Purolator PL14610 PureOne Cut Open

[HangFire]

Filter: Purolator PL14610 PureONE
Source: Amazon July 2013
DateStamp: F06E25E?
Engine: Honda Pilot 3.5L V6
Interval: 2/7/2014 114800 miles through 6/22/2014 122300 miles
OCI: 7.5K miles
Oil: Pennzoil Ultra 5w-20
Climate: Zone 4

While the can is a little beat up from the removal tool, no part of the can was touching the media, nor did the cutting wheel of the tool.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I see a turr! That's a recent filter, made 06/25/2013. It almost made it to its 1-year birthday when you removed it.

 

[earlyre]

That tear is right where you would expect it to be.

 

[dedonderosa]

has anyone contacted purolator on these issues? and received any info to why this is happening?

 

[nobb]

Looks just like my Bosch Premium/Purolator Classics that I've torn apart recently.

I contacted both Bosch and Purolator about this last week. Purolator send a box with prepaid return shipping, but I haven't received a response from them with regards to my request for a refund.

Bosch I haven't heard a response from at all.

 

[cven]

Oh how the mighty have fallen....

I've used purolator for many years but those days are over. No filter is perfect but this is getting out of hand.

 

[ElastoHydro]

Originally Posted By: dedonderosa
has anyone contacted purolator on these issues? and received any info to why this is happening?


I've been reading about Purolator tearing issues for some time now, and one or two BITOG posters have copied parts of emails to a Purolator quality engineer. I remember the emails denied any knowledge of defects (surprise

), said they would look at it, and they said they never cut open filters in the field to see how they are doing. Another post said Fram, on the other hand, does cut open filters at times randomly in the field to check on them.

 

[HangFire]

I just emailed Mr. Mack ([email protected]) the pictures. However, I didn't ask for a return kit, as it would serve no purpose given their stance on the issue (they won't admit anything is wrong if the customer cut the can). I simply told him he might be interested in my photos, and that I'll be moving on to other brands that provide more filtering value for my money.

 

[Sayjac]

Out of curiosity, if you still have the filter, how many pleats excluding the seam pleat, does shown PL14610 have?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: dedonderosa
has anyone contacted purolator on these issues? and received any info to why this is happening?


This issue has been talked about for months now, with many threads dedicated to the discussions.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Notice the large V-spread on the torn pleat - it's a recurring symptom. We have seen Purolator filters with very large pleat spacing, but very small V-spread that don't tear.

 

[Doog]

well that's what happens with those poorly constructed metal end caps.

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: sayjac
Out of curiosity, if you still have the filter, how many pleats excluding the seam pleat, does shown PL14610 have?


46.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: HangFire
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Out of curiosity, if you still have the filter, how many pleats excluding the seam pleat, does shown PL14610 have?


46.


Strange ... the last 3 PL14610s I've cut open had 51 pleats not counting the crimped seam.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: HangFire
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Out of curiosity, if you still have the filter, how many pleats excluding the seam pleat, does shown PL14610 have?

46.

Thanks for that, and here's why I asked.

It pretty much confirms my thinking which I've posted before since the tear issue has become more prominent. Every PL14610 I've ever cut open has had 51 pleats not including the seam pleat, and I've never had a tear.

The tears only occur in the area right next to the seam pleat, which generally have a slightly wider pleat spacing anyway. If the media length is shortened resulting in less pleats, then the stress on those areas is increased, and perhaps the shape of the pleat adjoining the seam may be changed. But using my PL14610 results, whatever the shape of the pleat, it seems to me less media is the cause of the weakness.

In fact, the only Purolator I've had a tear with was a L144459 and it had two less pleats than a similar PL/L14459 I used before. And I'm fairly confident a similar L14459 tear pic that is very frequently posted also had at least two less pleats than previous L14459's. So it appears to me that the Puro QC folks need to address and make sure the media length and pleating is consistent with previous specs and the tear issue could be significantly reduced or virtually eliminated imo.

Below are pics of last two PL14610's I've run, both run significant oci's, the first ~7800 mi., the second 6500 miles, both with no tears. I'm currently running another PL14610 from the same lot a full 10-15% MM oci and I fully expect to see no tears, no issues. Be surprised if I do. My .02+

Pure One PL14610 ~7800 mi. oci/fci, no tears. 51 pleats

PL14610 ~6500 mi. oci/fci, no tears. 51 pleats

 

[tratman2000]

Your media also looks beefier then the ones that are tearing. On the ones with the tears the folds are sharper and yours is more rounded which makes me think that it's thicker media than the tearing ones. Every one I've seen torn has the sharper folds and the ones people are posting that are fine they look like yours.

 

[Sayjac]

Perhaps the media I posted "looks" beefier, thicker or more substantial because the pleats are closer together, ie., more tightly packed.

Doing a quick calculation of media area using the OP's stated 46 pleats vs the 51 pleats, and pleat depth and width information posted in the 7800 oci/fci dissection, the OP's filter would have ~98sq. in. of media vs ~109sq.in. of media for my 51 pleat PL14610 filters. That's an ~11sq. in. or ~10% media area difference. That is a significant difference imo, and could well account for a tear in the area adjoining the seam pleat, which as I said, generally has wider pleat spacing anyway.

Those calculations assume the OP's filter dimensions and the linked 51 pleat filters are relatively the same beyond media area. In other words same media pleat depth and width, which without measuring the OP's media is a reasonable assumption imo.

And I've done more than one PL14610 media area calculation with the 51 pleat filters, and ~109sq. in. has been consistent. If not exact, it's pretty darn close.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I'm wondering if Purolator is trying to save costs by reducing the number of pleats in some of their filters. Like I said earlier, I've always counted 51 pleats (not including the seam) on the PL14610s I've cut open over the last couple years. Going from 51 to 46 pleats is a pretty significant difference, and highly doubt it was accidental.

The date code on the OP's PL14610 is F06E25E, which translates to 6-25-2013. A pretty recently built filter. The PL14610s I've cut open were made around May 2009 and Feb 2010.

 

[mr_diy]

My last 3 have 51 pleats. I wonder if it is easy to pull the metal end-caps off, any advice how to attempt this?

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: mr_diy
My last 3 have 51 pleats. I wonder if it is easy to pull the metal end-caps off, any advice how to attempt this?

That's good to read, and if from relatively recent purchases/lots would challenge the, 'now purposely using less media' conspiracy theorists and the dedicated puroh8ters. I take it your results have been similar to mine, no issues?

As for attempting to put off the endcaps, with enough force they could be removed with something. But the question is, what's the point of trying? It wouldn't prove anything other than how difficult or not they are to remove. The harder it is the more chance of pulling some of the potting material/glue with it. Which in that case might make it appear there was damage, where in reality there was none.

Even if they fall off on removal as the OP's appear to have (given the name endcap popper here), as long as the leaf retainer spring is functioning as designed, holding the element and adbv firmly in place, then filter function is not compromised in use. And keep in mind, in the Fram orange can and Tough Guard, are covering over a much smaller surface area of fiber endcap sealing the ends over the center tube also with leaf retainer spring pressure alone.

Bottom line, other than curiosity really pointless to attempt to pull off the endcaps.