ST16 vs ST3614 vs ST9688

[Durdude]

Okay. This is for entertainment purposes as this site was designed for. But can someone please explain why the inlet holes are so small and few on the 16. For my Dodge V8.

The 3614 is widely used For 4 cyl and my current V6 application. Huge and many holes like its for a top fuel dragster!

And the 9688 for my sons 4cyl is just right.

Why such a drastic difference? I would think for the V8 they would be bigger.

I know there are some filter experts so please explain.

 

[mrsilv04]

The 3614 has been like that for years, you just didn't know it/couldn't see it. It used to be covered with a dummy plate with 8 holes.

Here's what it used to look like:

 

[Fair enough]

The ST3614 was changed this year, avoid it due to likely adbv not sealing, plus shoddy construction inside with the end caps.
The older one with extra plate is not the same.

 

[twX]

There is often no rhyme or reason for why some filters have much larger inlet holes than others. Each filter model is used for dozens of different applications. You would think the holes would be well-sized for the recommended applications with the highest flow rates, but that isn't always the case.

 

[ZeeOSix]

View attachment 291395

Okay. This is for entertainment purposes as this site was designed for. But can someone please explain why the inlet holes are so small and few on the 16. For my Dodge V8.

The 3614 is widely used For 4 cyl and my current V6 application. Huge and many holes like its for a top fuel dragster!

And the 9688 for my sons 4cyl is just right.

Why such a drastic difference? I would think for the V8 they would be bigger.

I know there are some filter experts so please explain.

It's like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One is "just right".

But in reality, the dP across the base plate with the smaller holes isn't really going to matter. The dP is what counts, not what it "looks like". Yes, people will look at those 3 filters and probably think the one with the biggest holes is the "best" one ("racing" design, must be superior, lol). But in reality, the dP across the whole filter with the largest holes may be more than the filter with the smallest holes. Fluid flow is deceiving (can't accurately be determined by "looking") without actually running the numbers.

 

[Deadlight]

I'm currently running a ST3614 on my 2020 Ford Fusion with the 2.0 Ecoboost. It's one with the extra top plate. Looking forward to cutting it open and seeing how it fared.

 

[Durdude]

It's like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One is "just right".

But in reality, the dP across the base plate with the smaller holes isn't really going to matter. The dP is what counts, not what it "looks like". Yes, people will look at those 3 filters and probably think the one with the biggest holes is the "best" one ("racing" design, must be superior, lol). But in reality, the dP across the whole filter with the largest holes may be more than the filter with the smallest holes. Fluid flow is deceiving (can't accurately be determined by "looking") without actually running the number

Glad you liked my joke. Lol