Looking for a New Oil Filter

My Buick Park Ave can use any of these sizes of filters...
Wix 51036, Wix XP 51036XP
Baldwin B35-S
Purolator L24011, Purolator One PL24011
Fram Endurance, Fram Racing
What other filters should be on this list?

I'm looking for filters with filtration efficiency similar to Purolator One (15 microns nominal), good anti-drainback valve, good bypass valve, coil spring (no leaf spring), good flow and capacity.

A nice bonus would be if the can is thicker than a Purolator One can to help can withstand flying gravel hits when driving on gravel roads.

I've always used Wix 21 MC nom, or Baldwin 18 MC nom. I now realize I can get more efficient filtration for the same or less money from Purolator and others.

I'm trying to compile a list of contenders that are good, hopefully at a decent price. I'd prefer the price to be under $15 per filter.

The Purolator and Purolator One seem like strong contenders, but I wish they had a thicker/stronger can.

How good are these filters? Valvoline, Mobil One, Oreilly Microgard, Walmart Supertech? I think some of those might be disqualified due to having a leaf spring.

I'm open to considering other brands.

I change my oil once every 3-5 years, which is less than 1500-2500 miles 50/50 city highway. My car is parked in a partially climate controlled (but energy efficient) garage. Depending on time of year, my garage temp varies from 50-60F winter to 65-75F summer. So never a cold start below 50F. Rarely a cold start below 65F.

I changed my Maxlife Syn 5w30 oil this week at 3.5 years, 1747 miles. The old oil was medium brown. Not black at all. It almost looked like new. I switched from Maxlife Syn to Blend to hopefully stop or slow a minor drip. I replaced my old Baldwin B35-S filter with a new B35-S because I'd already bought it weeks ago. B35-S only filters 18 microns nominal. Purolator One filters 15 microns nominal.

I'm asking for suggestions to compile a list of good filters that are reasonable prices (under $15). Purolator One PL24011 costs $9.83 at Amazon or Walmart.
I recently found myself on a similar quest to find my next oil filter. It took some time but I finally settled on Premium Guard made STP XL filters.

The following PDF is something that helped me in the decision making...

Premium Guard Extended Life Oil Filters Flyer PDF - Link
 
Napa is either, crazy over priced, or (what a deal). I’m slowly piecing together a brake kit for my wife’s 24 Altima that’ll need done in the next few years, and of course Napa was 30% less on 1 of the 4 items I needed. Yet, 50% more on the other 3. This is why I start 20k miles before I actually need the stuff.
You could buy the discounted part from NAPA and buy the other 3 elsewhere.
 
We’ve seen torn media, closed louvers, sloppy glue, cut ADBV’s. I will say over the last year we’ve seen less, not sure if it’s because of less c&p’s or less defects. M+H has also ruined Wix which I used for 20+ years.
In its heyday, Wix was OK and Purolator was excellent, IMO. Even if M+H has degraded both somewhat, Purolator is still better than Wix, IMO.
 
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Napa is a last resort for a PG(Napa Gold) made filter due to price, but the only choice for some areas. AAP and O’Reillys have better deals when looking for PG filters. Usually once or twice a year Napa does have 50% off filters which is a good deal.
What is AAP? Advanced Auto Parts?
 
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My local NAPA wants $16 CDN ($11.13 US) for a NAPA Gold but my local Carquest only charges $7.85 CDN ($5.46 US) for the Carquest Premium

$5.46 is a good price for CarQuest Premium. Is that the regular price? The regular price for me is $9.99
 
I recently found myself on a similar quest to find my next oil filter. It took some time but I finally settled on Premium Guard made STP XL filters.

The following PDF is something that helped me in the decision making...

Premium Guard Extended Life Oil Filters Flyer PDF - Link
At bottom of page (see link above) it says:
> 20 microns @ 99%

In Engrish that reads "greater than 20 microns @ 99%". What does that mean?

Does that mean 99% @ 20 microns?
 
At bottom of page (see link above) it says:
> 20 microns @ 99%

In Engrish that reads "greater than 20 microns @ 99%". What does that mean?

Does that mean 99% @ 20 microns?
Yes, because 20.000001 microns is larger than 20 microns. So saying >x is essentially the same thing as saying @x in this case.

ISO 4548-12 actually says to express the efficiency at xx% > yy microns.
 
Yes, because 20.000001 micron is larger than 20 microns. So saying >x is essentially the same thing as saying @x in this case.
50 is greater than 20, 100 is greater than 20. Can we know or trust they mean slightly greater than 20? I guess we can if the way they stated it is a standard ISO 4548-12 thing.
 
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50 is greater than 20, 100 is greater than 20. Can we know or trust they mean slightly greater than 20?
It means it filters 99% of all particles >20 microns, which includes 21, 20.5, 20.2, 20.1, 20.0001 microns, etc down to essentially 20 microns. So one could say it filters 99% @ 20 microns and greater.

Graphical representation. The yellow dots where the filter's efficiency curve intersects the 20u line defines the efficiency for particles at 20u and greater.

1737088668800.webp
 
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It means it filters 99% of all particles >20 microns, which includes 21, 20.5, 20.2, 20.1, 20.0001 microns, etc down to essentially 20 microns. So one could say it filters 99% @ 20 microns and greater.

Graphical representation. The yellow dots where the filter's efficiency curve intersects the 20u line defines the efficiency for particles at 20u and greater.

View attachment 259224
Thanks for that excellent explanation. I've learned more about filtration from you in a few days than in my prior 56 years!
 
I wonder if the filter is designed to be in service for that long, especially toward the end of service. A lot of portions are rubber and glue.....very interesting topic.
Seems to be working fine for the 12 years that I've been changing my oil and Baldwin filters every 3-4 years. Baldwin filters are good.

Also, my Buick mounts the oil filter at a 45° angle. So even if my ADBV failed, my filter would still remain half full.

Now that I know they exist, I'm going to start using premium filters with pink silicon ADBV seal and filter gasket because they're made to last longer than black nitrile rubber.

Such as AC Delco Gold, Purolator One, or an autostore house brand premium filter made by Premium Guard. Not all autostore housebrand premium filters have pink silicon seal and gasket, but several do.

Funny thing I noticed about Premiun Guard while perusing PG filters on PG website. The PG filters (regular & premium) that fit my car use black nitrile rubber ADBV seal and filter gasket. That seems odd because PG makes several autostores' housebrand premium filters with pink silicon ADBV seal and filter gasket.

PG is making better premium filters for autostores housebrands than PG makes for its own brand. What's up with that?
 
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In its heyday, Wix was OK and Purolator was excellent, IMO. Even if M+H has degraded both somewhat, Purolator is still better than Wix, IMO.
Before M+H(2016) Wix had outstanding quality and a reputation second to none in the automotive industry. They actually looked a lot like the current PG made filters when I cut them open. M+H consolidated the Wix and Purolator designs by changing the bypass design and center tube to louvers on the Wix, they also removed the coil spring and replaced it with a stamped spring. I agree that today the Purolators for the most part look better but in the past(pre 2016) Wix was top quality.

Here’s a pre M+H design change Wix XP showing the quality. Made in the NC USA Wix factory.

 
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Funny thing I noticed about Premiun Guard while perusing PG filters on PG website. The PG filters (regular & premium) that fit my car use black nitrile rubber ADBV seal and filter gasket. That seems odd because PG makes several autostores' housebrand premium filters with pink silicon ADBV seal and filter gasket.

PG is making better premium filters for autostores housebrands than PG makes for its own brand. What's up with that?
Is this your model? Looks like silicone if so.

https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Guard-PG111EX-EXtended-Performance/dp/B00VAFA3YC
 
Seems to be working fine for the 12 years that I've been changing my oil and Baldwin filters every 3-4 years. Baldwin filters are good.

Also, my Buick mounts the oil filter at a 45° angle. So even if my ADBV failed, my filter would still remain half full.

Now that I know they exist, I'm going to start using premium filters with pink silicon ADBV seal and filter gasket because they're made to last longer than black nitrile rubber.

Such as AC Delco Gold, Purolator One, or an autostore house brand premium filter made by Premium Guard. Not all autostore housebrand premium filters have pink silicon seal and gasket, but several do.

Funny thing I noticed about Premiun Guard while perusing PG filters on PG website. The PG filters (regular & premium) that fit my car use black nitrile rubber ADBV seal and filter gasket. That seems odd because PG makes several autostores' housebrand premium filters with pink silicon ADBV seal and filter gasket.

PG is making better premium filters for autostores housebrands than PG makes for its own brand. What's up with that?
I like champion made filters
 
Seems to be working fine for the 12 years that I've been changing my oil and Baldwin filters every 3-4 years. Baldwin filters are good.

Also, my Buick mounts the oil filter at a 45° angle. So even if my ADBV failed, my filter would still remain half full.

Now that I know they exist, I'm going to start using premium filters with pink silicon ADBV seal and filter gasket because they're made to last longer than black nitrile rubber.

Such as AC Delco Gold, Purolator One, or an autostore house brand premium filter made by Premium Guard. Not all autostore housebrand premium filters have pink silicon seal and gasket, but several do.

Funny thing I noticed about Premiun Guard while perusing PG filters on PG website. The PG filters (regular & premium) that fit my car use black nitrile rubber ADBV seal and filter gasket. That seems odd because PG makes several autostores' housebrand premium filters with pink silicon ADBV seal and filter gasket.

PG is making better premium filters for autostores housebrands than PG makes for its own brand. What's up with that?
Using what has worked well is a good choice. Baldwin is fine, the adbv may be a nitrile, but made by Parker. Baldwin owns Parker or the other way around. They know what they are doing. China and Vietnam are opposed to our democracy, openly so. For your car with bypass in the block, any of the USA made filters should work fine.
 
Before M+H(2016) Wix had outstanding quality and a reputation second to none in the automotive industry. They actually looked a lot like the current PG made filters when I cut them open. M+H consolidated the Wix and Purolator designs by changing the bypass design and center tube to louvers on the Wix, they also removed the coil spring and replaced it with a stamped spring. I agree that today the Purolators for the most part look better but in the past(pre 2016) Wix was top quality.

Here’s a pre M+H design change Wix XP showing the quality. Made in the NC USA Wix factory.


What was (and is) Wix 99% filtation efficiency for filter # 51036? I'd guess around 99%@47 microns? Wix doesn't disclose its 99% filtration spec AFAIK, but it does say nominal 21 microns for filter # 51036. So 50% @ 21 microns. Is that good?

Wix doesn't (and never has) disclosed 99% filtration specs for filters 51036 or 51036XP. At least none that I could find then or now.

So was Wix (in heyday) great for other specs, but not for filtration efficiency? How can a filter be great if it doesn't filter much? What am I missing here?
 
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That is a beautiful filter. It even has a coil spring as well as silicon ADBV & filter gasket. It's very impressive. I love it! I can see why you and others like PG filters.

That looks like standard/short version Premium Guard that is compatible with my 97 Buick Park Ave, but I always use a long 2x length version that is compatible with my car.

The corresponding Baldwin filter part # are B43-S (compatible short version) and B35-S (compatible long version). Wix corresponding part # for long version is 51036.

Earlier, I was looking at a PG filter that cross references to Baldwin B35-S. At least that's the PG filter I think I was viewing at PG website. I didn't record the PG filter part # I looked at. Maybe the PG website has an out-of-date photo?

For Baldwin or Wix the long version cost $1 more than short version. So I assume that same $1 price difference between lengths probably applies across all brands.
 
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Using what has worked well is a good choice. Baldwin is fine, the adbv may be a nitrile, but made by Parker. Baldwin owns Parker or the other way around. They know what they are doing. China and Vietnam are opposed to our democracy, openly so. For your car with bypass in the block, any of the USA made filters should work fine.
I think Parker owns Baldwin and Hastings, and B & H are the same filters with different color cans. Baldwin (and Hastings) are good filters, but Premium Guard offer finer filtration and other features seem the same, except PG has superior silicon valve seal and gasket, and PG costs less.

I'm all in favor of giving my business to USA companies when they make an equally good or better product.

===

Please elaborate on what you said about my 97 Buick Park Ave having a "bypass in the block". I'd like to know more about that topic.
 
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