shelf life of a filter & what does the A mean?

[LumpyMeatLoaf]

I sent an Email to Hastings Oil Filter Company asking what does the 'A' stand for in some of their older filters. I have a couple CF51s' in my garage, in a dry storage. I thought perhaps the 'A' designator stood for ADBV? I told them that I might keep these around and use someday... Here is what Hasiting's had to say. Please don't jump on me this is their response....

Mr.LumpyMeatLoaf,

Thank you for the e-mail. The 'A' doesn't mean anything specific. I would caution against using the CF51A filters, for the reason that the CF51A was obsolete in 1997 and the life span of the gasket material is 5 years. After that time, the gasket may start to leak.

If I may be of further assistance, please let me know.

Teresa Reeder
Hastings Filters
Catalog Production Supervisor
Phone: 800-828-4453, ext 79708
e-mail: [email protected]

 

[AlphaMale8]

Did you end up using the filter anyways? I have a few OEM Nissan oil filters (their gaskets are made of NBR rubber) that are over 5 years old, but I think I'm still gonna use em anyway.

 

[LumpyMeatLoaf]

I just received this email this morning. Presetly, I am using some Purolators, in a case of 12, which are 10 years old. I have used 5 or 6 of them with any woes. I have one on my car as I speak. I also have a Fram PH3387A made by Bendix in about 1986... I will pass on using it, but it still looks brand new, at 25 years old.

 

[LumpyMeatLoaf]

One last thing, you know as well as I do there are a lot of filters sitting in auto part stores waiting to be sold that are older than 5 years. I will remove the seals, if they are not cracked, chipped or physically falling apart, I will probably try them....Being stored in a cool dry place out of the weather...

 

[Whimsey]

I've been using Motorcraft FL820S oil filters I bought 6 years ago at a close out sale at Walmart. I'm sure they are older than 6 years. No problems with gasket leaks. In fact the ADBV's have worked great. I have no dry starts, like I have had with Frams on a all too regular basis. The filters are stored in my garage which is somewhat heated in the winter and not hot in the summer. It's below the house and underground. The house is built into a hill.

Whimsey

 

[fdcg27]

Install and watch for leaks and dry starts.
If there are no problems, run the filter for a full OCI.
If there are any problems, replace the filter only, and discard the rest.

 

[deeter16317]

I know that some of the "A" designations in Fram are superseded numbers...for example the filter for the Cummins that caused all the problem was replaced by the same number ending in "A"...the original was PH3976 and the new number is PH3976A. My dad has a PH3976 sitting on the shelf from when he owned his 95 Cummins...he knows not to run it on his 99.