Metal vs plastic center tube...does it really matter?

[RyanY]

I have seen many threads discussing ecore type filters but I was not able to find evidence of real problems with plastic (if I missed it please refer me to the correct thread). Have any recent (past several years) ecore type filters failed because the plastic did not provide adequate support for the media? If they did fail, did the media become completely clogged before it failed or did this happen with a normal OCI and synthetic oil?

 

[gregk24]

For a normal OCI I see no problem with them.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Those old, defective Ecores are long gone. Today's better plastics and more restrictive cages allow filters like Supertechs to print 10K use-allowances..

 

[UG_Passat]

Never had issues with the plastic tubes back when I had a 2002 Golf TDI, since the cartridge filter on them had them.

My 08 Passat 2.0T, used a plastic column for the oil filter cap, so the filter itself isn't have a center column

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I always wonder why they don't use a full plastic tube but with holes in it. In other words, it would look like the metal tubes with round holes, except it would be plasti instead of metal

something like this:

 

[4wd]

They are fine … I run them 5k or so

 

[blupupher]

It was the early e-core filters that had issues. The plastic was spaced too far apart and was too brittle after getting hot, bits of plastic broke off and media was pushed through and tore.
That problem has been addressed and I have not heard of a plastic center cage being a problem in a long time.
As mentioned, most cartridge filters now are plastic center cage, a well as most Champ made filters.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted by blupupher
... As mentioned, most cartridge filters now are plastic center cage, a well as most Champ made filters.
Some cartridges, including those for 1.8L Toyotas such as mine, use a steel center tube as part of the housing cap, not in the cartridge itself.

My Purolator L16311 cartridges leave a large radial gap between the center tube and the inner creases of the media, meaning the media will get no support from the center tube unless it has already collapsed pretty badly. (Notwithstanding that hypothetical criticism, the first L16311 I used did not collapse at all, and looked healthy after ~9500 miles.) Toyota (Denso) OE cartridges leave scarcely any gap there, so their media is well supported against collapse. Fram TG10358 and Walmart ST10358 are about midway between those extremes.

 

[Sayjac]

Early ecore spin on filters had issues with less than tight uniform media pleating combined with bigger openings in the nylon cage. That lead to issues with media blow outs through the cage. More recent anecdotes have shown improvements in those areas, and better results. However excepting GM ACDelco, many still use nitrile combo valves, as opposed to separate dome bypass and adbv. GM chose separate poppet type bypass, for it's ACDelco ecores with filter integral bypass. There was a recent ecore anecdote posted here showing poor pleat spacing around the seam pleat area. That's the type of pleating that lead to issues in the past. Seems that an exception more than the rule, 'at this point.'

 

[RyanY]

Thanks for all the responses! This is great info and I can confidently use the newer plastic Fram model (TG8765 for my GM 3.6).