Filter Quality

[ZeeOSix]

My point was that engine makers do not need to design filters but they along with oil companies that do fleet testing use a lot of filters in the course of their work. They know they have are supposed to meet certain specs. They use a lot of filters during their normal testing. They would know of filter issues that had a statistically significantly impact.

For example, say Ford tests 20 engines as part of some life test (assume 100K just to do some math). At 10k (or some hour number), they will use 200 filters in total - far more than anyone here - and under controlled conditions The same idea can be applied to Pennzoil, Valvoline, etc when they do fleet testing. I am sure they are not using the premium brand filters.

The net is unlike one off anecdotal comments, they experience see results that could really point to a trend. If there is some filter issue due to manufacturing design/quality.

Only if they were focusing on the oil filters for some specific reasons. We don't know what that would be, or if they even cut them open after use in all cases. Even if they cut them open, it would probably have to be a pretty obvious failure for them to take notice and report it up chain. They aren't going to dissect oil filters and look for ruffled leaf springs and do flashlight tests on the leaf spring sealing area to see if it was leaking dirty oil past the media. That level of scrutiny is something the filter makers and people who cut them open here would be doing. That's why it would benefit oil filter makers to keep tabs on this forum like Fram did.

And if they only found something not right on one or two out of 100s they may just shrug it off and chalk it up to a random manufacturing glitch. This forum has seen manufacturing quality issues now and then on about every brand of filter made - some worse than others. You've been here since 2007 so do you recall all the Purolator and other Mann+Hummel oil filters tearing media quite often? That issue showed up so often that it was obvious there was an on-going problem that needed to be addressed and fixed. We still see filters with wide pleats and torn media, one was just posted a few days ago in this forum.

Mechanics on the other end also see results but they do not have the denominator to assess issue. I realize some believe they may not care as some big conspiracy because of economic reasons but they would know if there is a poor quality design/manufacture of filters.

I highly doubt many auto mechanics doing oil and filter changes are routinely cutting oil filters open. Now if an engine came in that had possible mechanical damage due to some oiling system issue then they would probably cut open the oil filter and look for metal debris and to see if the oil filter might be the cause - like parts of the filter internals getting swept into the oiling system and blocking an oil gallery and starving something of oil.

If all of a sudden a bunch of Fords came in with damaged engines and they found that they were caused by the OEM filters failing and causing oil starvation, you can bet that would be reported up the chain to Ford.

I like a high quality filter (design and manufacture) but from my R&D background,

What oil filters have you been using in the last 5 years?

I wonder what the automakers and oil producers experience with the quality of filters.

Like said, doubt they are focused much on oil filters unless they are looking for something specific when they run them on thier intermal engnie tests, same goes with oil testers. The filters have already been designed and tested to meet all the specs per the ISO tests in post 2 by the filter maker - so manufacturing quality is the biggest concern. The oil filter maker's job is to ensure their filters are being made per the drawings and specifications and are suppose to have an eye on manufacturing quality. And even if the automakers and oil testers (they may use varous filter brands too) did cut open and inspect every one they used on their engine tests, it still boils down to a very small sample in the grand scheme of oil filter production and use. This forum has way more insight to what oil filters look like after bering used in real world conditions.

Reading these threads the view is that most oil filter's design and manufacturing has dropped but it is having a real impact to those that would be first to know. There is a lot of speculating (popular hobby) but no real data.

What data are you looking for ... how many engines have blown up from a failed oil filter?

Would you continue to use an oil filter that shows many instances of an on-going issue in this forum like tearing media, or having a possible internal leak past the media or having extremely choked down center tube louvers? They won't blow-up an engine (the tearing meida could go downstream though which could cause issues), and some of that could cause extra engine wear, but does that mean they are still good enough to use? Some people may think so, and many people have no clue these things are going on. But in my book they are not since there are other oil filters that don't have issues like that.

 

[facility1]

Just use Purolator Pure One in your needed size and call it a day. changing at the usual 5-7k oci.

 

[Robster]

To the OP. . . it used to be that the OEM filters were considered adequate. . . because of the 1st Brands quality debacle and them being a prolific OEM supplier, that has kind of shattered the belief that OEM is automatically OK. I've always mostly used FRAM. . . for decades. I may go back to FRAM if it passes muster with the BITOG group going forward, but for now, I'll use whatever OEM supplier that the dealer deems "adequate" for warranty purposes.

For the Hyundai in my signature, the OEM filter has always worked well (hasn't blown anything up yet) and I'll continue to use them. I've dissected a new one and did a deep dive into it's parts--I trust it. . .even in the exploding 2.4L Theta engine that we have.

As for the RAM 3.0L Hurricane. . . I believe Champ Labs makes the OEM filter for the Stellantis (US market). It's a tried / proven eCore design and is probably "adequate". I'll use it unless I can find something verifiably better later on down the road.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I believe Champ Labs makes the OEM filter for the Stellantis (US market).

Champion Labs was part of the First Brands bankruptcy, so they are currently out of business.

 

[Robster]

Champion Labs was part of the First Brands bankruptcy, so they are currently out of business.

Correct. . .I'm aware that they were part of 1st Brands. . .It'll be interesting to see who Stellantis chooses as a supplier moving forward.

 

[bullwinkle]

Champion Labs was part of the First Brands bankruptcy, so they are currently out of business.

Premium Guard has bought the plant, and is moving equipment from the ex-Fram plant in Greenville, OH to Champion in Albion, IL-SOMETHING will be built there (might not be called Champ). Also, anyone who has an engine with piston oil squirters using a Purolator built oil filter is PLAYING WITH FIRE! Those loose glue pieces are deadly!

 

[MKZman]

Only if they were focusing on the oil filters for some specific reasons.

The only reason they would look at the filter is if it affected the testing they were doing. If I was doing an engine life or fleet test and filter issues were affecting the results, it would be likely be noted. What action is taken is unknown but engineers want pass tests not fail with footnotes.

 

[Sayjac]

Premium Guard has bought the plant, and is moving equipment from the ex-Fram plant in Greenville, OH to Champion in Albion, IL.....

So currently it would appear, Albion's gain will be Fram Greenville Ohio's loss. At least that's how 'I' read Greenville Ohio city council pres and the mayor's recent comments linked. ' If' true, I suppose unless a former Greenville employee, half a loaf better than none.

https://www.dailyadvocate.com/2026/05/06/council-learns-fram-moving-equipment-to-illinois/

 

[Fair enough]

I would expect there is a catalog of filter medias or a custom order sheet to spec oil filter media. The Mobil 1 Whip City cut open shows some visible holes, not too much, but it fits that it is not the same as PG house brand and is specified. So Ford, Toyota, Honda, etc are going to order what engineering wants. They test the heck out of engines in the lab and on the roads and the oil filter is part of it. They have to make an engine sold in Key West operate well in Anchorage.
This is a picture of a Purolator oil filter, I don’t see any black glue, not all have it. The lines on the center tube are from my box cutter. Really strong backing on this true synthetic filter.

 

[ZeeOSix]

The only reason they would look at the filter is if it affected the testing they were doing. If I was doing an engine life or fleet test and filter issues were affecting the results, it would be likely be noted. What action is taken is unknown but engineers want pass tests not fail with footnotes.

Obviously a right out engine failure during testing caused by the oil filter (like it causing a loss of adequate oil flow) is going to be easy to determine. If an oil filter has say a 10-20% internal leak past the media from a leaf spring and/or torn media leak, or has horrible efficiency for whatever reason, the impact of that on added engine wear would be hard to measure short term because you'd have to have a baseline of the same exact engine test with a filter with no internal leakage, and be able to accurately measure the wear. There have been plenty of field testing done with different efficiency oil filters on the same engine, and they all basically conclude that better oil filtration results in cleaner oil and less engine wear over the long run.

In an engine test, I could see them cutting the filters open just to look for any signs of abnormal engine wear - ie, looking for wear debris - many people here cut open oil filters for that reason. If they happen to see the filter has torn the media they might be concerned, or maybe not depending on what their engine testing is about. But they certainly are not the "filter testers" in the field except as a user just like everyone who installs an oil filter on their vehicle.

 

[GW.]

OEM filter testing is done during the testing phase. After that point there is no continued testing. Just like published ISO efficiency numbers, they were completed a one point in time and published. Ascent Filter Testing specifically mentioned filters not testing as good as advertised at a later time due to various reasons like production changes and QC.

Filter problems very rarely cause catastrophic problems. When they do a TSB is issued like GM did. In fact BITOG has discovered several QC problems brought to the manufacturers attention that they didn’t even know about found in our C&P’s.

The way I see it is you can run a filter with a good consistent track record for the same or less money over one with known issues. Why gamble with loose glue plugging a VVT screen? It’s a no brainer….

 

[Pablo]

OEM filter testing is done during the testing phase. After that point there is no continued testing. Just like published ISO efficiency numbers, they were completed a one point in time and published. Ascent Filter Testing specifically mentioned filters not testing as good as advertised at a later time due to various reasons like production changes and QC.

Filter problems very rarely cause catastrophic problems. When they do a TSB is issued like GM did. In fact BITOG has discovered several QC problems brought to the manufacturers attention that they didn’t even know about found in our C&P’s

This is what caught a lot of retailers- be they actual car and engine manufacturers using/selling filters as well as the odd company rebranding filter retailers. They pretty much were not watching the quality of their contractor!

 

[ZeeOSix]

This is what caught a lot of retailers- be they actual car and engine manufacturers using/selling filters as well as the odd company rebranding filter retailers. They pretty much were not watching the quality of their contractor!

Yes, any company that is contracting other companies to make products or supply materials, etc need to have some level of quality assurance checks to ensure they don't get blind sided. I bet Amsoil had no idea what was going on with their oil filters until you contacted them about the ruffled leaf spring stamping and resulting leak gap due to the members C&Ps here pointing it out.

Now that PGI might get the Champion Labs manufacturing facility fired back up, it will be interesting to see if PGI manufacturing engineers address the ruffled up leaking leaf spring issue is they retain the same design that Champion Labs was making. Or will they go with a non-leaf spring design?

 

[Pablo]

Yes, any company that is contracting other companies to make products or supply materials, etc need to have some level of quality assurance checks to ensure they don't get blind sided. I bet Amsoil had no idea what was going on with their oil filters until you contacted them about the ruffled leaf spring stamping and resulting leak gap due to the members C&Ps here pointing it out.

Now that PGI might get the Champion Labs manufacturing facility fired back up, it will be interesting to see if PGI manufacturing engineers address the ruffled up leaking leaf spring issue is they retain the same design that Champion Labs was making. Or will they go with a non-leaf spring design?

Ford. Supplier Quality. Hmmm.......................

GM. Etc.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Ford. Supplier Quality. Hmmm.......................

GM. Etc.

Yeah, they should all be routinely monitoring the products made by others with their brand name on them. If they don't, they can get caught with bad quality products which can hurt their reputation.

 

[Pablo]

Yeah, they should all be routinely monitoring the products made by others with their brand name on them. If they don't, they can get caught with bad quality products which can hurt their reputation.

Absolutely asleep at the switch. That's what this thread should be about. Not initial testing or whatever. Sure good design, execution, documentation, agreement THEN control.

 

[ZeeOSix]

^^^ Yeah, initial testing only proves the design and manufacturing quality at the time the design was qualified with a manufactured product. As seen with the ruffled leaf springs, that issue popped up for some reason after it was shown that older filters using the same leaf spring design had perfectly smooth stampings.

A perfect design on paper can turn to junk if it can't be manufactured per the drawings and specification. That's why there are design engineers and manufacturing engineers and quality assurance all involved in the product, at least in a company that knows how to produce quality products. And monitoring of quality by companies that contract other companies to supply products to them with their brand name on them - at least a bare minimum of some kind of routine quality monitoring report from the company supping the products. Just can't ignore them and them them run wild.

 

[Robster]

Now that PGI might get the Champion Labs manufacturing facility fired back up, it will be interesting to see if PGI manufacturing engineers address the ruffled up leaking leaf spring issue is they retain the same design that Champion Labs was making. Or will they go with a non-leaf spring design?

Quick question. . . do the Champ eCore filters have the leaking filter by-pass spring?. . .or was that a Fram thing exclusively?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Quick question. . . do the Champ eCore filters have the leaking filter by-pass spring?. . .or was that a Fram thing exclusively?

Pretty much all Champion Labs filters using a leaf spring are suspect to having a leak gap between the leaf spring and end cap. The center tube design doesn't impact that issue. If it's a model that has fiber end caps then it might not be as big of an issue vs models with metal end caps.

 

[johnachak]

You could probably run an empty can for 60K miles and make it through warranty.

Also, OEM's spec one thing then don't follow up on QC, like louvers not open. If the filter runs in bypass more often does OEM care?

Even if there is extra glue - if it lets go what are the chances it actually causes problems. As an engineer you understand the probabilities well likely.

I don't think most OEM filters are terrible. Even the crappy Grupo Gohner Nissan filters many people use for the entire life of the vehicle? There are simply much better to be had often at a lower price.

Those louvers are the reason I prefer E cores. I have never seen an example of the core breaking down and I'm sure there is much freeer flow due to the large openings in the cage. Just my $.02. I use the pf63E's in my Silverado and Traverse.