STP S8AXL Extended Life virgin C&P

[2.7ecoboostFordBronco]

This is a mid-2025 purchased STP S8AXL virgin C&P. It is sold for $9.99 at Autozone. It appears to be a “premium guard XL” (EX?) style filter and is made in China. Autozone advertise its efficiency as “15 microns” on their website. Based on some some other premium guard threads this could be 98.7% at 15 microns but I guess there’s no economical way to know for sure. Specs mentioned below are from Autozone's website.

517g mass (spec is 612g), appears to be 2025 manufacturer; sure about rest of date code; labled Made in China w/ instructions to prefill

~93 mm / ~3.66" wide cannister, filter element 154g, metal crimped seam.

~5.5mm / 0.22" thick gasket (spec is 0.19")

~0.75mm / 0.03" thick can spec'd to 256 psi burst pressure and 200g baseplate with 8 holes and 4 grooves for threads

Anti-Drainback Valve and Coil Spring

Not sure what this roughness was on the endcap was; just a little bit of excess glue where the media attaches to the endcaps.

Apologies for messy workbench, media area ~77x3.72" for an area of ~285 sq in.

Metal Core with Holes & bypass valve specified to 15 psi.

I'm considering using this on a Lycoming IO-360 experimental airplane engine and wanted to examine it first. The $40 airplane filters are only 98.7% efficient at 38 microns. Concerns (that I'm not sure are valid) with the STP are lower burst pressure (256 vs 500 psi) and small size of bypass valve. Filter area of the STP is ~20% greater in this application. If I decide to try it I’ll do some before/after particle counts with Blackstone.

 

[Lubener]

Nicely done.. A good looking filter.

 

[Glenda W.]

Very nice filter. Yes PGI made.

 

[Urshurak776]

Nice looking filter. Thank you for the C&P. Great job!

 

[53' Stude]

This is a mid-2025 purchased STP S8AXL virgin C&P. It is sold for $9.99 at Autozone. It appears to be a “premium guard XL” (EX?) style filter and is made in China. Autozone advertise its efficiency as “15 microns” on their website. Based on some some other premium guard threads this could be 98.7% at 15 microns but I guess there’s no economical way to know for sure. Specs mentioned below are from Autozone's website.

View attachment 302148

517g mass (spec is 612g), appears to be 2025 manufacturer; sure about rest of date code; labled Made in China w/ instructions to prefill
View attachment 302149

~93 mm / ~3.66" wide cannister, filter element 154g, metal crimped seam.
View attachment 302151

~5.5mm / 0.22" thick gasket (spec is 0.19")
View attachment 302150

~0.75mm / 0.03" thick can spec'd to 256 psi burst pressure and 200g baseplate with 8 holes and 4 grooves for threads
View attachment 302153

Anti-Drainback Valve and Coil Spring
View attachment 302155

Not sure what this roughness was on the endcap was; just a little bit of excess glue where the media attaches to the endcaps.
View attachment 302154

Apologies for messy workbench, media area ~77x3.72" for an area of ~285 sq in.
View attachment 302156

Metal Core with Holes & bypass valve specified to 15 psi.
View attachment 302157

I'm considering using this on a Lycoming IO-360 experimental airplane engine and wanted to examine it first. The $40 airplane filters are only 98.7% efficient at 38 microns. Concerns (that I'm not sure are valid) with the STP are lower burst pressure (256 vs 500 psi) and small size of bypass valve. Filter area of the STP is ~20% greater in this application. If I decide to try it I’ll do some before/after particle counts with Blackstone.

Great cut and post and great pics. Thank You.

 

[Fair enough]

So a company in China can make media that will filter finer, and have low restriction necessary everywhere in North America. Pretty good, other companies in the USA or Germany have been trying to do it for many decades. Some made two layer synthetic media and other ways. I don’t know how these guys did it though, don’t see any two layers or other ideas. Lube filters from Baldwin for example, for decades they have been inventing different and expensive ideas, but their car filters only have this sort of thick regular media with no magic in it.

 

[fantastic]

Very good presentation..Thanks!

 

[xmanjeff]

just looking at the box/packaging , and the filter uncut , has quality written all over it , i understand that you cant read a book by its cover , but the cover looks pretty dam good

 

[ZeeOSix]

So a company in China can make media that will filter finer, and have low restriction necessary everywhere in North America. Pretty good, other companies in the USA or Germany have been trying to do it for many decades.

Many other companies have done it before these guys did it. But the manufacturing quality of the other guys has seemed to fallen to the wayside lately, So the filters with quality built construction that can also perform well are starting to gain attention. It should give the other filter makers a reason to step up their game.

 

[ziggy]

I have one in my car now 3387..but USA made.was in AutoZone 2 weeks ago,looking at stp filters,the blue ones,the gold box synthetic..all USA made

 

[Sayjac]

As noted, nice filters. Unfortunately, the PG made XL not sold at AZs locally. It's region specific. All Champ Labs made here, with the separate stamped spring/bypass piece. Checking price, appears AZ may have lowered price to be competitive with O'R MSL Select. I'd say folks with an AZ nearby that has the PG made XL, fortunate. If $9.99 accurate now, price beats the new M1 at WM. As an side, I have zero interest in the Champ made XL.

Thanks for c&p.