Looking for the most experienced oil filter expert (or moderator) to answer one question.

[garageman402]

No one replied, but yes, sae-auto is the seller with the legit old school XG,s. Boxes & date codes are old. They only have certain sizes, though, slow movers, I imagine. I bought 12 each of the XG5 & XG3980. I forget which pics are which, but you get the idea, they are old school.

Another seller on eBay "Sixity" shows the old school boxes for the xg10575. I called & the rep said she thinks they are new stock, but she said

 

[ZeeOSix]

^^^ Holes or louvers in the center tube? Can you see metal wire backing through the center tube? Those are clues to determine if they are OG or not. Any date codes?

 

[garageman402]

^^^ Holes or louvers in the center tube? Can you see metal wire backing through the center tube? Those are clues to determine if they are OG or not. Any date codes?

Yes, holes in center tube, not louvers, yes I can see the wire backing through them. Date codes are in the pictures, little hard to make out one of them.

 

[garageman402]

Another seller on eBay "Sixity" shows the old school boxes for the xg10575. I called & the rep said she thinks they are new stock, but she said

Looks like my pictures cut off my last sentence. The rep said she thinks they are new stock, but she said I can "give it the old college try" & order them because of eBay's liberal return policy. I ordered them, they were new, sent them back as "did not match description", got refunded.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Yes, holes in center tube, not louvers, yes I can see the wire backing through them. Date codes are in the pictures, little hard to make out one of them.

Those date codes are hard to see, and look like back when Fram actually etched the date code into the paint instead of an ink stamp. They are OG Ultras, so good score there.

 

[garageman402]

No one replied, but yes, sae-auto is the seller with the legit old school XG,s. Boxes & date codes are old. They only have certain sizes, though, slow movers, I imagine. I bought 12 each of the XG5 & XG3980. I forget which pics are which, but you get the idea, they are old school.

Another seller on eBay "Sixity" shows the old school boxes for the xg10575. I called & the rep said she thinks they are new stock, but she said I can "give it the old college try", because with eBay you can send it back. I ordered them, they were new, I sent them back "not as described", got a refund.

 

[garageman402]

Dunno what happened, the first reply didn't post all my pics, & the original reply showed unsent. I apologize for any duplication, but all 5 pics are now posted. This last post has all my writing, too. Its too late now, but if I could I'd delete post #141 & #144

 

[Carlostrece]

I had to come see what "the most experienced oil filter experts" are recommending.

How did I not notice this thread before? The thread title is spectacular click bait in a way that flatters without offending, but I believe the OP topic and request for info are valid.

With a thread title like that, I don't feel confident enough to recommend filters to the OP.

So I'll just state my preferences for my car and explain why. I prefer NAPA Gold or Oreilly Microgard Select because they're well made, filter 23-25 microns @ 99%, are widely available. The MGS is very affordable ($10) for a highend filter. The NG costs $3.49 more (at least in my car's size filter) which is still affordable enough.

Based on a filter dissection video I watched, the NG is slightly better than the MGS, but not enough difference to matter to most folks.

I then take the filtration up a notch by adding a pair of Filtermag magnets that wrap around the oil filter can. A bypass filtration system would be even better/best, but is too expensive for me and I don't need it.

A Purolator Boss would never be my preference because it does not filter fine enough particles.

Those are my preferences and opinions.

 

[Durdude]

Supertech for the win! Change every 5k -6k not 12k.
Box rated for 10k. 99% at 30 microns. Often better than factory filters. Under $4 at Walmart!

 

[Durdude]

Still seems like a pointless comparison.

I ran a fram, a wix, and a mobile, all cross referenced to be identical.

Every time i over-revved engine when the outdoor temp was -30*F, the thick oil would collapse the innards.

They're all equally garbage, right?

I wouldn't get too worked up. I never complained when my paper towels that designed to be used then thrown in the trash have flowers printed on them or not.

Flowers are a nice accent.

 

[TC]

Since you're partial to #PBL30001, there's both individual and bulk quantities of those available on EBay. Of course it doesn't matter if theyre a few years old. And if anyone should mention it, there's no reason to suspect they're counterfeit unless they reveal indications of that in the filter or box. I've always been of the suspicion that counterfeiters usually only bother with high-volume part numbers, a "Toyota" branded oil filter being a good example.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

I am disappointed after buying a new Harley 2023 M8 Street Glide I am having a very hard time finding a oil filter for that bike that has the by-pass valve at the entrance of the oil filter and not the bottom that IMO allows oil to wash down the side of that dirty filter and could allow dirt to enter the engine when the bottom by pass opens.
It must be much less expensive to make a filter with the valve at the bottom. It looks to me filters in general were made better 10 years ago than now as I just don't see many filters designed with that valve and spring at the top. Its like everyone cuts corners, what was once made in USA is now China or India...
I spend big money for a car, truck, bike, I'm willing to pay big money IF I could find a filter not made to save a dime for the company making that filter.

 

[Japanese]

Are there any oil filters out there that have a consistent track record of being good, without episodes of shipping poor quality?

Yes, the OEM filters from the dealership.

 

[BHopkins]

Yes, the OEM filters from the dealership.

I could agree with this, based upon the lack of complaints here on BITOG, with OEM filters.

However, a large share of OEM filters are made by the same companies that make the bad filters. And teardowns of OEM filters show that, with few exceptions, that OEM filters are very basic in design. And many appear to be identical to the filters that aren't liked here, the only difference being the paint on the outside of the can.

 

[MountainManDan]

I Just Removed FRAM Tough Guard 3600 from My Garden Tractor - had maybe 15~18hrs on it ..

GT 52-XLS was making Noises and after several Investigations - those were solved .. but along way
I suspected Oil Filter - so - I installed Kohler Pro on KT-745 an Immediately Some of Sound I was Hearing
Got Quieter & Smoother _ I Just wanted Extra Oil Capacity & Longer Filter for Cooling in Hot TN Temps ..
New Filter Only Added like 4oz of 30W

I was Loosing an : Idler Pulley or 2 and Didn't Realize it at First ..

Why Motor it Got Quieter - I believe was Better Oil Flow Rating .. this Reduced A slight Lessening in Vibrations .
Which Made Idler Quieter , anyhow Found Idler 25 Min. Later - Mowing - as - Belt getting Hot & I shut it all Down
in 20 sec.

Now I'm Very Interesting in Filter Flow Rates

 

[4wd]

I Just Removed FRAM Tough Guard 3600 from My Garden Tractor - had maybe 15~18hrs on it ..

GT 52-XLS was making Noises and after several Investigations - those were solved .. but along way
I suspected Oil Filter - so - I installed Kohler Pro on KT-745 an Immediately Some of Sound I was Hearing
Got Quieter & Smoother _ I Just wanted Extra Oil Capacity & Longer Filter for Cooling in Hot TN Temps ..
New Filter Only Added like 4oz of 30W

I was Loosing an : Idler Pulley or 2 and Didn't Realize it at First ..

Why Motor it Got Quieter - I believe was Better Oil Flow Rating .. this Reduced A slight Lessening in Vibrations .
Which Made Idler Quieter , anyhow Found Idler 25 Min. Later - Mowing - as - Belt getting Hot & I shut it all Down
in 20 sec.

Now I'm Very Interesting in Filter Flow Rates

What are you saying had a better flow rating ?

 

[MountainManDan]

Well 4-Oz of Oil certainly Not going to make it Smoother & Quieter . .
Had to be Less Work Load on Motor - I suspect . . or Just Better Media on Pro Filter ..

As it all Happened at same time & Idle Speed

Anyhow - Next Time Tractor of anything like this Acts Up - I'm taking IR Video of Entire Deck or
Tractor Frame - as I would have Spotted Main Idler starting to Fail Earlier . .


What I Have also Noted that ~ Honda Turbo's 2.0T & 1.5T & Now Mowers are all Very Sensitive to Oil Flow Ratings ..

My MPG Actually Goes Up 1.5 Mpg Running High Flow Racing Filter that still Filters down to .022 - .024 Micron's . .

Also to 100% Fair - I did Have Thicker Oil in My Tractor then Most You-All Run in Your Trucks ..

On My Cars : K&N-Hp 1010 vs say BOSS Filter or Even K&N - SO 1010 - ALL COMES DOWN to Flow Ratings
These Motors all take Very Thin Oil - But Oil Pumps are Doing over 70 PSI also Supplying Oil Squirter's

Boss Filter Actually had Complaints - so they Redid Internal Media to Flow Better as like anything Manufacturing
Have Fluctuations & Purlator found that Vendor Supplying Filters - Had Variables - Out side Required Spec's

BUSTED

 

[ZeeOSix]

What I Have also Noted that ~ Honda Turbo's 2.0T & 1.5T & Now Mowers are all Very Sensitive to Oil Flow Ratings ..

My MPG Actually Goes Up 1.5 Mpg Running High Flow Racing Filter that still Filters down to .022 - .024 Micron's . .

No oil filter is going to make a 1.5 MPG difference. Do a hydraulic HP analysis due to the flow resistance of the dP difference between oil filters and you'll see its minuscule.

What's that filter's efficiency of that filter at 0.022 microns. You probably meant 22 microns, as 0.022 microns is super small, like 40 times smaller than bacteria. And what's the dP vs flow of that filter, like shown for the filters in the link below? If it's a K&N, then the dP vs flow is about in the average range as shown in the link below.

Pretty much all oil filters flow well with hot oil, even at 9-10 GPM which is probably way more than your mower is pumping through the filter. I'd be surprised if it's even 5 GPM, which would mean the difference in dP from different filters would be around only +/- 1 PSI.

Post in thread 'The Myth of "Flow Over Efficiency"'

Aug 24, 2025

The dP vs flow data is on one graph to easier show how they compare at 5 GPM and 9 GPM.

X-axis is the filter number from the Filter Key table.
Y-axis is the dP in PSI.
Test conditions are on the graph.

Note for the PGI filter fans, the STP Ext Life (Filter No. 18) shows to have a pretty decent dP level (middle of the range), and they are rated pretty high in efficiency too (99% @ 20u).

• ZeeOSix

• 

 

[kschachn]

Well 4-Oz of Oil certainly Not going to make it Smoother & Quieter . .
Had to be Less Work Load on Motor - I suspect . . or Just Better Media on Pro Filter ..

As it all Happened at same time & Idle Speed

Anyhow - Next Time Tractor of anything like this Acts Up - I'm taking IR Video of Entire Deck or
Tractor Frame - as I would have Spotted Main Idler starting to Fail Earlier . .


What I Have also Noted that ~ Honda Turbo's 2.0T & 1.5T & Now Mowers are all Very Sensitive to Oil Flow Ratings ..

My MPG Actually Goes Up 1.5 Mpg Running High Flow Racing Filter that still Filters down to .022 - .024 Micron's . .

Also to 100% Fair - I did Have Thicker Oil in My Tractor then Most You-All Run in Your Trucks ..

On My Cars : K&N-Hp 1010 vs say BOSS Filter or Even K&N - SO 1010 - ALL COMES DOWN to Flow Ratings
These Motors all take Very Thin Oil - But Oil Pumps are Doing over 70 PSI also Supplying Oil Squirter's

Boss Filter Actually had Complaints - so they Redid Internal Media to Flow Better as like anything Manufacturing
Have Fluctuations & Purlator found that Vendor Supplying Filters - Had Variables - Out side Required Spec's

BUSTED

No, no, and just no.

No.

 

[kschachn]

No oil filter is going to make a 1.5 MPG difference. Do a hydraulic HP analysis due to the flow resistance of the dP difference between oil filters and you'll see its minuscule.

What's that filter's efficiency of that filter at 0.022 microns. You probably meant 22 microns, as 0.022 microns is super small, like 40 times smaller than bacteria. And what's the dP vs flow of that filter, like shown for the filters in the link below? If it's a K&N, then the dP vs flow is about in the average range as shown in the link below.

Pretty much all oil filters flow well with hot oil, even at 9-10 GPM which is probably way more than your mower is pumping through the filter. I'd be surprised if it's even 5 GPM, which would mean the difference in dP from different filters would be around only +/- 1 PSI.

Post in thread 'The Myth of "Flow Over Efficiency"'

Aug 24, 2025

The dP vs flow data is on one graph to easier show how they compare at 5 GPM and 9 GPM.

X-axis is the filter number from the Filter Key table.
Y-axis is the dP in PSI.
Test conditions are on the graph.

Note for the PGI filter fans, the STP Ext Life (Filter No. 18) shows to have a pretty decent dP level (middle of the range), and they are rated pretty high in efficiency too (99% @ 20u).

• ZeeOSix

• 

Hopefully poster reads - and understands this. But to be honest, this is the least of the problems with the statements being made.