Is longer better? or fatter better?

[zerosoma]

Don't look at me like that.

I'm talking about oil filters. Everybody says they use an 'alternate' size so I'm wondering, is it the longer pleats or is it the shorter, wider filters that do a better job?

What's the advantages of each? Thanks!

 

[Corvette Owner]

As long as their is no interference or ground clearance issues, a bigger filter should be better. It has more media for filtering.

You do need to make sure construction is the same, e.g. anti-leak down valve if required, internal oil bypass, etc.

I don't think fatter is better, in fact I would be concerned that the gasket may be larger and not seat properly.

You also get a slight increase in oil capacity.

 

[zerosoma]

Originally Posted By: Corvette Owner
As long as their is no interference or ground clearance issues, a bigger filter should be better. It has more media for filtering.

You do need to make sure construction is the same, e.g. anti-leak down valve if required, internal oil bypass, etc.

I don't think fatter is better, in fact I would be concerned that the gasket may be larger and not seat properly.

You also get a slight increase in oil capacity.


If I have the choice of a long filter or a short, fat filter, which is better? Particularly the purolator 14612 or the 14559.

 

[Eddie]

All depends on the quality and Sq Ft of the media and a longer or fatter can is no guarantee of media size.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

IIRC in modeling flow dynamics in the can for passenger car apps, shorter and fatter is better than long and slender; I dont have a footnote.
Like this new subaru filter (on the right) that may work on many honda but the gasket id/od are slightly different.


http://www.ft86club.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5813&d=1333150308

 

[SteveSRT8]

There is no proven benefit to the 'larger is better' idea.

The filters are all much larger than actually needed and virtually no one uses all their capacity. PSI drop is null, how is a cup or two more oil going to help you?

It's a feel good mod, that's all.

 

[abycat]

If the car is under warranty someone putting a filter on that may be fine to use but is different than the reccomended one might be asking for trouble. Id say a good quality filter is a more important factor than one with a couple percent more filter media or oil capacity.

 

[tstep]

just tried out a mann 950/4 sold as a purolator L40316 on my son's Jetta 1.8t potential sludger. It's both much longer and much fatter and added 1/2 to 3/4 qt to a 4 3/4 qt sump. Trying this out for both a) trying to cleanout a bit of sludge that I can see thru the fill port and I may add snake oil near the end of the oci and b) trying to be a little easier on the oil w/ 15% or so more oil in the system. Bypass pressures, price, and gasket size are the same so I figured I'd try it

Stock somewhere around 25ci
http://www.purolatorautofilters.net/resources/Popup/Pages/PartDetailPopup.aspx?partnum=L20252
vs
Oversized somewhere around 65ci
http://www.purolatorautofilters.net/resources/Popup/Pages/PartDetailPopup.aspx?partnum=L40316

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: zerosoma
If I have the choice of a long filter or a short, fat filter, which is better? Particularly the purolator 14612 or the 14559.

Isn't the PL14612 the "shorty" and the PL14610 it's slightly-longer relative?

Between the PL14610 and the PL14559, IIRC, both have been measured and the PL14610 has slightly more media.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: barlowc
Originally Posted By: zerosoma
If I have the choice of a long filter or a short, fat filter, which is better? Particularly the purolator 14612 or the 14559.

Isn't the PL14612 the "shorty" and the PL14610 it's slightly-longer relative?

Between the PL14610 and the PL14559, IIRC, both have been measured and the PL14610 has slightly more media.

Based on several dissections posted here, including yours, that is correct. The longer PL14610 has slightly more media than the shorter but wider PL14459, an older Honda vehicle application. The 14459 is somewhat larger and holds slightly more oil volume. The 14612 is the shorty version of the 14610.

Personally, after seeing and using both, I'd stick with the PL14610. Just me. But between length or width, other than clearance it's meaningless.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: zerosoma
If I have the choice of a long filter or a short, fat filter, which is better? Particularly the purolator 14612 or the 14559.


If you have the room for a longer filter, use the 14610 instead. It has more media surface area than the 14612 or 14459. This has been verified via dissection and measurement by a few members here.

There are a few advantages with the 14459 however: 1) Better efficiency rating - @20 microns instead of @40 microns, and 2) has a coil spring bypass valve instead of the flat spring used in the 14610 and 14612. Some people don't like the flat spring design.

 

[Motorking]

Interesting subject but-
I am the tech manager for a large oil filter company. The tiny bit of gain in capacity and filtration from a bigger can puts you and your vehicle at risk. WHY? Because oil filters are made by men. Every couple million or so, there could be an issue with the filter. If you happen to get that bad one and IF it caused an engine failure, ANY filter company would have grounds to deny you warranty coverage becuase you had the wrong filter installed. All major filter companies make several grades of filters with higher efficiency and larger capacity that are the correct filter for your car. If you carefully match thread size, bypass valve setting, o ring location, you can get away with it but the gain is hardly worth the risk. The reason oil filters are getting smaller is because the filter media now contains more synthetic material for better/same filtration as larger can cellulose filters

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
There is no proven benefit to the 'larger is better' idea.

The filters are all much larger than actually needed and virtually no one uses all their capacity. PSI drop is null, how is a cup or two more oil going to help you?

It's a feel good mod, that's all.
In gas engines, Capacity really has nothing to do with it. Its psid across the media. Most media gets "varnished" due to sump dilution reaction by-products, looses "porosity" then it cant effectively transfer fluid without high psid. Seems to happen too often with ethanol fuels due to specific reactions. I will agree that a 2x as big filter will likely get blocked as easily as the smaller unit.