I know this topic was discussed about a year ago in a similar thread (which I've read through), however despite a couple of people saying they would cut open the USA vs China made Wix filters to determine what the ADBV material was of, I have yet to see that anyone has done this yet.
So while organizing my oil filters today, I noticed the same issue. Most of my WIX 57356 filters (I have about 46 of them at the moment) have the red ADBV material which I guess some are cliaming is silicon, and show on the label as Made In USA. About 10 of them have the grey material, that I know some people believe is nitrile material instead of silicon, yet know one seems to know for sure yet. In addition to the different color of the material I notice on the grey (China) ones that the "valve" or whatever that thing is at the bottom of the filter (when you are looking down into it from the threaded hole), the China made one protrudes about an inch or so from the roof (or floor) of the filters, whereas the red (USA) ones DON'T appear to have the protuding "thing" and although it is round it appears to be much more flat against the roof (or floor) of the filter. So not sure if that means anything. You can see this if you look closely down the holes in the photos I posted.
As I just noticed this today, I'm not sure where I got the China filters from. I've bought them in the past from Napa, and from at least 2 different on-line sources, with one being Amazon. I suspect the China ones may have come from the Amazon orders but I really can't say for sure as they all got mixed up before I realized there was a difference.
In any event, has anyone been able to definitavely determine if the China made ones use a nitrile ADBV materialk, or is that still just speculation? And even if it is, is it really a major problem? Also anyone who knows what I mean when trying to describe the two different "things" at the top (or bottom) of the filter that sticks out, is that an issue to be concerned about?
So while organizing my oil filters today, I noticed the same issue. Most of my WIX 57356 filters (I have about 46 of them at the moment) have the red ADBV material which I guess some are cliaming is silicon, and show on the label as Made In USA. About 10 of them have the grey material, that I know some people believe is nitrile material instead of silicon, yet know one seems to know for sure yet. In addition to the different color of the material I notice on the grey (China) ones that the "valve" or whatever that thing is at the bottom of the filter (when you are looking down into it from the threaded hole), the China made one protrudes about an inch or so from the roof (or floor) of the filters, whereas the red (USA) ones DON'T appear to have the protuding "thing" and although it is round it appears to be much more flat against the roof (or floor) of the filter. So not sure if that means anything. You can see this if you look closely down the holes in the photos I posted.
As I just noticed this today, I'm not sure where I got the China filters from. I've bought them in the past from Napa, and from at least 2 different on-line sources, with one being Amazon. I suspect the China ones may have come from the Amazon orders but I really can't say for sure as they all got mixed up before I realized there was a difference.
In any event, has anyone been able to definitavely determine if the China made ones use a nitrile ADBV materialk, or is that still just speculation? And even if it is, is it really a major problem? Also anyone who knows what I mean when trying to describe the two different "things" at the top (or bottom) of the filter that sticks out, is that an issue to be concerned about?