With the Platinums on sale right now, they are just about the same price for the most part as the Fram Ultra. Similar synthetic mesh backed media, silicone ADBV etc. Given what we have seen, what are the opinions of one being a better choice than the other?
Napa Platium vs Fram Ultra?
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Hard to go wrong with either one.
Platinum.....but i'm no engineer
Platinum
The one that is on sale, so that would be the Napa Platinum. The Ultra appears to be every bit as good construction wise, you cant go wrong with either.
I have higher oil pressure with a platinum...but I haven't tried the fram ultra yet
If the Platinum is cheaper...
It should be decided on price.
It should be decided on price.
Platinum just so It will match a PP oil change. It's a coin flip.
Boils down to Wix vs Honeywell.....no brainer to me.
dnewton3
Staff member
A few things to understand here ...
First of all, both those filter are way over capacitized for a "normal" OCI, so the "better" filter in that sense would be whichever is cheapest at the time.
If one was to GREATLY extend the OCIs, to a point where the holding capacity and efficiency were in play out to some "nth" degree, then we'd have to see a LOT of testing data to declare which was "better".
But no sane BITOGer I know is daring enough to push the FCI out that far. (Except me, whos currently running at 15k mile run on a plain ol' FL400 MC ......)
Any of the premium filters on the market are total overkill for most any application, so the "best" one is the cheapest one.
First of all, both those filter are way over capacitized for a "normal" OCI, so the "better" filter in that sense would be whichever is cheapest at the time.
If one was to GREATLY extend the OCIs, to a point where the holding capacity and efficiency were in play out to some "nth" degree, then we'd have to see a LOT of testing data to declare which was "better".
But no sane BITOGer I know is daring enough to push the FCI out that far. (Except me, whos currently running at 15k mile run on a plain ol' FL400 MC ......)
Any of the premium filters on the market are total overkill for most any application, so the "best" one is the cheapest one.
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Originally Posted By: dnewton3
But no sane BITOGer I know is daring enough to push the FCI out that far. (Except me, whos currently running at 15k mile run on a plain ol' FL400 MC ......)
I had been using low-end and mid-range filters (Motorcraft FL400S, Bosch, Purolator Classic and Pure 1, Fram Extra and Tough Guard ...) for more than 12-15k in my LS400 for more than 15 years. The FCI is once a year, the OCI is 6-8k/6mo with dino and 12-15k/12mo with syn.
The car has more than 300k miles and so far no engine problem what-so-ever.
But no sane BITOGer I know is daring enough to push the FCI out that far. (Except me, whos currently running at 15k mile run on a plain ol' FL400 MC ......)
I had been using low-end and mid-range filters (Motorcraft FL400S, Bosch, Purolator Classic and Pure 1, Fram Extra and Tough Guard ...) for more than 12-15k in my LS400 for more than 15 years. The FCI is once a year, the OCI is 6-8k/6mo with dino and 12-15k/12mo with syn.
The car has more than 300k miles and so far no engine problem what-so-ever.
dnewton3
Staff member
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: dnewton3
But no sane BITOGer I know is daring enough to push the FCI out that far. (Except me, whos currently running at 15k mile run on a plain ol' FL400 MC ......)
I had been using low-end and mid-range filters (Motorcraft FL400S, Bosch, Purolator Classic and Pure 1, Fram Extra and Tough Guard ...) for more than 12-15k in my LS400 for more than 15 years. The FCI is once a year, the OCI is 6-8k/6mo with dino and 12-15k/12mo with syn.
The car has more than 300k miles and so far no engine problem what-so-ever.
Excellent! And here I thought I was the only heretic in the group!
Now - if I can only get your to run the dino OCI out with the FCI ...
Originally Posted By: dnewton3
But no sane BITOGer I know is daring enough to push the FCI out that far. (Except me, whos currently running at 15k mile run on a plain ol' FL400 MC ......)
I had been using low-end and mid-range filters (Motorcraft FL400S, Bosch, Purolator Classic and Pure 1, Fram Extra and Tough Guard ...) for more than 12-15k in my LS400 for more than 15 years. The FCI is once a year, the OCI is 6-8k/6mo with dino and 12-15k/12mo with syn.
The car has more than 300k miles and so far no engine problem what-so-ever.
Excellent! And here I thought I was the only heretic in the group!
Now - if I can only get your to run the dino OCI out with the FCI ...
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How does the P1 compare with these 2 filters?
dnewton3
Staff member
IIRC, the P1 does not have synthetic media. It does have "better" cellulose media in a sense of efficiency and capacity than the Classic filter.
Again - one has to look at this in terms of the O/FCI. The greater capacity of the syn media filters (Fram Ultra, Wix XP, Napa Plat, etc) does not make any difference when you don't use them to full capability, at least in regard to what even a "normal" filter would be capable of holding in a "normal" OCI.
Particulate size is important, and therefore so is the capture ration (beta). But one cannot ignore the concept of frequency.
I'll make up some numbers for the sake of the example:
consider an engine that ingests Si and produces soot, to the tune of 1 gram per month. If you have two oil filters, with differnt holding capacity, only the time to full load changes, not the RATE at which the filter will catch things. If filter A can hold 5 grams, and filter B can hold 7 grams, then filter B will not catch any dirt any "quicker", but it will last longer in service. No filter can capture particles any fast than that which is circulated. Contamination rates play into filter life just as much as media density, capacity, etc.
And as I always point out, filtering is secondary to wear reduction based upon boundary layers on the parts; again, the SAE article as proof. Better efficiency is a good thing, but it can only catch what is present. Labs testing indicates what is possible for a filter to do, but that does not mean the environment is duplicated in the real world.
That help make sense?
Again - one has to look at this in terms of the O/FCI. The greater capacity of the syn media filters (Fram Ultra, Wix XP, Napa Plat, etc) does not make any difference when you don't use them to full capability, at least in regard to what even a "normal" filter would be capable of holding in a "normal" OCI.
Particulate size is important, and therefore so is the capture ration (beta). But one cannot ignore the concept of frequency.
I'll make up some numbers for the sake of the example:
consider an engine that ingests Si and produces soot, to the tune of 1 gram per month. If you have two oil filters, with differnt holding capacity, only the time to full load changes, not the RATE at which the filter will catch things. If filter A can hold 5 grams, and filter B can hold 7 grams, then filter B will not catch any dirt any "quicker", but it will last longer in service. No filter can capture particles any fast than that which is circulated. Contamination rates play into filter life just as much as media density, capacity, etc.
And as I always point out, filtering is secondary to wear reduction based upon boundary layers on the parts; again, the SAE article as proof. Better efficiency is a good thing, but it can only catch what is present. Labs testing indicates what is possible for a filter to do, but that does not mean the environment is duplicated in the real world.
That help make sense?
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Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Now - if I can only get your to run the conventional OCI out with the FCI ...
I think 7-8k/6mo OCI on conventional worth the money I paid, because I paid on average less than $0.5/qt when it was on sale and with rebate. Also, at around 5-6 month into OCI the conventional oil was thicken up quite a bit. I like the twice a year conventional OCI, a little thinner in winter(as if we have winter in So Cal) and a little thicker in summer.
Now - if I can only get your to run the conventional OCI out with the FCI ...
I think 7-8k/6mo OCI on conventional worth the money I paid, because I paid on average less than $0.5/qt when it was on sale and with rebate. Also, at around 5-6 month into OCI the conventional oil was thicken up quite a bit. I like the twice a year conventional OCI, a little thinner in winter(as if we have winter in So Cal) and a little thicker in summer.
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