butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Get a dental mirror and look at the weep "vent" on the bottom of the pump. If no evidence of a trail or leak I would take a 200 mile trip.
Vehicle Oil Filter Recommendations?
- Thread starter TrxR
- Start date
brokeasajoke
Silver $$ Contributor
Wix, napa gold (wix), Baldwin, Purolator, k&n, mobile 1, motorcraft, fram, basically what ever is on sale with an oil change bundle. Use something and keep it changed regularly. I've worked at an auto parts store for over 20 years part-time. A big chunk of filters used to be made by Champ Labs but to certain specs I'm sure. Wix is the cool kids filter around here. I use wix and Purolator when I can because they used to be made here in NC. Wix based in Gastonia and Purolator based in Fayetteville but I haven't checked on that in a while. Mann bought Purolator but those filters for domestic autos are made in USA but Mann is supposed to be a good product as well. I've got in my head that they do OEM European I believe. I've had people refuse a filter and say they had it changed last time.
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Ain't no winners in these type threads. My Father and Father in Law thought it was sacrilege to own other than a Ferde. You have your Chebby guys and others and don't try to disagree with them.
@butchlambert are the videos faked on youtube with the junk in them, rust glue and moisture would think frams lawyers would be all over it. I am glad your chevy has that many miles, better take care of it!!!! have you seen the prices on a new pickup
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Young feller, I do not own a Chebby. Don't need another pick um truck. So if I've had the service that I have had I would change because of another car thread, I don't think so. We did a survey of our customers last year and their vehicles averaged 163,000 miles. We are not an oil change place, but we've only seen about 3-4 engines a year give up the ghost. 25,000 mile oil changes do not promote long life.
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
About 20 years ago when I was really into drag racing I remember researching filters. Wix was very well regarded at that time and thats what I used based on my research. However if an engine is producing metal or other particulate that needs filtering you have another problem. I think that regular oil changes are more important than what oil or filter. I have been into a lot of sludged up engines. Id use the cheap stuff and change it every 3k vs the high end stuff and try to get 8k out of it.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Im a wix user
Thanks, I will check it out.
Yes. I’ll add that certain cars like some Honda’s when changing the timing belt you would be crazy not to change the water pump as you are there already.
On hoses it’s time not appearance. Example:
Take an ohm meter. One probe on the hose, one on the battery negative terminal
See if there’s continuity. If yes you scratch your head how can rubber be a conductor????
Well in a bad hose on the INSIDE there will be small striations (cracks) These cracks will carry the current. Therefore your good looking hose is actually not good at all.
That’s it
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Unless something has changed, Wix is a very good filter. I spent a lot of time in that trade. You'd be surprised who makes what. The major players are Wix and Fram, or were. They make filters for a lot of brands and will make filters based on what the private label brand wants to pay, cutting corners to meet price demands. Again, unless it's changed, even Motorcraft and AC Delco were both made by multiple suppliers...to their specs and price demands. Hastings is another good filter but they are just like wix and fram. They'll make whatever someone wants to pay for.
wkdickinson
Gold $$ Contributor
I worked for a Caterpillar dealer for the last 32 years of my career. In our maintenance seminars we would cut open Caterpillar filters (made by WIX, but to Cat specs), Fram and 3 or 4 other brands, including WIX own brand. One of the things we were looking for was whether the filter had a "bypass" - basically a spring that held the filter to the base of the canister, so if the filter plugged up, the back pressure would compress the spring and allow oil to bypass around the filter media. We also cut the filter media apart to see how the structurally sound it was. Most were bypass style (except WIX) and only WIX came close to the structural integrity of the Cat filters, but they were not as good. Fram was way down the list.
I retired at the end of 2018. I don't know if WIX still makes Caterpillar filters, but I would be surprised if they don't. But because of my experience, I always lean toward OEM parts and dealer service in general, including filters. But WIX would probably be my second choice.
I retired at the end of 2018. I don't know if WIX still makes Caterpillar filters, but I would be surprised if they don't. But because of my experience, I always lean toward OEM parts and dealer service in general, including filters. But WIX would probably be my second choice.
Simply look it up.... There's tons of videos and even a UT student wrote a paper on it..... I used them forever but now I use Mobil 1 filters or factory filters only acdelco , Toyota etc... I need the filter to actually filter and not bleed down on modern engines... It's s shame but just another sell out....
shoot4fun
Gold $$ Contributor
Hmmm.
You trust a source that has not been updated in 20 years?
Not trying to pick a fight but in that amount of time all (or at least most) of that data gleaned from testing may have changed.
I've never really given much thought to oil filters. Express Oil Change does my service and I'll see just what they use next trip there.
If a wix failed it has a by-pass relief so if it gets plugged you would still have oil pressure. Whatever the case may be I use wix and wont use other brands because after cutting them open the wix is far superior to everything. The guy blew his engine either from beating the hell out of it or lack of oil changes.
I agree with what Alex said, I am not a fan of the newer vehicles longer service intervals.
As to the original question: I have been wrenching for 25 years, I have never seen a single engine failure in which I saw any evidence the filter was a factor. I have worked at Ford dealerships, highway coach (think over the road greyhound bus/ transit bus) dealer and have worked for several fleets. I have never seen a positive or negative pattern I could pin on a certain brand of filter. I HAVE cut a few open for inspection and after looking I would say that Wix , motorcraft k&n apear to be higher quality, with stp coming to mind as very good at low cost, but I have never seen a filter cause an issue that was not pushed WAY beyond its service life.
wedgy
Gold $$ Contributor
I'm with Alex on changing the oil more frequently as it doesn't really wear out but it does get dirty and that will damage bearing surfaces. A buddy ran his 1998 V6 4runner to 25K miles with Mobil 1 but was sending in samples to Blackstone for analysis every 4,000 miles. At 25K miles the oil was still good but down a few points in detergent but still higher than conventional oil. Someone there told him they like the Mobil 1 filters.
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