No need to pay me for it, Rock Auto issued a full refund. I contacted Wix customer support, and was pushed to technical support. I wanted to inform them that there might be an issue to see if they wanted to examine one, or all of the filters. It was one of the least helpful and most condescending conversations I've ever had with a customer service individual. They took my information and are going to get back to me. I'll give it a day or few to see what they have to say. Then it'll go under the knife.
Defective??? Wix WL10332 with closed/nearly closed louvers
- Thread starter FlyNavyP3
- Start date
In the case of the louvers shown in post #1, the bypass valve would probably be open all the time. And depending on the oil pump relief setting and the size and flow capability of the bypass valve, could also put the pump in relief. At cold temps when the oil is thick, the pump could hit pressure relief very early and therefore starve parts of the engine of proper oil volume and cause damage. I sure wouldn't run any filter with louvers like that on anything I own. Maybe someone else would and let us know how it goes, lol.
It wouldn't be "instant engine death", but certainly could cause major wear. Can you imagine a filter with totally choked down lovers and a small sized bypass valve used on an engine at -25F cold start-up? I'd bet there would be a pretty good lack of lubrication going on for a long time. Lack of lubrication can cause massive wear.
Roulette practice these days.I'm OCD, but I'll be the first one to admit, that I don't inspect an new oil filter. I check the gasket and put some oil on it and install. I've been doing this ever since high school
Hopefully their quality control people see this so that they can implement some changes during production. I'm glad to be using an E-core type of filter.
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Exactly why I wouldn't chance them, even if a cut revealed that they're more open than they appear from inspection through the center while assembled. I purchased some Genuine Toyota instead. Maybe after those are gone I'll buy an AMSOIL filter for it.
Everything comes full circle if you've been on BITOG long enough I suppose.
I remember when the Pure One was the GO TO filter and Fram was junk, then it was No Purolator is to be trusted due to louvers and tearing, then the Fram XG Synthetic was the GO TO filter.
During all of that, in the pre M&H days of Wix (Affina) the Wix/NG were considered the always safe option.
This was all during the time that E-Core was the sworn enemy due to torn media and multipurpose valve.
After being away for a few years it seem seems weird that people now like Purolator again, hate the Fram and are happy that something is an E-Core.
Kinda made my point. We need to see the rest of the filter. Not saying you are wrong, just saying I don't know, nor do you.
The point that choked down/closed louvers aren't worth using - any kind of lack of lubrication, even if short duration isn't good for any engine. I'd bet the other side of each closed louver is also closed. They look strange, almost like they've been soldered closed. OP needs to cut one of these open and give it a good inspection.
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Yep, people can only judge the louvers on what they can see down the center tube. I've put plenty of oil filters back on the self after looking at the louvers.
Would you put that filter on your engine?
That could be why they look almost soldered closed.
Nope. I think I already wrote that twice.
That said what is the flow restriction? Using whatever metric you like.
Yeah It's scary, nasty, no one wants to use it. But is it REALLY bad? If you say yes, you have to prove it.
If you just say you wouldn't use it, fine.
The centre tube louvers are pressed in a continuous rolling action from flat coils of steel, the tubes then are cut to length and formed into a circle to make the tubes. I suspect, based on years of stamping experience that the tool steel form that makes the louvers is badly worn and needs replacement. Usually die maintenance is 5-7% of the cost of the part, so me thinks someone is trying to stretch out the maintenance of the stamping die way too long. That QC didn't catch this is pathetic because it didn't just start happening, it has been going on for a while and nobody was inspecting these tubes after the stamping & circle forming.
Dang, with all the reports about FRAM and now WIX filters, I’m not sure which one to choose for my LS3 6.2. 
Anything made by Premium Guard seems to be the default answer when all else fails.Dang, with all the reports about FRAM and now WIX filters, I’m not sure which one to choose for my LS3 6.2.
I've already posted the dP vs flow data calculations in a few other threads about choked down louvers - look in the thread titled "Aftermarket Oil filter for HD Twin cam". Can you show your calculations why it's OK to use closed off louvers. If the louvers look like small slits, the dP sill skyrocket with increased oil viscosity and flow (increased engine RPM) and cause the bypass valve to open. What puzzles me is why would anyone even take the chance of using a filter with badly choked down louvers.
kudo to OP for even looking and finding this , how many of us anal people are out there that run nothing but a top rated filter as far as media type and filtration ability that dont really look inside the filter , but ill start looking from now on
im a toolmaker and make louver dies for the heat transfer industry ,and what you see there is just a burr, its not cutting cleanly , all its doing is forming the steel
i would garantee you that the filter would be in constant bypass , the little slits that you see is what the oil has to pass thru , which is very minimal ,i just went out to my garadge and pulled some of my filters off the shelf to get a picture of what there supposed to look like , and , well , mine arent much better
im a toolmaker and make louver dies for the heat transfer industry ,and what you see there is just a burr, its not cutting cleanly , all its doing is forming the steel
i would garantee you that the filter would be in constant bypass , the little slits that you see is what the oil has to pass thru , which is very minimal ,i just went out to my garadge and pulled some of my filters off the shelf to get a picture of what there supposed to look like , and , well , mine arent much better
