect the same sort of result, though not as pronounced, with less extreme differences in delta-p? What am I missing?
 
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