Good reasoning regarding Wix? + Purolator Question..

[HondaRD]

Okay, so we all now the Wix is pretty much a Napa Gold filter with it's silicon ADBV and enhanced media, but the Napa Gold "may" be more restrictive. So given a choice, one should go with Wix right?

What about the Napa Silver filters? Are they pretty much the same but without the Silicon ADBV and enhanced media?

I ask this cuz I am no longer using Synthetic oil, thus no more extended intervals so I think a cheaper filter would suffice and I would like to try something like the Napa Silver or Purolator Premium Plus.

What is everyones view of using the Napa Silver filters vs. the Purolator Premuim Plus filter regarding flow/quality? Thanks, any and all info is greatly appeciated as always.

[ October 02, 2003, 01:13 AM: Message edited by: HondaRD ]

 

[Chris B.]

More like Napa Golds are Wix filters. Top quality filters that flow well and filter well. If you want a cheep oil filter nothing is better then the Super Tech line at Wal Mart. Usually under $2.00 and you get an awesome filter!

 

[MarkC]

Napa Gold and Wix have the same flow characteristics; they are the same filter.
They also cost more than Purolator Premium Plus, which is a better filter than the Napa Silver. But the difference in price is only a few bucks, so why not spring for the Gold? Or the Pureone is priced in between, and filters better, though I myself want to find out more about the flow characteristics.

 

[Ken2]

I've opened one NAPA-silver filter and looked at photos of others. The quality varies depending on which model filter it is. Some look OK and some look like real junk.

Do you really need to save a couple of bucks on your filter? Buy an OEM filter, or Purolator, or WIX/NAPA-Gold, or ACDelco, or BoschPremium, and don't worry about things.


Ken

 

[axjohn]

NAPA Gold oil filters are currently on sale for $3.99 (yes, that's right), at all CORPORATELY OWNED NAPA stores. I was told this yesterday by the counterperson, so I purchased 6 of them.

If you have NAPA near you, ask them if they are corporate or indepently owned. Sale may or may not be going on at independently owned stores.

BTW, my NAPA is in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

 

[3xSHO]

Anyone have an explanation for why (here in my neck of the woods in Canada), the NAPA Gold oil filters (equal of WIX Gold) have the bypass valve located in the top end of the filter as opposed to the 'up front' base plate location as descibed on the WIX website? According to the WIX information, and a document posted by Patman, these are the WIX / NAPA 'Silver' oil filters...

Rod

 

[dickwells]

We have seen testimony here that the Silver filters may be purchased from different suppliers from time to time. I don't remember anyone of accusing the Silvers of being a Wix filter.

 

[3xSHO]

So my next query is: is NAPA repackaging filters (from whatever source), and selling them as "Gold' filters?? Or am I misinterpreting the WIX Gold = NAPA Gold information?

 

[TC]

Thanks for the heads-up on the Napa Gold sale, "axjohn." That certainly got my attention. I called my local Napa store in Canyon Country, CA, and the guy said the sale was the same at both corporate and independent stores. But he also said it was limited to a number of their most popular part numbers. He voluntarily rattled off about a dozen part numbers, with evidently all other part numbers (including mine) not on sale. Bummer...

My readings through various sources have suggested that the Wix, Napa Gold, and Carquest Premium filters for a given application/part number are identical. A "North Texas Prelude Owners Club" website (www.ntpog.org) dismantled a United Kingdom-made Napa Silver and found it to be a piece of junk. I believe others have mentioned that Champion makes at least some of the Silvers. The Texans' comments were all I needed to know, so the Silvers might as well be Frams in my opinion.

Placing the bypass valve in the closed end of the filter is cheaper. Although it's the preferred location, placing it at the open end requires wedging a lot of gadgets into the "working" end of the filter where space is tight, so the engineering is a bit more challenging. Plus, placing it at the open end often requires additional machining and tooling, thereby increasing costs. Therefore, almost all filter makers (according to Amsoil) make at least some of their filters with bypass valves in the closed end, even those firms that champion their "open end bypass valves." Although I'm a fan of open-end bypass, many excellent filters (Mobil 1, etc.) often use closed end, so it's probably not much of an issue.

 

[labman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ken2:
I've opened one NAPA-silver filter and looked at photos of others. The quality varies depending on which model filter it is. Some look OK and some look like real junk.

Do you really need to save a couple of bucks on your filter? Buy an OEM filter, or Purolator, or WIX/NAPA-Gold, or ACDelco, or BoschPremium, and don't worry about things.


Ken

---

Ken, I am surprised quality varies within a line. I have cut open AC PF 47, PF 52, PF 2244G, and PF 1177 plus several similarly priced filters including both Fram and ST 3590. I though all the AC's looked good, with the smaller PF 47 naturally having less filter area. All of the competitive filters had less filter area. Most of them were in a pack well behind the AC with ST having slightly less than most, and Fram a very poor last in filter area. I found a 3 to 1 ratio of filter areas all in the same size cans. Of course, I can't tell by looking at it, how good filter media is. The Fram really is 3 times as good as AC? I agree the ST is a great buy at $2 and that the OEM's are best for slightly more. Since I seldom find the PF 1177, I am buying ST 3590's.

I picked up a WIX 57082 cartridge for my Ecotec. By pleat count, it looks good, much better than the similarlly priced Fram. The media is the same reddish brown looking stuff I see in all the others. Again media quality is hard to evaluate.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

You use good oil, you maintain your car. Super-Tech is all you need. A Champion filter. Spend the difference on some suds.

 

[axjohn]

TC:
At least the following part numbers are on sale at NAPA: Napa equivalents of PF53, PF13, and FL1A, FL300, FL842, PH43, etc. I don't know what type of car you drive, but if your car uses a 3/4-16 thread with 8-11 ADBV pressure, your in luck with the sale.

True, Wix/Napa Gold/Carquest filters are identical. When I lived in Colorado I would actually buy the Carquest versions since they were ALWAYS cheaper than either the WIX or Napa equivalent, buy about a $1 of more per filter.

 

[dickwells]

Napa in Rochelle illinois last night told me that no gold filters were on sale but some silvers were. I said thanks anyway.

 

[Alex D]

The WIX is really not that expensive.....I am buying the WIX 1522 (LS1 engine) and 1036 (LT1 engine) here at the local O'Reillys for $5.32

 

[Valk1500]

I picked up four of these Napa Gold filters today, goin in the 5.4L Triton, part #1372 @ $3.99 each. They have M1 on sale for $3.99 a Qt.

I'm no expert, but they sure look good, even the center tube holes inside the filter look like they would provide for greater return flow. The people who make these appear to pay attention to detail - they have a light coat of oil on the main plate to prevent rust! I don't recall even seeing this in the Mobil 1 Filters!

Now I'm reading about the bypass filters, Ok I admit it, I'm a Lubeaholic.

[ October 04, 2003, 09:49 PM: Message edited by: Valk1500 ]