Filter Media Thickness

[SaturnSL2]

I opened up two ACDelco filters and found one has a significantly thicker material used in the filter media.

Has anyone done any testing or something that might give light as to which one filters better?

The filters are PF-53C and PFL-400AC (longer filter, but thinner filter matrial).

Both have just about the same number of pleats, and all other dimensions, valves, caps, etc, are identical (just the length difference).

(I posted this here but didn't get any responses...)

 

[RalphPWood]

They all do what they are supposed to do. They remove the large engine damaging abrasives from the full flow of oil. The oil keeps the smaller engine wearing abrasives in suspension until you drain the oil. It is an oil changers system. No one is in the business of making your equipment last longer. They are selling a product. The thicker pleats won't clean oil a little better than the thin pleats. If the pleats were 4" thick your oil would never get dirty and you would never need to drain your oil unles of course you got a severe fuel or coolant contamination problem or didn't change the filter often enough.

Ralph

 

[SaturnSL2]

So in your opinion (reading between the lines) - the larger filter should have a slight advantage, not with the filtering ability per say, but by increasing the oil capacity slightly.

This should dilute the contaminants, leading to a slightly cleaner oil.

BTW, both the PFL400AC and the PF53C are exactly the same price and just as easy to change.

 

[labman]

My feeling is that the larger oil volume due to the larger can is negligible. Other wise equal, I would go with the thicker media. Damaging particles can work their way through most filter media. The thicker, th tougher to make it through. Quality of media is difficult to evaluate. Anybody with hacksaw and tape measure can check area. Media does vary in quality, but is very hard to evaluate. I would go thicker over thinner.

 

[ex_MGB]

Unless an engine is somehow self-destructing, after 20k miles, what is the "normal" source of "large" engine abrasive particles that are entrained by the oil filter?

Seems it would be the valve train, yet in all my years of adjusting valves (light passenger cars and trucks), I've never seen any evidence of slow disintegration. Indeed, the beauty of steel, when it is subjected to stress well within its elastic range, there is no gradual failure mode beyond simple frictional wear.

[ November 30, 2003, 07:41 AM: Message edited by: ex_MGB ]

 

[edwardh1]

Has anyone seen any reports on the Toyota/lexus depth type filter or an application table/chart fo 4 cyl 94 camrys??

 

[SaturnSL2]

quote:

---

Originally posted by labman:
My feeling is that the larger oil volume due to the larger can is negligible. Other wise equal, I would go with the thicker media. Damaging particles can work their way through most filter media. The thicker, th tougher to make it through. Quality of media is difficult to evaluate. Anybody with hacksaw and tape measure can check area. Media does vary in quality, but is very hard to evaluate. I would go thicker over thinner.

---

Here a few thoughts I had to ponder:

- the can is about 60% larger (60% more oil - at least 1/4 quart)
- the filter media area is 63% larger
- the velocity of the oil traveling through the filter media will be 63% slower
- even with the thinner media, the lower velocity & lower pressure differential might allow it to hold as many small particles (possibly more?)

I agree the thicker media is likely better - but is it better enough to make up for the 40% smaller area and volume?