Mopar Cartridge Oil Filters

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Apr 24, 2021
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Are Mopar cartridge oil filters a synthetic blend media and does anyone know how good the filtration quality is and how are they looking when it’s time to pull them out to replace them. My Wrangler JLU with the 3.6 motor uses these filters and I plan on doing my own oil changes
 
I just changed the filter on my Pentastar. I normally use the OEM cartridge but Fram now sells a synthetic media style Ultra Guard so I got that instead. I believe K&N also sells a hybrid synthetic/cellulose filter. Don't know how small the filtration media is though.
 
Where I live … The Fram Ultra XG11665 and the Mopar are about the same price. XG’s are synthetic and target around 20 micron cut … I just use them for two 5k OCI’s … (20k rated) …
This is my factory filter and new XG (2020 Rubicon)

A6099155-4D6B-4830-A466-423E6E29FA64.jpeg
 
Are Mopar cartridge oil filters a synthetic blend media and does anyone know how good the filtration quality is and how are they looking when it’s time to pull them out to replace them. My Wrangler JLU with the 3.6 motor uses these filters and I plan on doing my own oil changes
Why would it matter? Regular maintenance and the air filter is more important to engine life that the oil filter. All that matters with an oil filter is that it doesn't fail.
 
^^ And they NEVER specifically describe the filtering media.

All you can do is go by reports from people here and go with what appears good.
Today that'd be Fram Ultra, Mopar, WIX, Hastings/Baldwin, Hummel-Mann and others I'm sure.
Remember when Purolater PurOnes were the cat's meow? Then the tearing started.
 
Why would it matter? Regular maintenance and the air filter is more important to engine life that the oil filter. All that matters with an oil filter is that it doesn't fail.
Would you use an oil filter that was only 50% efficient at 100 microns ?

Lots of studies have been done that correlates engine wear to oil filter efficiency and oil cleanliness. There has never been a study that concludes that dirtier oil results in equal or less wear than cleaner oil.
 
Why would it matter? Regular maintenance and the air filter is more important to engine life that the oil filter. All that matters with an oil filter is that it doesn't fail.
Has been proven that both high filtration air and oil filters can increase engine life by reducing the amount of contaminants that scuff or scratch the contact metals. A fram ultra with a great oil and a premium wix or Purolator air filter would result in the engine living long enough for everything else to fall apart unless the engine was just poorly engineered and/or made and something else prematurely fails and destroys the engine that wasn't your fault.
 
We have a Jeep with the 3.6, I've done about 15 oil changes on it and I have used Napa Gold or Fram TG pretty much every time, no complaints.
 
Where I live … The Fram Ultra XG11665 and the Mopar are about the same price. XG’s are synthetic and target around 20 micron cut … I just use them for two 5k OCI’s … (20k rated) …
This is my factory filter and new XG (2020 Rubicon)

View attachment 58176
Is that Fram Ultra made in USA, South Korea, or China?
 
I just changed the filter on my Pentastar. I normally use the OEM cartridge but Fram now sells a synthetic media style Ultra Guard so I got that instead. I believe K&N also sells a hybrid synthetic/cellulose filter. Don't know how small the filtration media is though.
So you just pulled out the Oem filter an what was your oil change interval? Was the condition an appearance of the filter what you expected to see?
 
The pleats move around on the OEM and the K&N had some strange type of purple coating on their pleats and they stayed intact. I just installed the Fram Ultra Gard so won't know for a while. Interval's about 5-9 k miles or once a year. I don't think the pleat movement means anything unless there is a tear to go along with it. The most important thing is BE GENTLE with the cartridge cap when re-installing. The assembly the cap screws onto has a tendency to start leaking and it is a mess to clean up and a few hours and a couple hundred bucks to accomplish. Ask me how I know.
 
And the most important part of "BEing GENTLE" is to just use common sense.
Forget any torque value when installing the filter housing. It "shoulders out", meaning you oil the large O-ring, screw it in.
You'll feel resistance as the O-ring is forced into the bore. Continue to screw it in and it'll just cease turning; given that you use consistent force.

Seriously, if you're distracted or angry or ham handed you possibly could cross thread the plastic threads.
Similarly, if you're so disconnected from your motions that you'd fail to feel the filter housing bottom out, maybe you shouldn't be working on cars.

You "gotta" look at and relate to what you're doing. If you gorilla this stuff you're in the wrong sandbox.
 
The pleats move around on the OEM and the K&N had some strange type of purple coating on their pleats and they stayed intact. I just installed the Fram Ultra Gard so won't know for a while. Interval's about 5-9 k miles or once a year. I don't think the pleat movement means anything unless there is a tear to go along with it. The most important thing is BE GENTLE with the cartridge cap when re-installing. The assembly the cap screws onto has a tendency to start leaking and it is a mess to clean up and a few hours and a couple hundred bucks to accomplish. Ask me how I know.
Ok thanks. Advice well taken.
 
Does anyone know if Wix really is the maker for Mopar -I ask because the Wix filter I bought for the 3.2 is approx 3/16" shorter than the factory installed filter.
tnks in advance
 
Does anyone know if Wix really is the maker for Mopar -I ask because the Wix filter I bought for the 3.2 is approx 3/16" shorter than the factory installed filter.
tnks in advance
Seems that most factory installed oil filters are not the same exact ones you can buy aftermarket or from the dealerships. I know Ford is that way, not sure about Mopar products, but I'd bet it's the same way.
 
I have a 2014 Jeep GC 3.6 Pentastar and use the Mobil 1 filters. I am at 67,000 miles without problems. I change the oil every 5,000 miles and I only install the filter every 10,000 miles or less. I am very fearful of having problems with the top mounted filter breaking therefore I am very carefull how I tighten it. I purchased the filters at Walmart on clearance for $3.00 each and have a half dozen left.
 
Went to a dealer and got one MO-349 at about $13.00 and it is the same length as the Wix WL10010XP at about $7.50 online, but there are some interesting differences other than price and shorter length than factory: Mopar filter labeled as Made in the US, Wix made in Mexico; Mopar 'end caps' or the edge of the caps which go up the filter media (cellulose on the Mopar and synthetic on the Wix ) are at least 4 x's taller than the Wix BUT the pleats of the media are at least 4 x's thinner on the Mopar, lastly the o ring on the Mopar is black, while the Wix ring is green no big deal unless this means that the Wix o ring is viton and the Mopar is rubber.

So it does in fact appear that the factory gets a slightly longer oil filter than what is available after market or at dealers as 'ZeeOSix' posted .

Input very much appreciated and NAPA has a current monthly special in the Northeast on their high end version of the WL100 for $7.00 and change-hoping some info on this filter specifically can be had.
 
should have added that I use exclusively Amsoil, Signature 5w-30 in this instance rather than the recommended 5w-20 which just freaks me out watching it drain, first vehicle that we have had spec'd for such a light oil.
 
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