NAPA Spin Flow: Gimmick or Real Benefits?

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Just saw a commercial for the NAPA Nascar Select filters with Spin-Flow technology... What you guys think? Is this just a gimmick or should there be good benefits from such a design?

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GASTONIA, N.C., May 27, 2004 -- Just in time for the summer driving season, NAPA AUTO PARTS introduces the first major innovation in automotive oil filters in nearly 50 years.

Called NASCAR Select by NAPA, the new filter for cars and light trucks employs patented Spin-Flow(R) technology to maximize the capacity and efficiency of the filter. The filter is available exclusively through participating NAPA AUTO PARTS Stores.

Not since the introduction of the spin-on filter has there been an advancement of such importance.

In traditional oil filters, unfiltered oil is forced under pressure through holes in the filter base plate directly to the top of the canister, creating turbulence in the filter. This constant turbulence concentrates the filtration of the dirty oil at one end of the filter media, resulting in only about 60 percent of the filter media doing the majority of the work.

The Spin-Flow technology, developed by Wix Filtration and used exclusively by NAPA for automotive applications, uses a ring of angled fins to force the dirty oil to flow in a circular motion around the filter media. This process evens out the flow of the dirty oil and virtually eliminates turbulence, thus using the entire filter media and maximizing the capacity and efficiency of the filter.

"With today's high-compression engines, it is more important than ever for the oil filter to be giving maximum effort," said Paul Bandoly, NAPA Filters Brand Manager. "The NASCAR Select by NAPA filter makes more efficient use of the whole filter, not just the top 60 percent."

In addition to Spin-Flow technology, the NASCAR Select filter also features a newly designed filter media, combining cellulose with synthetic fibers. This new media, called T-52, was also developed by Wix Filtration for NAPA automotive use. T-52 greatly increases the filter's "Single-Pass Efficiency," which is a measure of how much of the oil's contaminates are removed in a single trip through the filter. NASCAR Select has one of the highest Single-Pass Efficiency ratings in the industry.

Together, the Spin-Flow technology and T-52 media combine to make the most advanced oil filter available on the market today.

"It's not every day, or even every decade, that someone is able to make dramatic improvements in such a commonly used item as oil filter," said Bandoly. "As simple as it sounds, NASCAR Select is a great stride forward in oil filtration."
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Do a search in the "oil filters" section for "spin flow"...

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Duh!! Should have done that...
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I guess I'm stiking with Purolator Pure Ones...
 
I used the 91085 spinflow filter and had good luck with it. I cut it open and it looked just like the picture on the box (not the picture above).

It seemed like a very well made filter.

I now use Baldwin B34 filters and have had a good experience with them. After cutting open my Baldwin, I will never use anything else again.

The attention to detail on the Baldwin B34 is awesome
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Darryl
 
I agree with elwaylite, if I'm going to hike to the NAPA store then I'm getting a NAPA Gold. From everything I've read the Spin-Flow may be a tad better than a Silver but not as good as Gold. "Good as gold', get it? I made a funny.
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It's an interesting idea, but I'll stick to the Purolator as I like their media and construction better.

-T
 
quote:

Originally posted by Darryl:
I used the 91085 spinflow filter and ... it looked just like the picture on the box (not the picture above).

The picture above does show the swirl fins atop the upper end cap. Exact implementation may vary across different applications. I'll leave future anecdotal and/or controlled testing evidence to decide the issue on these filters; but, the advertising copy does seem to me to be more fluff than substance. Kinda reminds me of the miracle, angled, swirl fins fixed in a sub-plate to be mounted between the intake manifold and the carburetor that were the latest, must-have "thing" in the early sixties. This device was supposed to enhance fuel-air mixing by the swirl action. My dad fell for that scam. Made no noticeable difference in drivability or fuel mileage in our '60 Dodge Dart with the 318 V8. Made a slight negative difference in Pop's wallet. Probably made a significant positive difference in the promoter's bank account, though. (The more things change, the more they remain...
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quote:

Originally posted by GimmeTorq:
......

In traditional oil filters, unfiltered oil is forced under pressure through holes in the filter base plate directly to the top of the canister, creating turbulence in the filter. This constant turbulence concentrates the filtration of the dirty oil at one end of the filter media, resulting in only about 60 percent of the filter media doing the majority of the work.
...
"With today's high-compression engines.... not just the top 60 percent."


So as the 60% gets more restricted, isn't the oil flow going to move to the "other" 40% as needed?
Isn't the more restricted area going to filter better, leaving the other 40% as a "reserve" for "high flow" scenarios?
Seems to me, a "standard" filter would be a better compromise between different driving conditions. Kind of the "best of both worlds"!

What does high compression have to do with an oil filter? Do they mean if I have a low compression engine, a cheap filter is OK?
I think I want a good filter no matter what my engines compression may be!

Sounds like a lot of hype to me too.
 
Ray H:

Again, the NAPA Spin Flow filter I used was part # 91085. When you see the picture of the filter on the box (91085) or go to napafilters.com it looks nothing like the filter in the picture above.

The #91085 looks exactly like all the pictures that I've seen in the NAPA adds.

The "spinflow" piece on the 91085 is totally different than the one above. Just like the picture on the box of the 91085!!

Thats all I was trying to say. I don't know about any of the other filters, thats why I spec'd the part # I had experience with.


Darryl
 
quote:

Originally posted by Ray H:
Originally posted by Darryl:
[qb] Kinda reminds me of the miracle, angled, swirl fins fixed in a sub-plate to be mounted between the intake manifold and the carburetor that were the latest, must-have "thing" in the early sixties. This device was supposed to enhance fuel-air mixing by the swirl action.
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"Turbonator" and the "Tornado" fuel savers are the latest versions of that thing...
 
i think the spinflow might work but the benefits would be so small they are probably almost not noticable except in a labratory.

i will continue to use wix however, as i enjoy them for other reasons.
 
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