Originally Posted By: ExMachina
Top tier filter? No. Top tier oil filters don't use ANY paper in their media. NAPA Gold is superior to all paper cheap oil filters, but actually Fram ToughGuard and M1 Ext Perf oil filters beat NAPA Gold on filtering performance, so Gold is just Above Average, thats all.
(Classic is pure bovine waste.)
No, I will disagree with you on that. Partially because your definition excludes your own examples.
Just tossing synthetic media into a filter does not make it "top-shelf" nor the vice versa. Even by that. you statement would nix both the M1 and the Toughguard filter since neither are full synthetics. I know the TG is a blend and I think the M1 is a blend via the language
Quote:
Our advanced performance oil filters use synthetic fibers
as any marketing person would say full syn or 100% if it was not also using some paper. Top-shelf is a total package deal. "Top-shelf" is a robust-ness of all components as well as a consistent product that "does not have a reputation of frequent failure for that model".
Next you mentioned TG and "efficiency" as why they are better than the Napa. I like the TG, so no hate there but that is where you get goofy. It is apples and oranges in an unknown fruit soomthy mostly because "filtering out" accurate informationis touugh. Napa (for my model is at a nominal 15 microns which Subaru likes volume over efficiency (but is 2/20 6/20 elsewhere for my Yoda), TG says 20 microns but only for a different model tested. You might not be getting that claimed 99% at 20. Worse, the wording says 99% for particles GREATER than 20 microns so it might not be 99% at 20microns... (or it could be with multiple passes just for marketing like the M1 filter does). It is all a bit convoluted. At the end of the day, chances are the Wix will give you a more accurate picture of the efficiency (although not always perfect) than both the Fram TG and especially the M1. So if you can show that your filters beat 2/20=6/20 with a single pass spec to ISO 4548-12, then yeah, you have an argument that a filter would be better than Wix (and they do exist as wix's strongpoints are not its hyper-efficiency) but that does not exclude Wix/Napa Gold from the top-tier category.
Fram's adverts say
Quote:
2 FRAM Group testing of average filter efficiency of PH8A, 3387A, and 4967 or equivalent FRAM TG or XG models under ISO 4548-12 for particles greater than 20 microns
Next, robust filters. Spend some time with a tough-guard a you will fine that while all the components are "fine", it is not really "optimal". I found that the fit and finsh was a bit lacking with a soft spring and while it might not always leak, I though it had a higher tendency to leak internally. You can't really say the same for non-jobber Wix made products like the Gold. The only realy "knock" against Wix lower-end filters is that ADBV Combo valve... then again, that is NOT the gold filer. So you can toss the best Syn filter meda into a filter but if it is a poorly adhered media, poorly spaced pleats, with an ADBV with no anti-drain or combo filrer, it is not "top shelf".
That being said, Fram and Champ would be the #2 and #3 choice behind Wix.
