Rate the SuperTech oil and filters
- Thread starter gtm245
- Start date
- Status
In my opinion, they're perfectly fine low-price products, although persnally I'd prefer not to use 'em.
Not to burn anybody's chaps here, but the "clicker" valve in the Champions, as well as the modest total media area recorded for SuperTech filters in filter surveys, haven't really impressed me. SuperTech oil should be fine as long as it fully meets the "SL" spec on its label. But trust in the label is only as strong as your trust in the supplier. I've never cared much for house labels for that reason, be it SuperTech, Rite Aid, Safeway, etc. I'd rather buy "Acme" brand oil (Pennzoil, Castrol, etc. -- whatever suits your fancy) rather than "lowest bidder" oil from potentially unknown suppliers.
TC, my nemesis, you make sense. Of course there are those that will say no oil filter is almost as good as most oil filters.
![[Wink]](images/icons/wink.gif)
gtm245 it would seem that judging by your previous posts you are trying to justify using the Supertech products maybe? My opinion is if you want to use them go ahead. I use the Supertech oil in my old beater and think it is fine. Do I use it in my better albeit high mileage pickup? No. I use Motorcraft because it has given me fine results according to UOA. There are others such as csandte who use the Supertech with good results. Do not feel guilty about it that is what you want to do. As long as you use a routine OCI the the Supertech should do fine. By the way no flame at all intended just and opinion.
[ March 22, 2004, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: seldont ]
IMO, the ST filter is tied for number 1 on my list for my beater
http://www.bergware.net/tmbwww/oilfilter89honda.html
The ST filters are fine. The Oil is rebottled Quaker state... I wouldn't use it.
Yeah I am currently using both ST products after being a long time user of name brand oils (mostly Pennzoil and Valvoline). On one hand I keep worrying about it (come on it's like $.84/qt.) but then on the other hand my vehicle is an early 90's and only requires an SG rated oil, so I figure even the cheapest SL has to be plenty good for a car that requires an oil that is two grades lower than SL. Anyway I am trying to justify using such a cheap no name oil in such a low mileage expensive car (for 1990 anyway). I wish my Wal-Mart had the 5 qt. jugs of ST synthetic. ![[Big Grin]](images/icons/grin.gif)
I am not impressed with the clicker type bypass......but we really don't have any conclusive proof that it doesn't work properly. Not all ST models use this bypass......as every st4967 I've seen, still uses the traditional coil spring type. And remember that not all filters have a bypass in them anyway. After all is said and done......IMHO ST's can compete well against all the el cheapo filters, and can easily best the best selling one (FRAM).
When they first started useing the clicker style bypass I bought all the coil spring bypass valve type ST-2 Supertechs they had in 2 different stores. My wife thought I was nuts for looking in all those boxes. I still have a few along with Motorcraft filters and some Havoline brand filters made my Purolater. When the current supply is used up I will not use the newer clicker type filters. Will stick with trusty old Motorcraft after that.
For my application, I do not have a by-pass valve in the oil filter at all. I don't even need an anti-drainback valve but all ST's have one. Anyway all I need out of the filter is 3000 trouble-free miles and excellent filtration. Does the ST filters qualify for this? If I did need a filter with a by-pass valve, I probably wouldn't use one with the clicker-type like the ST but for me I don't need one at all so it doesn't matter.
BTW the ST box says 98% SPE and 99% MPE as conducted by the two SAE tests. The Purolator PureOne scored less than the ST on the MPE SAE test. Does this mean the ST really has a better MPE than the PureOne? What micron level does the PureOne have 99.7% and 98% efficiency like the box says? What micron level does the ST have 98% and 99% efficiency like the box says? Thanks everyone.
I wouldn't argue the superiority of either their oil (which could change to a different supplier than Warren in the future as it has in the past) or their filters. What I am saying is that since I want a record of having an oil change for warranty purposes that the $10.84 (or whatever it is) ST bottled (and I think that has certain safety advantages over bulk) change is a pretty good deal, especially if the ST filter is substituted for the Fram. Unlike Jiffy Lube, the WalMart lackys aren't motivated to pull your battery out of the car to try to sell you a new one.
With the exception of Fram, I'm not convinced in the absolute superiority of any oil-- especially in a 4000 mile interval. No doubt Amsoil would beat any dino oil if you extended things out to 10K. If you're changing at short intervals, I don't think any of this (even using a Fram filter) makes a real big deal of difference.
UOA's don't reflect differences in labs or engines. VOA's don't reflect differences in base stocks or labs. Because of this, most of what we write about here is interesting but strictly conjecture.
![[Cheers!]](/forums/graemlins/cheers.gif)
I have used both products in the past, but they were older cars that I could care less about. This is how I see it.
SuperTech oil and filter change for me is:
$4.17 for 5 qt jug & $1.97 (ST2) for filter = $6.14
Havoline oil and Motorcraft filter for me is:
$6.40 for 5 qts & $2.77 (FLS-820) for filter = $9.17
That would amount to a savings of only $3.03 per oil change. Not enough to justify the unknown, for me anyway.
quote:I have a GM vehicle and neither the adbv or by-pass is relevant. AC Delco is cheap anyway $3.50, so I go with that. I don't think efficiency is all that relevant with spin on filters. The Super-Tech should be fine. Enjoy. I think Super-Tech oil is a pig in a poke. I have seen many engines go the distance on Havoline/Chevron, Pennzoil, and GTX. It may be fine, I just have simply not seen any "long term" real world data. Are there any 200K+ engines that had Super-Tech??
Originally posted by gtm245: For my application, I do not have a by-pass valve in the oil filter at all. I don't even need an anti-drainback valve but all ST's have one. Anyway all I need out of the filter is 3000 trouble-free miles and excellent filtration. Does the ST filters qualify for this? If I did need a filter with a by-pass valve, I probably wouldn't use one with the clicker-type like the ST but for me I don't need one at all so it doesn't matter. BTW the ST box says 98% SPE and 99% MPE as conducted by the two SAE tests. The Purolator PureOne scored less than the ST on the MPE SAE test. Does this mean the ST really has a better MPE than the PureOne? What micron level does the PureOne have 99.7% and 98% efficiency like the box says? What micron level does the ST have 98% and 99% efficiency like the box says? Thanks everyone.
![[I dont know]](/forums/graemlins/dunno.gif)
"Are there any 200K+ engines that had Super-Tech??"
SuperTech isn't a product per-se it's a Wal-Mart house brand. The SL oil is Warren Distribution, the SJ oil was a Quaker State subsidiary, (but not rebottled Quaker State).
I believe that the average engine should be able to do 200K on any SL oil if changed regularly and that the rest of the car is likely to crap out before the engine. I have gotten fairly long mileage (twenty years ago) out of cars on Sears Spectrum oil. Spectrum is now identical to ST. What it was in 1985 is anyone's guess.
If consistancy of what you're getting bothers you I'd stay away. If WalMart can find another cheaper vendor when they go to SM, they're likely to change suppliers. From my point, Wal-Mart is likely to monitor quality enough so it meets standards and be good at driving costs as low as possible. Given the complexity of cars and the small amount of car killers that I've experienced that were engine related, that's enough for me.
quote:That is a fellow engineer that I work with. It's a 325i. His miles are really easy, 50 miles each way, back and forth to work. It also rarely gets below 40 deg F here too. He doesn't baby that car though. If we go out to lunch, and I let him drive, YIKES! He either stomps it to the floor, or he's slamming the brakes. I think he's gonna kill himself before that car wears out.
I belive there was a fellow who mentioned a BMW that had over 250K miles on it with ST 10W30 at 6 month intervals.
- Status
Similar threads
