Ver 2 Mercruiser / ACPF1218 Oil Filter Study w/ Pore and Flow Data

[Grease is the word]

Just posted. A respected member of BITOG analyzed the 12 filter medias for smallest and average pore size and tested flow with 30W oil.
I have added these to the original document and added a rating system.

Also added were the PureOne and ST filters.

Let the discussions begin! I found it very interesting and enlightening. And I thought that if a media looked similar and was from the same manufacturer it was the same!

There are about 60 hours and $70 in this testing and documentation -- Enjoy!

Oil filter study

[ January 26, 2004, 01:28 PM: Message edited by: Grease is the word ]

 

[Schmoe]

MOST EXCELLENT WORK!!!! Nicely done

Boy, this surely shows that Fram really does suck. Purolator was up there, did better than I expected as did K&N filters.

 

[sbc350gearhead]

That test is great.

I would like to see some other filters tested though......such as mobil, donaldson, fleetguard, amsoil, etc.

 

[Patman]

Awesome test! It especially is good for me, since my Firebird uses this size of filter. I'm currently running the K&N HP3002, and it's nice to see it flows extremely well, just as I suspected. I'm not concerned with it's filtering ability as much as I am about flow.

 

[Grease is the word]

quote:

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Originally posted by sbc350gearhead:
That test is great.

I would like to see some other filters tested though......such as mobil, donaldson, fleetguard, amsoil, etc.

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Yes, that would be interesting. I have to take it slow for now, my oil filter budget is blown for the next 5 years

I would also like to measure the inside filter canister hole area size and add it to the test. I would like to ensure that this area is as large as the intake baseplate area.

 

[Grease is the word]

quote:

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Originally posted by Schmoe:
MOST EXCELLENT WORK!!!! Nicely done

Boy, this surely shows that Fram really does suck. Purolator was up there, did better than I expected as did K&N filters.

---

Thanks. A lot of credit also has to go to my anonymous BITOG tester. He was great to work with and did a fantastic job.

I was somewhat surprised at the Fram TG filtering ability. It didn't flow very well (also due to the small filter area), but it is near the top in small pore size.

 

[Schmoe]

From what I've learned from this forum, which is a TON of information, we are basically concerned with one thing from the filter, particulate size removal. In that case, the PureOne wins, which surprizedly, is exactly what they advertise. But now the questions of flow arises: Does flow REALLY really matter the average car? Racing, well that's a different story all together. If you have too much flow, wouldn't that be a waste? The most important thing, I think, is dirt removal. Engine damage is caused by dirt, the more a filter removes the dirt, the longer the engine will last, agreed? So, you might not have a super high flow rate, but the engine is getting enough oil anyway, and that oil is cleaner and less detrimental to the engine, a higher flow would seem like a waste. I guess I look at it like this: Higher Flow and medium dirt removal or lower flow and higher dirt removal.

 

[sbc350gearhead]

quote:

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Originally posted by Schmoe:
From what I've learned from this forum, which is a TON of information, we are basically concerned with one thing from the filter, particulate size removal. In that case, the PureOne wins, which surprizedly, is exactly what they advertise. But now the questions of flow arises: Does flow REALLY really matter the average car? Racing, well that's a different story all together. If you have too much flow, wouldn't that be a waste? The most important thing, I think, is dirt removal. Engine damage is caused by dirt, the more a filter removes the dirt, the longer the engine will last, agreed? So, you might not have a super high flow rate, but the engine is getting enough oil anyway, and that oil is cleaner and less detrimental to the engine, a higher flow would seem like a waste. I guess I look at it like this: Higher Flow and medium dirt removal or lower flow and higher dirt removal.

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I still wonder if the more restrictive filters go into bypass, or stay in bypass longer in cold weather. If so, then that sort of negates any improved filtering ability.

 

[Grease is the word]

Here are some other observations I made:

The AC filter is very decent -- especially for the $3. It has very good filtration and decent flow.

I was also surprised that the STP wasn't an exact mirror of the AC since it appeared physically to be the same Champion filter.

 

[sbc350gearhead]

The ST and STP are supposed twins, according to champion. The ac delco have a few differences including filter media.

 

[Grease is the word]

quote:

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Originally posted by sbc350gearhead:
The ST and STP are supposed twins, according to champion. The ac delco have a few differences including filter media.

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That makes sense since they are so close in the ratings. One has 4 more pleats than the other, but than can be a manufacturing variation. I learned that the Hastings sample I cut apart had fewer pleats than normal. Apparantly there is a range that is acceptable in the manufacturing process.

 

[Chris B.]

I'd like to see the UPF-44 as well! Nice stuff and thanks!

 

[TC]

This rocks, Grease! Most excellent. It's great to put numbers to prior assumptions and hunches.

I'm sure many who read the attached database will avoid the PureOnes. But for now, I'll stick with them due to their top-ranked filtration ability, but only because I have an OVERSIZE option (150% of regular media area) for PureOnes on my ride. If one DOESN'T have such an oversized option, perhaps they should think twice before installing a PureOne...

 

[Grease is the word]

quote:

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Originally posted by TC:
This rocks, Grease! Most excellent. It's great to put numbers to prior assumptions and hunches.

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I thought you would like it TC. It gives some baselining for filter media. It is amazing to see the performance difference between the PureOne media and the K&N at opposite ends. Holding and examining the media with the naked eye would make you think that they are close enough to be the same.

Grease

 

[TC]

Yes, many filter "surveys" have compared media papers and concluded "they're probably the same..." I may have made the same conclusion, in error. The SHO club website, which has an excellent lube theory section, concluded Mobil 1 and K&N had the same media, but corrected themselves sometime later after contacting Champion, for example. Don't ya just love quantified tests?!!!

 

[Spector]

This topic of flow vs filtering ability has been discussed before. Having used the Pure Ones and the K&Ns on the same engine for comparable periods and miles the oil analysis came back with basically no difference in wear metals and silicon. Like many of you, I have cut too many of these suckers open. What did you find (assuming you were not using RX etc) I will bet nothing. In todays engines with todays oils what matters is flow, ther just is not much to filter out. Too bad Bob was not able to finish his no filter test but I would bet the UOA would be similar to using a filter.

Although all of the filters get the engine to 100,000 plus miles my vote is for K&N oil filters.
Go with the Flow!

 

[Grease is the word]

Personally, I have come to the conclusion (I reserve to change my mind 10 times before boating season

) is to use the K&N 3002 for the boat.

This is because of several reasons: the Merc spec is for high flow; the K&N flows just as well and filters better; the great construction of the K&N (although no coil spring and nitrile); and oversize for this application.

For my cars I plan to use either AC, PureOne, or Baldwin.

I really liked the Baldwins. The construction was great. The AC can't be beat for the price and the PureOne's filter specs are incredible.

 

[Patman]

It's too bad Fleetguard doesn't make the PF1218 sized filter with their new Stratapore media, the only way to get this media is to go to the smaller PF25 sized filter, and it doesn't have an ADBV either.

I've heard the Stratapore media not only flows extremely well, but it also filters down very well too, so it's the best of both worlds. This is only possible with a fully synthetic filtering media though, such as the one the Ultraguard Gold uses, or those old Harddriver filters that were discontinued a while ago.

 

[Schultz]

"I'm sure many who read the attached database will avoid the PureOnes. But for now, I'll stick with them due to their top-ranked filtration ability, but only because I have an OVERSIZE option (150% of regular media area) for Pure Ones on my ride. If one DOESN'T have such an oversized option, perhaps they should think twice before installing a PureOne..."

I still think flow is adequate with the standard size filter for a car engine. Most of the time, my engine is below 3k rpm, so high flow isn’t really needed. Oil surface tension and viscosity determines how easily the oil flows through a filter. Once the engine heats up the viscosity of the oil drops about 100 times, combine that with a slight drop in surface tension and the Pure One’s will flow several gallons a minute. Now in Grease’s case like a boat motor that is running on the high side of RPM’s most of the time, I think an over size filter is in order to get the extra flow that may be needed. However, I will agree will you that if an oversize is available and it fits, then use it.


"Boy, this surely shows that Fram really does suck. Purilator was up there, did better than I expected as did K&N filters. I have to disagree on this one."

Yea, the paper end caps aren’t as nice as the metal one’s, but the filter media after all is paper or paper base. If they did the filter potting right the caps could completely fall off and the resin or hot melt would still encapsulate the filter pleats. I’m surprised we haven’t seen a filter with only resin end caps. Also, the TG had very good filtration, and a little better flow than the pure one, so to me it’s a pretty good filter.

 

[Grease is the word]

I wouldn't have a problem running a PureOne in a car with a direct mapped application. It has good EFA, silicon ADBV, good construction, and great filtration.