Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
1) Is there an autopsy of that filter? I didn't see one.
2) Any indication of how long that filter had been on? I didn't see any.
More or less looks like a hit piece to me and a lot of overhyped and largely unsubstantiated claims. There are too many unanswered questions from that source to say there are any generic issues with Wix. Possibly the one oil filter failed or was defective. That could happen to a genuine Toyota part or any other filter. Possibly something else that is not shown... either on purpose or out of ignorance.
If there is any official rational for low efficiency filters in Toyotas, I've never heard it and would be grateful to do so. Nothing I can think of makes much sense.
Many of the issues that come up with Toyotas and oil filters regards sludging... which can plug a filter right quick. Sludging is a maintenance and sometimes an engine design issue, not a filter issue
All this flow stuff is a red herring, generally speaking. In the vast, vast majority of cases, any oil filter has more than enough available flow for normal operation. That would be something the aftermarket would check on before writing the applications. Screwups occur but this is an old application.
Also, do we know that those Toyotas (or any Toytoa) flow so much more oil than other engines? If so, let's see some info on that. All we really know is that the Toyota filters are low efficiency. Is there data to prove they are "high flow" vs any aftermarket filter? Without answers to those questions, and others, all thats being done is to scoop the manure from one pile to the other and pass off unsubstantiated information as fact.
Given how I initially came across the information, I'd say "hit piece" is a bit of a paranoid reaction. If it was posted here or a Toyota forum and the author had some interest in hating on Wix, then you might have something there.
So far I haven't seen you present any facts, but then again I suppose you could argue that the tests in the videos were rigged, too.
Personally, as someone that has used the 1348's in the past on my 5VZ-FE motor, I was curious if there had been some change in construction or materials. I haven't had to use a 1348 in 18 months now, since I run a 1GR-FE, and decided to stick with the same filter that comes on the motor from the factory (the 90915-20004).
As for flow data, isn't this something that a bench rig could be devised for (I would imagine they already exist, but it sounds like you'd have to re-invent the wheel to make a test setup). Or I guess you could take a car, tape pressure gauges before and after the filter, observe pressure drop, and interpret the data from there (if nothing else, a relative flow change between brands).
Finally, despite searching (came up empty) - where is it said that Toyota filters are low efficiency? Hrm...I just did a Google search for "low efficiency oil filter" and the link below was my first hit. I grabbed the PDF and will read it now (so no opinion about its content). Maybe it will be informative.
http://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/ofa/FAMS/evaloilfilters.pdf
