Best cheap oil filter

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conradcliff

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Hey guys, I made a similar post over in the DCMO forum...I'm wondering what you experts think the best cheap oil filter is.

I figured this would have been a common post but to my surprise I didn't find it in a search.

I intend to run PP once again in my Mark VIII which has a 4.6 all aluminum block. I'm gonna take it to 10,000 miles and would like a cheap filter that can go there safely as well.

I've read a couple different things about a couple different filters..I think I saw somewhere where an AC delco filter went 200K in a vette without any problems..sounded a little crazy though.

If I'm unable to get another PP deal by the time my next OCI comes along, and I have to switch to a 5K oil, I would like to know what decent, cheap filter would be good for that as well.

Hopefully this thread will be of some use to other thrifter oil product consumers.

Thanks for any help you guys, you rock!!
 
If a thread end bypass is important to you, go with Super Tech if your number is an Ecore. If you want to risk a dome end bypass, I recently picked up a Hastings made Pronto for $2. Looks better on the outside than a Purolator Classic. Most of the other cheaper filters are Purolators with dome end bypasses Ford doesn't like.
 
+1 on Pure One. I'll say inexpensive rather than "cheap". Pure One can go 10k and the Amazon price with the rebate makes it an inexpensive quality filter deal. Or you can buy 4 Pure Ones at Advance Auto, use the $10 coopin (on promo board) on a $25 purchase and the Puro rebate good till the end of the month.

That said, IMO about any decent filter should easily take you 5K. Motorcraft would fit that bill if they have an app to fit your need.
 
Wow. In the good old days, I would have mentioned the Advance Auto Parts "Total Grip" oil filter.

Now, I'd have to say the Napa ProSelect oil filter (which is made by Wix to Napa's specifications).
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Wow. In the good old days, I would have mentioned the Advance Auto Parts "Total Grip" oil filter.
Yep, but we Bitogers bought them all up on clearance, I still have ~ a half dozen.
grin2.gif
 
Quote:
I'm gonna take it to 10,000 miles and would like a cheap filter that can go there safely as well.


MotorCraft: $3.47 at Wally's.

How long is 10k in conrad time?
 
Originally Posted By: rszappa1
If you run a good oil why do you want a cheap filter.....makes no sense to me....

What he said. Confusing logic there since a cheap filter is $5 and an 'expensive' one is $15. What's 10 bucks in savings spread over 10k miles?

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
MotorCraft: $3.47 at Wally's.

Exactly. Ford product? Use a Motorcraft. Good, inexpensive and available. Buy two while you're at it.
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
MotorCraft: $3.47 at Wally's.
Word.

Conrad, how cheap is "cheap" in your world? Why use a "cheap" ST or Proline filter when for a lousy dollar'n a half more you can use a higher-quality, factory-recommended filter? That's like $0.0015 per mile more...

*Disclaimer*: I am NOT knocking ST or Proline filters, just making a point.
 
Wow, thanks for all the great info guys..

I'm just trying to pinch pennies I guess. The thing is, for all I know you guys may have info concerning some extremely inexpensive filter that is an exact copy of some other high quality filter.


Originally Posted By: labman
With Frams seldom causing a problem, why spend $10? Go with an ST.

So, is a Supertech really just a re-branded Fram?

And

Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Motorcraft for your application. I'd also highly recommend ProLine (Purolator clone at Pep Boys) or a Napa ProSelect.

Is the proline a perfect clone or is it lacking in like the media or construction?

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
How long is 10k in conrad time?

I'm actually not sure, haha..I'm guessing like a year, why do you ask? Does the filter media have trouble lasting beyond a certain amount of time?

Originally Posted By: labman
If a thread end bypass is important to you, go with Super Tech if your number is an Ecore. If you want to risk a dome end bypass, I recently picked up a Hastings made Pronto for $2. Looks better on the outside than a Purolator Classic. Most of the other cheaper filters are Purolators with dome end bypasses Ford doesn't like.

I had a hard time understanding this, sorry.


Motorcraft does sound good, do you guys think it is good for a 10K OCI? The post about it seemed a bit ambiguous..does it fit the 5K bill or the 10K one?

Thanks again for all the help! I really do appreciate it.
 
Originally Posted By: conradcliff


Originally Posted By: labman
With Frams seldom causing a problem, why spend $10? Go with an ST.

So, is a Supertech really just a re-branded Fram?

And

Originally Posted By: labman
If a thread end bypass is important to you, go with Super Tech if your number is an Ecore. If you want to risk a dome end bypass, I recently picked up a Hastings made Pronto for $2. Looks better on the outside than a Purolator Classic. Most of the other cheaper filters are Purolators with dome end bypasses Ford doesn't like.

I had a hard time understanding this, sorry.


ST is cheaper than a Fram, and in back when they sold the ST 3950, it had twice the media of a PH 3950. The Ecores are a newer construction some don't like, but look good to me. They don't make one for my applications. If they did, I would try one.

I worry about oil washing dirt off the media and through a dome end bypass. All the cheaper filters except Motorcraft and the Ecores have dome end bypasses. I see no reason to pay the same price or more for a filter with a dome end bypass. I would go with an ST Ecore or a Motorcraft.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: conradcliff
Wow, thanks for all the great info guys..

I'm just trying to pinch pennies I guess. The thing is, for all I know you guys may have info concerning some extremely inexpensive filter that is an exact copy of some other high quality filter.


Originally Posted By: labman
With Frams seldom causing a problem, why spend $10? Go with an ST.

So, is a Supertech really just a re-branded Fram?

And

Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Motorcraft for your application. I'd also highly recommend ProLine (Purolator clone at Pep Boys) or a Napa ProSelect.

Is the proline a perfect clone or is it lacking in like the media or construction?

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
How long is 10k in conrad time?

I'm actually not sure, haha..I'm guessing like a year, why do you ask? Does the filter media have trouble lasting beyond a certain amount of time?

Originally Posted By: labman
If a thread end bypass is important to you, go with Super Tech if your number is an Ecore. If you want to risk a dome end bypass, I recently picked up a Hastings made Pronto for $2. Looks better on the outside than a Purolator Classic. Most of the other cheaper filters are Purolators with dome end bypasses Ford doesn't like.

I had a hard time understanding this, sorry.


Motorcraft does sound good, do you guys think it is good for a 10K OCI? The post about it seemed a bit ambiguous..does it fit the 5K bill or the 10K one?

Thanks again for all the help! I really do appreciate it.


The ProLine is the same as the Premium Plus/Classic except it has just a few less pleats. Here is a photo comparison of the 14459 size:

p9010705.jpg


ProLine is on the top and the classic is in the middle.
 
Originally Posted By: conradcliff

So, is a Supertech really just a re-branded Fram?
No, not at all. SuperTech filters are made by Champion Laboratories (no relation to the sparkplug people) who also make Mobil 1, K&N, and STP filters, along with a boatload of private-label brands. They also make the OEM Ford filters that come on the car from the factory. Many people here think the ST filters are actually BETTER than FRAM...I think so, too.
Quote:
Motorcraft does sound good, do you guys think it is good for a 10K OCI? The post about it seemed a bit ambiguous..does it fit the 5K bill or the 10K one?
MC filters are fine for 10k OCIs, but if you wanted to go much further, you'd be wise to get a UOA done.
 
Quote:
I'm actually not sure, haha..I'm guessing like a year, why do you ask? Does the filter media have trouble lasting beyond a certain amount of time?


Well, not usually, but they do fatigue on a warm up mile basis. If you were doing 10k in a year, like you speculate, then I think you're fine. If it was over 18 months, then you would likely be doing a bunch of really short trips, so the 10k would be filled with fuel enrichment miles and not "hollow" non-fuel enrichment miles.

This is the basic key to filter life. Non fuel enrichment miles are mostly invisible to the filter.

That's my take on it, anyway. It's why we've seen filters get smaller and OCI's longer in some engines. It's why an OLM can run a filter for up to 13k ..or as little as 3.5k (on the same filter).

I think our shedding metals are playing 2nd chair.
 
for the price, AC Delco is a great filter. The shop i work at is an ac delco shop and that is all we use on all vehicles except fords where we use motocraft or special order filters like cartride filtes. we have customers that run 3k-7500k+ no failures to date.
 
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