Will any cheap filter do 5m/8km?

[byez]

Cheap filters such as Napa Silver or Fram.

Any benefit at those short 5m/8km intervals in using Napa Gold or Mobil 1? Does synthetic vs. dino affect oil filter life?

 

[MGregoir]

Probably. Napa Silver is a Wix with reduced surface area so I would be confident enough in it considering the cheap filters that are sold by some OEMs. Orange can Fram would probably do it, but I would not be happy doing it. I think a NAPA Silver would work fine.

NAPA Gold filters are not expensive enough to justify not using one at a 5,000 mile interval. They are good out to 10,000 miles it seems to have shown from UOAs.

Mobil 1, Amsoil EaO and Purolator PureONEs all seem to be really good filters, the EaO is wasted at 5,000 miles and the price reflects that, the PureONE, Mobil 1 and K&N oil filters are all similar for performance and price.

What effects filter life is insolubles and large pieces of wear metal in your oil than the oil base. Dino versus synthetic would have more effect on sludging, I would think.

 

[byez]

I am actually running an oversize Napa Gold on my engine.

If the Napa Silver is just a reduced surface area Wix, I am quite certain that running the oversized Napa Silver should be sufficient.

 

[MGregoir]

The only two differences between them as far as I have read is the Silver has less surface area, and a nitrile ADBV instead of a silicone one.

What is the difference in price between the Silver and the Gold?

 

[byez]

The gold is around $7 while the silver is around $4-5.

I have found Wix online for $4 so I might just go that route instead.

 

[Louie's gone fishing]

We have a filter sponsor that has good prices.

 

[RF Overlord]

To get back to the OP's question:

Although there will be certain engine/driving-condition combinations where a better quality filter is warranted, almost ANY filter is good for 5,000 miles, even FRAM, SuperTech, and the private-label brands. No worries, mate.

 

[junebug]

What driving conditions/engines warrant the use of a "better" filter? Just curious. Thanks.

 

[Gary Allan]

If annual mileage is high enough ..or the OCI is long enough. If you're refreshing the sump often enough, it somewhat negates the need for a finer filter unless you're willing to use it over two OCI's.

Basic rule (Gary's) for non-extended drains.

The further you're below 10k:

6 months oil/filter change = go as cheap as you please

The further above 10k you are:

6 months on oil ..one year on the filter ..and go as expensive as you please.

Shorter mileage: More warm up cycles per mile. More fuel. More combustion byproducts. More moisture. More loading.

Longer mileage: Less warm up cycles per mile. Less fuel. Less combustion byproducts. Less moisture. Less loading.

There are, naturally, restrictions and conditions that apply ..and always exceptions.

 

[ZZman]

Any filter will do 5,000 miles. The benefit of using a better filter would be cleaner oil due to filtering smaller particles.

I believe a Napa Gold has a better filtering media than a silver.

 

[02zx9r]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
To get back to the OP's question:

Although there will be certain engine/driving-condition combinations where a better quality filter is warranted, almost ANY filter is good for 5,000 miles, even FRAM, SuperTech, and the private-label brands. No worries, mate.


what he said!

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: junebug
What driving conditions/engines warrant the use of a "better" filter?
I think Gary Allan said it pretty well, but here's a "fer instance"...the VW 1.8L Turbo is notoriously hard on oil. That's just one example of where I would use a "better" filter...another would be any type of high-performance street engine that is given hard use, such as in drag-racing, autocross, etc. or a truck that's used for towing all summer and snow plowing all winter.

 

[Gary Allan]

Excellent points, RFO. The most easily integrated would be the plowing or towing applications where fuel consumption would skew normal mileage indications.

 

[va3ux]

The NAPA Gold has significantly more media surface area than the NAPA Silver (or NAPA Select), plus other upgrades in construction. The difference in price is about $3. If you buy the cheaper filter, what will you do with the $3 you save during the 8K km of driving ?

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
what will you do with the $3 you save during the 8K km of driving ?


Steve Martin suggested that the ticket price of his stage show was $3 ..and that it was an alternative to throwing it in the street ..that's why people came to see him.

Maybe he'll throw it in the street

 

[Petty]

Good points va3ux, one upgrade in construction for the Napa Gold is a much higher quality filter media, the guy who buys the cheaper oil filter probably drives to get a double whopper with cheese meal for $7:00 after he changes his oil.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: va3ux
The NAPA Gold has significantly more media surface area than the NAPA Silver (or NAPA Select), plus other upgrades in construction. The difference in price is about $3. If you buy the cheaper filter, what will you do with the $3 you save during the 8K km of driving ?


$3 every 5k is $60 every 100k miles.

$60 is 650 miles with of gas in my car. (@ $4 a gallon)

I'd rather drive 650 miles than spend a extra $60 that did me no good in the end.

I cut open every filter I've used in my families engines for over 30 years and never had a issue. I've had many engines go well over 200k with never an issue.

To each their own.

Bill