Obsolete Purolator

[alreadygone]

Purhased half dozen Purolator's for Dodge/Cummins engines to use on customer's vehicles. When delivered (Advance Auto) I notice one box had been hand relabeled with part # of other boxes. When I opened it it had a totaly different #, but same size and factory stamped numbers on gasket/mounting plate. So I called Puro's 800 hotline for advice. Tech said filter in relabeled box was for pre '99 engines, number I had ordered was for '99 and newer, but would retrofit older engines. Tech then cautioned that WHATEVER I did not to use old number on newer engines as high probability that can would crack, dump oil, and more than likely ruin engine. I then called commercial accounts person at local AA where I purchased filters and told her what tech line guy had said (lady is auto Smart!! pleasure to do business with). She apologised for inconvenience sent me another new # filter (no charge) with instructions to destroy old filter as she didn't want it back in her store.

Sooo, I cut can to look inside. Neat, well constructed, no visible shortcuts,typical Puro guts and quality, and can seemed pretty thick to me. Haven't put dial caliper on it yet to measure thickness, but I'm not gonna cut a good filter (that I have 4.50 invested in) just to compare anyhow.

Doing this post spur of the moment and don't have new vs old number handy but if anybody wants I'll get them and post later.

Bob

 

[Russ300H]

The number for the older engines is 45335 and the newer engines is 14670. Sounds kinda far fetched to me that the older number will crack if installed on a later engine. "Supposedly" the only difference is the flutes in the bottom. If a filter will crack on a 24 valve(newer) it will crack on a 12 valve (older)as there is no difference in the oiling system or operating pressures between the two. I think I will give them a call tomorrow.

 

[alreadygone]

Russ,

Just checked Puro site. L45335 is now listed as correct filter for ALL diesel eng.regardless of year. L14670 is filter for almost every MOPAR gas engine.

Will get # of old obsolete (means your'e not supposed to be able to buy them anymore) filter tomorrow and add to post.

Just repeating what Purolator hotline Tech told me. Who knows, maybe it was the janitor or the Tech was on Crank!

Bob

 

[Russ300H]

My mistake, I did a lookup on the Purolator website. Even though I spec'd the diesel, the first filter than came up was for gas and I just thought it was the one.

I have a dozen L45335's due to the Pep Boys sale and got concerned I had the old style you were talking about. I guess Purolator spec's them for all Dodge Cummins. My confusion came because Wix and Fleetguard do have a different filter for later applications, but the only difference that I am aware of is the flutes on the canister.

Appreciate the other number when you get it.
Thanks

 

[alreadygone]

Oddball was a L44422. Case thickness approx.25 thousandths.

Bob

 

[Russ300H]

The following is from Purolator that clarifies the situation:

"The history of the Dodge Pickup filters for the Cummins diesel engines in the Purolator lines starts with the introduction of the L44422 to service the 1989 Dodge Ram pickup with the 5.9L Cummins diesel. That filter serviced the line for several years until Dodge introduced the high output version of the engine in 1998. Fleetguard, a company owned by Cummins and original equipment supplier to Cummins, introduced a new filter in 1999 which required a higher burst pressure can. Purolator's version of this filter is the L45335. Fleetguard then introduced a version of the filter with flutes. Since the filter with the higher burst pressure can services both engines, Purolator obsoleted the L44422 filter and applied the L45335 to all the applications which once required the L44422. Use of the L44422 on the later model pickups is not acceptable because the can of the filter is not capable of withstanding the added pressure, and there have, in fact, been multiple instances engine damage resulting from mis-application of the filter on these engines. When Fleetguard introduced a version of the high pressure filter with flutes, Purolator made a running change to add flutes to its can, but did not change the part number as application use did not change.

Fleetguard, being mainly a heavy duty filter company with a extremely long product line, maintains multiple filters for the applications in its aftermarket line. The original equipment line supplied to Dodge and the Purolator line keep their product lines as streamlined as possible to save its customers and vendors inventory costs whenever possible. If an improved filter meets the needs of more modern equipment and older equipment, Purolator obsoletes the older product."

Tom (Filter Hot Line)
-----Original Message