who makes the best constructed filter

[928]

Without making this into a Ford is better than a Chevy type thread, who makes the best constructed & best filtration oil filters?
Price isn't an issue, quality is. Seems like the brands you trusted in the past are made offshore now.

 

[GumbyJarvis]

Best filtration is not a good indicator of a good or best filter. Theres no "best filter" for all applications. While some here hammer out and say a Fram Ultra is the best, that is entirely false.

Hyundai-Kia for example, some of their engines have obnoxious noises and possibly unnecessary engine wear with anything other than an OEM filter, theres even TSBs and people out there complaining about this issue. From what I remember, no aftermarket filters have the bypass settings that Hyundai has.

As for filtration, the Hyundai is only rated at 99.4% at 50um, but it's still the best for its cars.

Other auto manufacturing company's also emphasize flow and dont concern themselves with filtration.

As for best built filters? I'll go ahead and be the black sheep and say Champ/STP newer style E-Cores.
Why? Because they do their job, are affordable, and are more than enough for the average 3-5K oci.

Fram Ultras, M1s, and whatever long mileage rated filters are great, but are pretty overkill for a normal 5K oci.

 

[FordBroncoVWJeta]

Originally Posted by GumbyJarvis
Theres no "best filter" for all applications.
+1.

Really depends on the application.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by GumbyJarvis
As for filtration, the Hyundai is only rated at 99.4% at 50um, but it's still the best for its cars.

As for best built filters? I'll go ahead and be the black sheep and say Champ/STP newer style E-Cores.
Why? Because they do their job, are affordable, and are more than enough for the average 3-5K oci.


The OE cartridge filters for my Kia aren't that expensive when I shop around for them and they seem to be just fine. I can usually get them for around $8. I've used Fram, Champion and WIX in the past and couldn't see a noticable difference. I'm sure they didn't hurt anything but I decided to just stick with the OE filters. I do my changes between 4~5k miles and they hold up fine from what I can tell and I sleep better knowing they have the proper flow properties etc as specd by the mfg.

Just my two cents...

 

[AuthorEditor]

"Best constructed" seems to mean the OP is looking for things like strength, consistent and high specifications, quality materials, and build quality. I suspect some of the permanent filters like the ones Summit Racing sells might be the "best constructed." In disposable filters the Micro Greens might be up there. But, most of us factor in important things like filtration efficiency, price, and availability. The FRAM Ultras score well using those additional criteria.

 

[dnewton3]

There is no "best", as many have said. However, there are many good ones.

Sticking strictly to the topic of construction (ignoring efficiency, cost, etc), each of the main brands has good offerings. Wix, Purolator, Fram, Donaldson, Baldwin/Hastings; they all have premium well-made offerings.

However, you still don't really define what "best construction" means. How thick is thick enough for the base plate? Are you a coil-spring snob, or is a leaf-spring acceptable? Are you all about syn media, or is glass-enhanced cellulose OK? Must you have a base-end bypass?

Get the picture?

 

[krismoriah72]

Originally Posted by 928
Without making this into a Ford is better than a Chevy type thread, who makes the best constructed & best filtration oil filters?
Price isn't an issue, quality is. Seems like the brands you trusted in the past are made offshore now.


You would have to go back some years to drive anything that has nothing made 'offshore'.

I will go ahead and say that a supertech oil filter and supertech conventional oil will get you to a half a million miles if not more.. while the rest of the vehicle falls apart.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted by GumbyJarvis
Theres no "best filter" for all applications.
+1.

Really depends on the application.


Best would be a bypass setup. But overkill except for expensive diesel engines.

You want a good enough filter so the engine is still running when you bring the vehicle to the boneyard due to rusted out frame or blown transmission. That means almost any filter at Walmart or Napa is fine.

 

[Rat407]

VW back in the day used just a screen and we had several of them when I was growing up. They all went over 100k miles. Oil back then isn't what it is today. So filtration isn't all that important I would think. For the most part, like what just came out as a TSB from GM the V6 engines in the Camaro now require the UPF63R filter due to the higher oil pressures in that system.

"Today's engines have very tight tolerances, multiple oil pressure control systems and high flow lubrication system requirements. These requirements will vary based on the specific engine design, so the proper match of oil filter to the engine application is more important than it has ever been in the past.
The High Feature V-6 engines RPO (LGX) and (LGW) have higher oil pump pressure to accommodate engine cam phasing and high-speed bearing requirements. As a result, the oil filter performance was improved to meet this higher oil pressure output.
The new UPF63R oil filter has a thicker outer shell to provide higher burst pressure resistance during cold temperature conditions and greater fatigue strength. Failing to use this filter could result in external oil leaks due to gasket blowout or wrench flute cracks.
Any time an oil filter is changed on one of the above vehicles, it is recommended to use the new and improved filter.
But then if you read all the threads on here you would think it is the most important thing."

 

[bullwinkle]

"Best", in my opinion, is the one that can hold up, without tearing, and do it's job for at least the factory OCI, or longer, preferably with a silicone ADBV (that doesn't get chewed up by bad machining/no deburring), for a non-ridiculous price.
#1 Fram Ultra (cheapest in the eBay 6 pack, can could be stronger)
#2 Royal Purple (cost higher, full syn & stronger can)
#3 Fleetguard Stratapore & Venturi (superior filtration, but $$$)
#4 Bosch Distance Plus (strongest can, blend media, hard to find, sometimes eats ADBVs)
#5 Mobil 1 (blend media, still somewhat expensive)
#6 Fram TG (blend media, silicone ADBV)
#7 Fram XG (new ones have silicone ADBV, sometimes pleat spacing shaky)
#8 Champ Ecore (decent media, don't push them too far)
#9 Premium Guard & other similar Chinese (lots of media, efficiency not great)
#DEAD LAST Purolator & other tearing Mann & Hummel offerings, which also have nitrile ADBVs that harden fast

 

[AuthorEditor]

Quote
As a result, the oil filter performance was improved to meet this higher oil pressure output.

How high is the oil pressure? I suspect that even ordinary filters have at least a 100% safety margin for oil pressure, and doesn't the bypass valve kick in if the pressure goes too high?

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
"Best", in my opinion, is the one that can hold up, without tearing, and do it's job for at least the factory OCI, or longer, preferably with a silicone ADBV (that doesn't get chewed up by bad machining/no deburring), for a non-ridiculous price.
#1 Fram Ultra (cheapest in the eBay 6 pack, can could be stronger)
#2 Royal Purple (cost higher, full syn & stronger can)
#3 Fleetguard Stratapore & Venturi (superior filtration, but $$$)
#4 Bosch Distance Plus (strongest can, blend media, hard to find, sometimes eats ADBVs)
#5 Mobil 1 (blend media, still somewhat expensive)
#6 Fram TG (blend media, silicone ADBV)
#7 Fram XG


You forgot Amsoil. Their filters rival the Ultra in filtration, and anything else in construction.

 

[Rat407]

Originally Posted by AuthorEditor
Quote
As a result, the oil filter performance was improved to meet this higher oil pressure output.

How high is the oil pressure? I suspect that even ordinary filters have at least a 100% safety margin for oil pressure, and doesn't the bypass valve kick in if the pressure goes too high?


I guess high enough to cause issues and so GM is stating this to keep from having oil filter failures. I don't see a problem using an aftermarket filter as long as it meets the new filter specifications.

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by dnewton3
Wix, Purolator, Fram, Donaldson, Baldwin/Hastings; they all have premium well-made offerings.
However, you still don't really define what "best construction" means.


The "best constructed" one I have seen always came from Donaldson or Fleetguard.

Some of the Amsoil filters were repainted Donaldsons.

 

[PimTac]

Denso

 

[addyguy]

I would have to say the Fram Ultra, just bc the construction style seems to show the least 'effect' from long use.

Most filters use a single layer 'paper' style element, and even if it holds together, it will still often show some distortion in the media. Does not mean the filter doesn't work, but it just shows some movement of the media.

BC the Ultra uses the much thicker, wire backed, dual-layer media, it never shows any 'bending' of the media at all. Even after 20k, the media will be black, but still be the same shape and position.

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by Donald
You want a good enough filter so the engine is still running when you bring the vehicle to the boneyard due to rusted out frame or blown transmission. That means almost any filter at Walmart or Napa is fine.


Speak for your "salted roads" self!

My 2008 F150 has 192,000 miles and not even a tiny spec of rust anywhere. Even the "unpainted" components underneath barely have any "surface rust". God Bless Texas!

It doesn't use a drop of oil. Tandem "parallel flow" dual full-flow engine oil filters with tandem "series-flow" (one into the other) bypass oil filters.
Baldwin BT839-10 on the transmission.

Though - - - I do pull a LOT of heavy loads with the thing... 8,000 lbs gross is VERY normal (my main tractor is ~6,300 lbs on a 1600 lb trailer, plus spare, jack, tools, fuel, etc).
I may need a transmission at some point in the 200,000+ mile future.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
"Best", in my opinion, is the one that can hold up, without tearing, and do it's job for at least the factory OCI, or longer, preferably with a silicone ADBV (that doesn't get chewed up by bad machining/no deburring), for a non-ridiculous price.


Do you know who makes the OE Hyundai cartridge filters? They seem to hold up well for my oci of 4-5k oci.

 

[Baveux]

Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted by GumbyJarvis
Theres no "best filter" for all applications.
+1.

Really depends on the application.


How would I know which one is the best for my 2014 F150 Eco 3.5 and my MX5 2012 ?

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by JLTD
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
"Best", in my opinion, is the one that can hold up, without tearing, and do it's job for at least the factory OCI, or longer, preferably with a silicone ADBV (that doesn't get chewed up by bad machining/no deburring), for a non-ridiculous price.
#1 Fram Ultra (cheapest in the eBay 6 pack, can could be stronger)
#2 Royal Purple (cost higher, full syn & stronger can)
#3 Fleetguard Stratapore & Venturi (superior filtration, but $$$)
#4 Bosch Distance Plus (strongest can, blend media, hard to find, sometimes eats ADBVs)
#5 Mobil 1 (blend media, still somewhat expensive)
#6 Fram TG (blend media, silicone ADBV)
#7 Fram XG


You forgot Amsoil. Their filters rival the Ultra in filtration, and anything else in construction.


Very true, but unless they can also make your vehicle rust less, their superior construction is overkill.