Is it hard to find a good filter with open louvers?

[The motor guy]

Went to Walmart to look at oil filters. I looked at like 5 or 6 before I found one that was satisfactory. A lot of them that looked okay in tbe middle were mostly closed off toward the ends. Found a mobile one filter, but it was dented like it got dropped on the ground. They almost all had junk on the threads too. Like a black paste of some sort. Another looked like the threads were rusted. I guess I'm anal, but come on..... ended up leaving with a motorcraft before someone thought I was messing with the filters or something.

 

[SC Maintenance]

E core or holes. I don’t like louvers.

 

[53' Stude]

Went to Walmart to look at oil filters. I looked at like 5 or 6 before I found one that was satisfactory. A lot of them that looked okay in tbe middle were mostly closed off toward the ends. Found a mobile one filter, but it was dented like it got dropped on the ground. They almost all had junk on the threads too. Like a black paste of some sort. Another looked like the threads were rusted. I guess I'm anal, but come on..... ended up leaving with a motorcraft before someone thought I was messing with the filters or something.

If you want wide open louvers go with DONALDSONS or Baldwin.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

If you want wide open louvers go with DONALDSONS or Baldwin.

This. Baldwin uses a different design for their louvers, which seems to be easier to manufacture, given there are less defects (unopened holes) with Baldwin.

 

[ZeeOSix]

..... ended up leaving with a motorcraft before someone thought I was messing with the filters or something.

You now have to worry about the glue issue in the Motorcrafts.

 

[Glenda W.]

I’ll be honest. I no longer buy any oil filter brands from Walmart. Between louvers, threads, leaks, glue etc I gave up.

 

[53' Stude]

I’ll be honest. I no longer buy any oil filter brands from Walmart. Between louvers, threads, leaks, glue etc I gave up.

Me either. I buy my OG ULTRA filters cheap off eBay. Rest of my filters are CarQuest premium, Prime Giard, Donaldson and TITANIUM

 

[The motor guy]

I’ll be honest. I no longer buy any oil filter brands from Walmart. Between louvers, threads, leaks, glue etc I gave up.

You now have to worry about the glue issue in the Motorcrafts.

What's the glue issue?

 

[Glenda W.]

What's the glue issue?

Click on this thread and go through the whole thing.

T

Thread 'FL500s (with even more glue!)'

Jan 25, 2025

As promised, below is the Motorcraft FL500s off my Mustang Mach1, 5k OCI. A couple of weeks ago I posted pictures of a FL910s with excess glue in the filter, and it appears the FL500s suffers from the same issue.

Upon seeing this, I threw my remaining FL500's in the trash and picked up some MicroGard Select filters from Orileys.

Honestly, it's disappointing to see this from a brand I relied on for so many years.

• TheOilWizard
• Replies: 42
• Forum: Engine Oil Filters

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[The motor guy]

Is this all the motorcraft filters or just that particular one? Does the FL-1A have the same issue? I wonder if the glue is on the inside too so it can go through the bearings, but I guess if it's not in the center hole then it's okay.

 

[bullwinkle]

Is this all the motorcraft filters or just that particular one? Does the FL-1A have the same issue? I wonder if the glue is on the inside too so it can go through the bearings, but I guess if it's not in the center hole then it's okay.

It’s not OK if it goes through the bypass-especially on an engine with piston oil squirters or VVT!

 

[The motor guy]

So do I need to return this filter then? Or does my FL-1A not have this glue problem?

 

[SC Maintenance]

If you want wide open louvers go with DONALDSONS or Baldwin.

WHere do us mere mortals buy a Donaldsons?

Are hastings still the same as Baldwin?

 

[53' Stude]

WHere do us mere mortals buy a Donaldsons?

Are hastings still the same as Baldwin?

View attachment 261123

I’ve shared the link I’ll share it again.

 

[ZeeOSix]

So do I need to return this filter then? Or does my FL-1A not have this glue problem?

You'd have to see a recent cut open and inspection. This video is done in May 2022, but shows the "new" FL-1A (no base end bypass anymore) back then to have cream colored potting material which is probably good to go. How they are today ... hard to really say.

If you look down into the center tube, do you see cream colored glue around the circumference of center tube on the dome end of the center tube?

 

[The motor guy]

You'd have to see a recent cut open and inspection. This video is done in May 2022, but shows the "new" FL-1A (no base end bypass anymore) back then to have cream colored potting material which is probably good to go. How they are today ... hard to really say.

If you look down into the center tube, do you see cream colored glue around the circumference of center tube on the dome end of the center tube?

Is the bypass at the filter base more desired? I saw a mobile 1 extended performance m1-301 filter that had thus, then all the others had something at the end of the filter. I think that one was a random older filter

 

[ZeeOSix]

Is the bypass at the filter base more desired?

Depends on the orientation of the filter. Ford/Motorcraft came up with the bypass valve in the base end way back when most of their engines had the filter mounted with the base up. Hardly any aftermarket filters now have a base end bypass valve, and even some Motorcraft filters have gone away from it, like shown in the video comparing an old to newer FL-1A.

 

[Glenda W.]

So do I need to return this filter then? Or does my FL-1A not have this glue problem?

I would. Do you have an Advanced Auto Parts or O’Reillys near you? I’d buy a Carquest Premium or Microgard Select and call it a day.

I still buy oil at Wally.

 

[ZeeOSix]

If it has the cream colored potting material like shown in the Whip City video, I'd say it's good to go. Gotta look down the center tube with a strong LED flashlight and look to verify.

 

[BC1]

WHere do us mere mortals buy a Donaldsons?

I get mine from crossfilters, free shipping.