What's Wrong With ACDelco Oil Filters?

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Nick1994

Nick1994

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I changed the oil in my mom's 2003 Buick Rendezvous 3.4L in January with Castrol GTX SynBlend 5w30 & an AC Delco oil filter. It was a PF47. I hear a lot of bad talk about e-core ACDelco oil filters on here and even through searching I can't find what's wrong with an e-core (don't know the difference). I've also heard there are non e-core ACDelco filters that are good. How can I tell what I put on it? I bought it at O'Reillys if that makes a difference. It's got about 2,100 miles I believe in this oil change so far, I usually change it at about 5k miles. If it's really that bad I have a Wix in my stash for the next oil change I can switch it over to now.
 
I see nothing wrong with the standard PF47 or the PF47E. I've used a number of e-cores and I've cut open quite a few and never had an issue with them. They all looked great to me. My Firebird had a PF47E on it when I bought it that was on the vehicle for almost a year of short trips and it was still holding up just fine.
 
The non e-core ACDelco is a great filter, but whenever I've taken one off, the oil runs right past the ADBV. This last oil change I did, I took off a NAPA Platinum and not one drop got past the silicone ADBV. It was impressive as far as oil retention goes.
 
There is nothing wrong with them. On any type of forum people get behind a certain product, or bash it, and then others follow suit like sheep. Change the oil and filter at the recommended interval and it is fine.
 
IIRC, the AC Delco filter is/was made by Champion Labs. Champion at one time had made many filter for K&N, Mobil1, STP, WalMart SuperTech, AutoZone's house filter and many others.

Originally, this filter had a perforated metal center tube and metal end caps. Several years ago, the center tube was changed to a coiled plastic type and the end caps were changed to a felt/fiber type.

Some may have had issues with the plastic center collapsing but, I don't think this is the case today!

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3157015
 
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Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I changed the oil in my mom's 2003 Buick Rendezvous 3.4L in January with Castrol GTX SynBlend 5w30 & an AC Delco oil filter. It was a PF47.


Just so you know, the longer PF52 probably fits there also, unless the Rendezvous has some clearance issues I don't know about. I like using the longer filter not only because of the greater capacity, but because I find its easier to install and replace. The shortie PF47 sort of hides back there like a turtle!
 
Nick,
You might want to step back for a bit. You seem to be over thinking everything. I realize you are just a young guy in college, but you have to take with a grain salt much of what is posted here. EW-core filters seem to be working ok. I've not seen anyone show a bad one. Just make sure to stay away from those orange painted ones, they'll kill your engine...

NO OCOD for me.
grin2.gif
 
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I just dissected one (PF63) two weeks ago. It looked great after a 5K OCI. It looked well-constructed, pleats were nice and straight and the nitrile anti-drain back valve was still very pliable. Another PF63 replaced the one I removed and I have five more waiting for future OCIs. I'm not sure I'll use anything other than an AC Delco PF63 on the Sierra, assuming nothing happens to the quality I see right now.
 
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Originally Posted By: Oldmoparguy1
Nick,
You might want to step back for a bit. You seem to be over thinking everything. I realize you are just a young guy in college, but you have to take with a grain salt much of what is posted here. EW-core filters seem to be working ok. I've not seen anyone show a bad one. Just make sure to stay away from those orange painted ones, they'll kill your engine...

NO OCOD for me.
grin2.gif


Lol yeah I posted a few things lately cause I've had a few questions and haven't gotten around to posting them until now. I just see soo much hate on the e-core filters and had no idea what they were, seems like it's not a big deal.
 
I would probably be more inclined to run an Extra Guard over an Ecore depending on the application.

I will say that after seeing pictures of the plastic Ecore cage, they look very similar to the cage in the Mahle filters I use in the GF's Volvo.
 
Originally Posted By: DSparks
Those orange painted ones are wayyyyy better than the ecore ones....


X2.

Funny people will dog a Fram but use an Ecore with no metal center tube and endcaps that are felt and far weaker than the horrible "cardboard" ones on the Fram. Hah!

Plenty of pics on the web of ecores with blown out media...which gets into the engine unlike Puro's current tearing issue. I had a coworker lose an engine to an ecore that blew the media.

The design had potential but they need to really pack the media with pleats to make it blow out resistant, far as I know they haven't changed a thing on them. I tried an oversize ecore once on my Jeep to experiment, the ADBV was so bad I took it off after 6 days. But after only 6 days there was already obvious media flattening in one spot going on, which is the precursor to blow out. No thanks.

Any OP you can still find "Classic" AC Delcos at some auto parts stores and those are good filters.
 
I have had an ecore fail at 5k miles half of the top endcap separated which equals no filtration and I have had on one with almost 13k look perfect so it's really luck of the draw but since the first one I cut was so messed up I'll stay away why does it matter when you could buy a better filter for a couple dollars more
 
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I like the classics. I don't like the design of the e core with the plastic cage, although I have never seen one fail.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I hear a lot of bad talk about e-core ACDelco oil filters on here and even through searching I can't find what's wrong with an e-core (don't know the difference). I've also heard there are non e-core ACDelco filters that are good. How can I tell what I put on it?

The easy way to tell on AC Delco filters if it is E core or not, is the there is an "E" at the end. For example PF47E.
I'm not crazy about the ecores either. I bought a case of the non ecore AC Delco filters for my Impala. They are still out there, but slowly disappearing.
 
Stay the course with the AC Delco PF47.

Ecore or not, you'll be fine.

A lot of oil filter zealots are here on BITOG and for them, it's the best or nothing else.

You'll find most every filter will do a good job for you for a 5,000 mile OCI.

I think you are on the right track with Wix though as they are well constructed and deliver outstanding performance for the price.
 
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