more efficient, supertech or napa gold?

[ziggy]

WHich filter is more efficient, microns wise? Im planning on doing an oil change soon, 98 corolla. In process of finishing up a flush now, 7ozs. of seafoam and early 2000's havoline 10w30, i bought on 79 cent clearance back then. 300 miles, with a thialand made toyota denso filter as the flush filter.
so! Im curious about napa gold, and supertech! the fitler in question, is 4397 fram refference. forget the napa refference number. supertech box says 95% @ 29 microns. ive read the napa golds, are 80%@ 20 microns, 37%um@ 95%. to me, it would seem, the supertech is a much better filter! i do know the fram, orange can is 20um@ 95%. but wanna use the ones in question.
If i remember correctly, napa lists my filter as 19um nominal. what does that translate into easier understanding. like, 95% at 20um (same as fram orange can) or what? and compared too the supertech?

 

[Farmer]

I always thought the Napa Gold was around 95% at 20?

 

[WellOiled]

Originally Posted By: ziggy
WHich filter is more efficient, microns wise? Im planning on doing an oil change soon, 98 corolla. In process of finishing up a flush now, 7ozs. of seafoam and early 2000's havoline 10w30, i bought on 79 cent clearance back then. 300 miles, with a thialand made toyota denso filter as the flush filter.
so! Im curious about napa gold, and supertech! the fitler in question, is 4397 fram refference. forget the napa refference number. supertech box says 95% @ 29 microns. ive read the napa golds, are 80%@ 20 microns, 37%um@ 95%. to me, it would seem, the supertech is a much better filter! i do know the fram, orange can is 20um@ 95%. but wanna use the ones in question.
If i remember correctly, napa lists my filter as 19um nominal. what does that translate into easier understanding. like, 95% at 20um (same as fram orange can) or what? and compared too the supertech?

I would give the efficiency edge and capacity edge to the NAPA Gold or the WIX equivalent.
WIX 51394 beta ratios are 2/20=6/20 which translates to 50% @ 6 micron and 95% @ 20 micron. This is published on the WIX website. This is a multi pass test result per ISO 4548-12. Same results for the NAPA 1394 on NAPA website.

The micron rating is the result of single pass testing of the media only. Micron ratings can not be easily compared to multi pass results.

WIX makes the entry level Super Tech filters but does not publish test results on their website.

 

[WellOiled]

Originally Posted By: Farmer
I always thought the Napa Gold was around 95% at 20?

+1

 

[ziggy]

I see! and yes, thats the napa filter number. Thats pretty good! 95% @ 20 microns! Pretty [censored] good I like napa, because my local napa rocks, im 41, been going thier since i was 19. They are WAY overpriced though. example...new CAT is $339!!!! A walker brand i belive. I can get it form rockauto, for $179. or even cheaper on ebay. OIl, is about $5.39 a quart. autozone, $4.99 or once a year, thiers sometimes a clearance. Last year i got like 7 or 8 quarts of Pennzoil ultra for $3 a quart!I found out and went to bank, withdrew some money and raided that section REAL QUICK..

 

[ziggy]

Another example...Last year i bought new rear struts for my corolla. BEcause of cost and time ( back of car was almsot touching ground they just simply went and rear of car sagged immediatly, had original stuts, got 74,000 miles out of them), 2 new econoline struts, it was like $350. I can get same kind, amazone, for like $125.!!! NAPA has some huge markup prices. but i like them better than autozone. Advance auto is so overpriced, fro selling ess than premium brands.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: WellOiled
WIX 51394 beta ratios are 2/20=6/20 which translates to 50% @ 6 micron and 95% @ 20 micron. This is published on the WIX website. This is a multi pass test result per ISO 4548-12.


When I called WIX a month or so ago, they would not divulge the test spec, so not so sure their efficiency is based on ISO 4548-12 or not. It doesn't say want spec anywhere on their website.

 

[CT8]

The most important thing about an oil filter is that the filter doesn't fail. The air filter is the filter that matters.

 

[bvance554]

'Flushing'... Never understood the idea of 'flushing' an engine. What are you doing exactly? Does the car have any issues? Or are you just BITOG'ing it? I just made that up. BITOG'ing it is when you you look for solutions to a problem that doesn't exist, as I suspect is the case here.

 

[WellOiled]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: WellOiled
WIX 51394 beta ratios are 2/20=6/20 which translates to 50% @ 6 micron and 95% @ 20 micron. This is published on the WIX website. This is a multi pass test result per ISO 4548-12.


When I called WIX a month or so ago, they would not divulge the test spec, so not so sure their efficiency is based on ISO 4548-12 or not. It doesn't say want spec anywhere on their website.

ZeeOSix - you are correct WIX did not mention the specification used for the testing on their website. However, the way they express the beta ratios would suggest THE industry standard test would be used. Marketing deception?

I must be more careful.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: WellOiled
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: WellOiled
WIX 51394 beta ratios are 2/20=6/20 which translates to 50% @ 6 micron and 95% @ 20 micron. This is published on the WIX website. This is a multi pass test result per ISO 4548-12.


When I called WIX a month or so ago, they would not divulge the test spec, so not so sure their efficiency is based on ISO 4548-12 or not. It doesn't say want spec anywhere on their website.

ZeeOSix - you are correct WIX did not mention the specification used for the testing on their website. However, the way they express the beta ratios would suggest THE industry standard test would be used. Marketing deception?

I must be more careful.

WIX uses a beta ratio format all their own. I don't think you can tell what test spec was used based on the beta ratio format. The beta ratio is just a universal shorthand way to say "XX% efficient @ YY microns"

 

[Sayjac]

To answer the specific question succinctly, using the efficiency rating information on the ST box and the posted website Wix/NG beta, the Wix/Napa Gold is more efficient, 95%@20um versus 95%@29um for the Super Tech.

As editorial comment, beyond that anything else IMO is nothing more than white noise designed to promote/endorse one filter brand on this board. I continue to use Napa Gold filters with complete confidence.

As for mentioned term nominal rating, while technically taken to mean at 50% volume, it is an old term and now not generally accepted as a valid indicator of efficiency.

Also, regarding the queried "4397" filter, I believe the correct Fram number is 4967 for the Corolla. Also if room permits which it likely does, the longer 4386 and equivalents would be a good option to the shorty 4967. I'd choose the longer filter if my vehicle. Also thinking the ST won't have an option for that.

Whether you choose to believe the Wix/(NG) 95%@20um beta information is up to you. But, the Napa Gold is the superior filter with silicone adbv and metal thread end bypass. No chance of a combo valve as with some ST's.

 

[ziggy]

i am flushing, because its a 98 corolla! They pout in smaller pistons, compensated with larger rings, and it cuases oil burning. I inherited this car from my father after he passed 2007. only had 54,000 miles on it. He went too jiffy lube. Under the oil fill cap, thier is burnt on oil,and for a while, i was loosing a quart of oil in 1,700 miles. the oil fill hole, on the piston was probably filled with hard carbon. i have since slowed that burning oil, over time, too less than half a quart of oil in 4,200 miles. So, since thiers sill crud, and i do alot of stop n go traffic, im flushing too ensure the oil hole is cleaned out and the rings arnt dont get coked up. MAINTENANCE
The corollla, this generation, should never have been marketed. Ive read from others, who wanted too complain, talk too toyota regarding the pistons, too fixx it. toyota declines and remians hush hush about it.

 

[ziggy]

What i have learned, is this corolla LOVES supertech oil, in perticular synthetic. i like too use 10w30. I use MMO winter, in gas, and tcw3 summer. the oil now never turn black till 4,200 miles mark. It dosnt seem too like havoline dino too much. Many bottles i bought at walmart 12 years ago, 79 cent clearance! dosnt seem too like valvoline synthetic either too much loves mobil oil. can tell because you can sense, feel it, when you drive it. oddly enoughit seems too like fram orange filters, and napa proselects, and napa synthetic. dosnt seem too run as well with fram tough guard.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

The ST filter is just another cheap Wix. Like Napa Silver and Proselect, Microgard, Parts Master, Pro-Tec, etc.

Slightly less efficient than the real Wix, but still not bad at all for a cheap economy filter.

 

[mazdamonky]

I would say the Napa gold, but it also costs three times as much so it depends on how much you want to spend and what you want out of your filter. The gold is better for longer drains and has better filtering efficiency. If doing 3-5k miles then a supertech should be perfectly fine.