I recently purchased a Super Tech oil filter for my car. When I got home I took it out of the box and looked inside the filter. I noticed that there was some excess glue that dried to the bottom (top?) of the filter. Does anyone think that this will cause a problem? I'd attach a picture, but it's kind of hard to get it to turn out properly since you have to look all the way into the filter.
SuperTech Oil Filter Question
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I have the same question, but had the same thing with the Ac Delco for my car from Auto Zone. I saw excess glue around the bottom (top). The STP filter that looked almost the same in design was very clean in the seam that was glued. I wonder if it is just the way Champion manufactures or glues its filters? At any rate, I just bought the STP filter. I was concerned it was a quality control issue, instead of an acceptable manufacturing practice.
Maybe it was the employees first day on the "glue" line?
The endcaps are attached to the edge of the filter medium with a high temperature, oil insoluble adhesive that also seals the junction of the two materials. That "excess" adhesive you guys are obsessing over is your assurance that dirty oil is not bypassing the filter medeia and "slipping" between the media and the endcap. Had the "excess" adhesive been squeezed at the junction on the other side of the filtration medium, you couldn't have seen it and would have drawn the conclusion that quality control is A-1. (Actually quality control is OK in either case, and depending where on the circumference of the filter medium you're viewing, "excess" adhesive may be on either [or BOTH] sides of the filter medium.) In short, it doesn't matter. Personally I'd rather be able to see some adhesive through the exit port - at least that way I know the goo got squirted at the proper time during manufacture proving someone wasn't asleep at the wheel or snorting cocaine on company time.
Several posters have correctly noted that Champion Labs-made filters occasionally have cutting crud left in the mounting threads. Whether this crud is a likely source of contamination to the engine internals is arguable, but to be on the safe side, I make it a practice to wet a small section of a lint-free cloth with solvent and wipe the threads before installing the filter. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean you're wrong. (December 7th, 1941 at Pearl Harbor - the right people weren't paranoid enough at the right time...)
5 years ago some of the OE brand japanese filters had the mounting area sealed with a pull off paper/plastic film - like on food bottles to keep dirt out
I recently purchased a Denso filter for my Honda and it had just such a plastic seal. I was very impressed by this attention to detail.
Extreme attention to detail is something many Japanese companies do very well ... and many US companies blow off.
John
The Korean-made Hyundai service filters have the plastic seal, too. Most dealers sell 'em 3 for the price of 2 ($9.90 total + tax). They're interchangeable with Honda filters, clearances permitting - about the same size as "older" Honda filters. Once I get through my stash of increasingly hard to find ST 3593As, I'll probably go back to using the OEMs on my Sonata.
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