El Cheapo filter verses STP filter

[GreeCguy]

Good afternoon fellow oilers:
Was over at the local parts store the other day to pick up some stuff for my daughter's 95 Saturn. They had some cheapie oil filters for one dollar and ninety-nine cents each. Since the car has one wheel in the grave already, I grabbed a few. When I got to the counter to pay for my stuff, the store was running a special that if you bought over 25 dollars worth of stuff, you got a free STP oil filter. So I went back and picked up and STP oil filter for the same car. Today, I pulled the cheapie one out of the box and was looking at it and trying to look inside to see what it is made of, just to make sure it's not full of sawdust or cottonballs.

Then I took out the STP filter and it is exactly the same filter. The only difference is that the STP filter is blue and the other is white. Other than that, they are both built the same and even have the same stampings/markings on the metal. The filter number for the STP is S3614. The side of the box says it is distributed by Champion Laboratories in Albion, Il. The other filter is a Valucraft V3614 distributed by Best Parts, inc., Memphis Tn. Are all these filters just made by one company and then sold under different brand names? Can anyone tell me about these two filters? Thanks for the info.
Glenn

 

[T-Keith]

Both Champion Labs filters, along with Bosch, K&N, M1, AC, Supertech, and many others. More then likely they are similar construction, but they might have different media.

-T

 

[eljefino]

Let me guess, you were "in the zone"?

For more filtration, for the same price, on that saturn, try a 3600 instead of a 3614. Makes it easier to find and remove the filter next time you're under there too.

 

[labman]

The Value Crafts are fairly new. I would have risked trying one, but they don't make one for my truck. Some here, including me, chop filters open and look inside. Nobody has posted a link to pictures of the insides of a Value Craft or the sq. in of media yet. In the past, many of here have been positive about the various brands Champion makes. Things are unsettled here now. Champion has a new design called the Ecore. They replaced the metal end caps and center tube with felt and plastic. This may be an efficient new design, or a cheapening. The prosecutor and defense attorney have ranted and raved, but the jury is still out. Check the oil filter forum, the debate rages. Another newbie has posted pictures of failed Champion filters. They all have one certain design, long suspect here and are from non GM applications.

The Encores are easy to spot, a black plastic cage inside instead of the traditional, perforated metal tube. They should be fine, having proven themselves in the cartridge filter elements over several years. The end caps are a gray area.

I would like to see the Saturn make it through 2 oil changes, one with the VC and one with the STP, and then you cut them open, compare and measure the filter area and report other construction details. I have read many opinions on these filters, and want to see some facts now. The Value Crafts and Ecores are not available in applications I use. In the past, I have cut up a Wal-Mart Super Tech and an STP, and continue to use the cheaper ST.

Chances are the worst Champion is as good or better than market leader Fram.

 

[Ericm]

I've been looking at the same exact filters. Maybe my new post will shed some light.
See my post that I just added:
Ecore AC vs Valuecraft vs Old AC w/pics
Based on what I've observed, it appears that all ecores of the same size are probably identical to each other, regardless of brand or price.