WCW C&P - PurolatorOne PL14459 - Made in South Korea

[twX]

Whip City Wrencher compares a PurolatorOne filter made in South Korea with an older model made in the US.

The new filter is very similar to the Pentius XL PLXL3593A, also made in South Korea. The base plate, gasket, and bypass valve are different though.

 

[Glenda W.]

Thanks for posting this! The Korean made One looks outstanding. I’m putting these on my watch list. Definitely has Pentius vibes.

Wouldn’t touch the US made One. Typical M+H poor QC.

 

[Fair enough]

The filter isn’t that new, about a year old. It would seem more would be on the shelves now, unless it is this specific part number.
The USA is from 2022. So if you need this part number you don’t really have a choice. Unless it was a short run to make up depleted stock in 2024 for the Korea made.

 

[George_Neighbros69]

I have a Mobil 108-a (Vietnam) that I’ll be sending to whip for inspection. Currently has 3,300 miles on it with Valvoline Restore and Protect.

 

[fantastic]

Watch it this morning and thought SK superior vs US Purolator. Thanks for posting the WCW video.

 

[duck__dodgers]

it's reasonable to guess that the same company that is the Korean supplier for Pentius also supplies Purolator for models which are too niche for Purolator/M&H to make in-house.

I saw this video on another thread here..... A Bigstar filter factory in Korea (IIRC, they are an OEM for Hyundai-Kia)

 

[F150]

Surprised at how much hands-on work goes into these filters. They look good, but a lot of opportunity for error. Hats off to their QC.

 

[duck__dodgers]

I wish every filter was sealed in shrink wrap. I'll willing to pay the extra $2 to support a brand that does that. Take my money!

Nice allegory for the USA....it may be sloppy but it has sparkly paint! lol

 

[DannyM]

it's reasonable to guess that the same company that is the Korean supplier for Pentius also supplies Purolator for models which are too niche for Purolator make in-house.

I saw this video on another thread here..... A Bigstar filter factory in Korea (IIRC, they are an OEM for Hyundai-Kia)

There are many factories there in South Korea.. but the factory that makes the Korean Pentius filters uses an internal metal crimp which I have not seen on any other Korean filter and also any other filter from any country. You can see those Big Star filters above have the typical external crimp and also the Korean Purolator in the OP Vid above has the same.

 

[Sayjac]

No mystery here. M&H has made some topic 9688 application in S Korea for a while. The M&H Napa Gold 1334 has been c&p here before looking much the same. As they have also make/made same filter application Hyun/Kia OEM in South Korea, apparently now using them under the Purolator P1 name, as PL14459.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I saw this video on another thread here..... A Bigstar filter factory in Korea (IIRC, they are an OEM for Hyundai-Kia)

That looks like a well ran factory. Fascinating machinery to install the bypass valve in the end cap, and making other components too. Lots of lasers used to verify things are going together correctly.

 

[twX]

it's reasonable to guess that the same company that is the Korean supplier for Pentius also supplies Purolator for models which are too niche for Purolator/M&H to make in-house.

I saw this video on another thread here..... A Bigstar filter factory in Korea (IIRC, they are an OEM for Hyundai-Kia)

Yeah, they actually they seem a lot more similar to OEM Hyundai filters than the Pentius XL. Same gasket, bypass valve, leaf spring, centre core and date code stamped on the upper end cap in blue ink. The can is even painted in "Hyundai blue" instead of "Purolator blue". They only really share the centre core with the Pentius XL (but also the Hyundai), and the media area measurement is more similar to the Pentius. These filters might be made in the same factory shown in that video.

I always assumed that Pentius had some sort of business relationship with Premium Guard, since their filters are so similar in so many ways, but maybe it's just that Asian manufacturers are likely to use identical tooling to make parts like their centre cores, base plates, etc.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I always assumed that Pentius had some sort of business relationship with Premium Guard, since their filters are so similar in so many ways, but maybe it's just that Asian manufacturers are likely to use identical tooling to make parts like their centre cores, base plates, etc.

Also, Pentius is not a brand name ever seen under the PGI umbrella.

 

[twX]

Also, Pentius is not a brand name ever seen under the PGI umbrella.

I thought they might have at least had an IP-sharing agreement or something, since the only obvious difference between them is the bypass valve design and the amount of media used. The PXL filter media even looks identical to the Carquest Premium under WCW's microscope.

Now I'm thinking it's more of a coincidence based on locally available parts and tooling.

 

[George_Neighbros69]

At this point Mann+Hummel has to be aware of the evident quality differences between the Asian and USA-produced oil filters. The automotive industry has evolved significantly over the years, with some companies seemingly prioritizing cost over quality. While there is a natural inclination to support domestic manufacturers, the potential risks to vehicle performance and longevity due to inferior filtration cannot be ignored. The striking performance disparity that I observed highlights the critical importance of prioritizing quality and reliability, especially given the essential role of oil filters.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Now I'm thinking it's more of a coincidence based on locally available parts and tooling.

There is a lot of "copy cats" in that part of the world, if you know what I mean. An IP-sharing agreement may not be a thing in that kind of situation.

 

[Hootbro]

Surprised at how much hands-on work goes into these filters. They look good, but a lot of opportunity for error. Hats off to their QC.

I have seen quite few of those Asian oil manufacturing videos and the amount of automation vs. hands on varies wildly. Labor is still cheap enough in some places to pay someone to be hands on vs. buying the automation equipment.

 

[DannyM]

the only obvious difference between them is the bypass valve design and the amount of media used.

The PLXL factory also uses an internal metal crimp as opposed to all PG factories common type external metal crimp, and think about it.. what in the world does Pentius need PG for ? Pentius already had their factory connections there in SK so why would they call up PG and ask them to take a large chunk of profit to do something Pentius already knows how do do ? and then why would either company hide this anyway ??

 

[DannyM]

That looks like a well ran factory. Fascinating machinery to install the bypass valve in the end cap, and making other components too. Lots of lasers used to verify things are going together correctly.

this is a good one too from the same company.. shows what looks to be the mixing of the glue .

 

[ZeeOSix]

this is a good one too from the same company.. shows what looks to be the mixing of the glue .

Notice at time 4:10 that the laser sensors say an element that looked to have a crooked end cap, and it got removed off the line. Need to watch that part in slow-motion to see it.

That manufacturing line is more automated, as it's putting the filter media into the end caps to make the cartridge without human workers on some of the filter models like the other video shows.