Cheap Filters

[dropitby]

A better-quality filter (generally more expensive) will prove to be more cost-effective than a cheaper filter. It will provide better filter performance and better system wear rates. To add value, many high-performance filters offer an improved dirt-holding capacity.

Martin Williamson, Senior Technical Consultant, Noria UK Ltd This profound statement tells me a Supertech filter will not perform to the standard of a Pure One or a NAPA Gold.1 The Pure One cost more. 2 They hold more dirt. 3 They fliter better and hold more dirt. If your only line of defense is a spin on oil filter you want one that does 1.2.3. If Supertech had a media that filtered the oil as good as the NAPA Gold they would charge more.Bottom Line Buy a Good Oil Filter Mobil 1 NAPA Gold Or Pure One.Not Supertech or any other aftermarket unknown.

 

[Ugly3]

Spin on filters don't do much anyway so whats the difference?

 

[2K2AcuraTL]

That is starting to be my new angle of thinking at this point.
I have been spending 10.00+ on a K&N, and beginning to wonder if the extra cost is really worth it. Suffice to say I wont use Fram, but I will be trying a Napa silver, for less that 5.00, on my next OCI.
J

 

[PJH]

quote:

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Originally posted by 2K2AcuraTL:
That is starting to be my new angle of thinking at this point.
I have been spending 10.00+ on a K&N, and beginning to wonder if the extra cost is really worth it. Suffice to say I wont use Fram, but I will be trying a Napa silver, for less that 5.00, on my next OCI.
J

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I think of it this way - I change my oil / filter
around 4 times / year.
To use a Carquest Premium filter(Wix)@$10 over a cheaper quality filter at $5 cost me a grand total ot $20 more / year. Whether you think it does much or not - it's cheap engine insurance. I'll spend more at Tim Hortons in a month!

 

[Steve S]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ugly3:
Spin on filters don't do much anyway so whats the difference?

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Full flow filters protect the engine from the most damaging particals. I have taken apart alot of industrial engines using bypass filters, the bearings always show lots of wear compared to engines with full flow oil filters. Think about how an oil system works in an engine and the reason for a full flow filter will become understood.

 

[labman]

Price is a very poor guide to filter quality. Go to WalMart. For 2 bucks you can have an ST which almost everybody says is better than the more expensive Fram. And for about the same price as the Fram, you can have a Motorcraft which is likely better than the Fram. Go down the street and you can find STP and Purolator, better filters than the Fram for about the same price and AC's better than them, still for about the same price. Go to a jobber, and you can pay even more for a Hastings, WIX, NAPA, etc. Unfortunately they may not even be as good of a filter as the cheaper OEM. Their higher price more reflects their higher distribution costs than manfacturing costs.

 

[slalom44]

Originally posted byDropitby:

quote:

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Bottom Line Buy a Good Oil Filter Mobil 1 NAPA Gold Or Pure One.Not Supertech or any other aftermarket unknown.

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Many people, including myself have gotten long engine life from inexpensive oil and filters. I currently have 219,000 miles on my '95 Corolla and I didn't use your "bottom line".

Here's my opinion: Use sound judgement, analyze the facts, disregard opinions that contradict facts, and develop an oil/filter/OCI strategy that you're comfortable with.

 

[Matt89]

Keep in mind that NORIA is slanted toward the 'oil cleanliness' and 'filtration' side of things. I downloaded one of their e-books about how to pick an oil and oil change interval etc. They had a little algorithm to determine how often to change your oil, and using a 'premium' filter had a disproportionately large impact on the OCI

 

[dropitby]

Well the article was written with a suggestion that people use the best filter they can find to make your UOA look good. They are willing to pay $25K for a car but want to skimp on a filter & oil. Yes the cars are made to last even with the cheapest thing $ can buy.That is why the Jiffy Lubes of the world will prevail not the

oil freaks

who stalk the shelves for the last bottle of GC.Perhaps the oil filter made for WalMart will filter out the impurities and hold them till its changed.So the marketing changes the PRICE not the quality you say and want to believe.I will check the used oil analysis to see what kind of oil filter is used because I for one think the Media does make a difference not a lot but some.

 

[brianl703]

quote:

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Originally posted by dropitby:
That is why the Jiffy Lubes of the world will prevail

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At least till people figure out that $30 for an oil change is a ripoff.

 

[Ugly3]

The Quick Lubes have better than 80% of the oil change market now. When are they going to find out?

 

[brianl703]

It just seems to me that, at $30, Jiffy-Lube is close to being the highest-priced quick oil change out there. At least they're the most expensive that I've ever used (only used them twice).

Especially when a shop with real mechanics charges $22..but then they don't vaccuum the floors. I don't think that's worth $8, though.

Quick is also relative. As I recall, the last time I used Jiffy Lube I had to wait an hour anyway.

 

[Ray H]

Wow, am I glad I came across this thread, and the thoughtful and expert posted comments! My most recent UOA came back with an "insolubles" result of 0.1%. One of Blackstone's comments was, "excellent filtration". (old stock, "blue can" Champion Labs Super Tech 2808) Obviously Blackstone's analyses are as bogus as the organization's techies are clueless, and I'm now well enough informed through second hand anecdotal sources to realize my dimwitted use of these crappola Super Tech oil filters is tearing my engine's guts out! BTW, doesn't Champion Labs make K&N oil filters?

 

[TC]

Particles which cause most engine wear per the 1988 AC Delco/Detroit Diesel ASTM study: 2-22 microns

Smallest/largest media pore sizes per Grease's "Mercruiser" study:
PureOne: 11/26 microns
Baldwin: 14/29
STP: 23/36
Hastings: 21/46

The Hastings pores are almost twice as large as PureOne pores. And the vast majority of harmful 2-22 micron particles will pass right through the STP and Hastings medias. Looks like media choice -- and therefore filter choice -- can make a BIG difference!

 

[Virtuoso]

I was told by a Wix rep that the 51515 and 51516 I use flow 7-9GPM and filter to 19 micron absolute. That's pretty **** good - that means nothing over, say, 20 micron will get past the media. I belive there was another poster that found a Wix for his Land Rover that filtered 26 absolute and 50% of 10 micron particles - was supposidly the best filtering he found.

If the Supertech had a by-pass valve that I could feel good about (I prefer the threaded-end versions); I'd think about using it. But for a few bucks more, I get the bypass I like, filtration and flow that is almost unmatched, and a silicon ADBV (only now becoming maybe important since this is my first 7.5k oil change).

 

[TheFuror]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ugly3:
Spin on filters don't do much anyway so whats the difference?

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The K&N have that welded on 1 inch nut that makes is sooooo easy for me to change.

That's probably the real reason I switched to them.

Bob W.

 

[T-Keith]

Are you posting a quote from someone else?

Sounds like whomever wrote this was pretty ignorant about Supertech filters. They seem to be discounting them on the basis of price only and saying that all cheap filter are the same and all expensive filters are the same. According to Grease's study the Supertech is very close to the NAPA gold's(Wix) filtration and the same filter area. My study showed them to have similar area. In fact on both studies when concerning filtration or area, the Supertech was closer to the Wix then the Pure One.

Sorry your post makes no sense.

-T