Motorcraft vs Napa Gold

[robl]

Hello All. Quick Question. I have a Ford Taurus (Vulcan) engine. I will be dumping in 5 qts of Mobil1, currently has Motorcraft Semi-blend in there.

I have been reading about the way Ford/etc. has a certain by-pass that may cause start up noise, etc. if the filter does not have that style of by-pass in it. The question is, any preference for the filter to use for the Vulcan engine? Should I stick with the 2.90 cent MC filter on there or pay the 5 bucks and get the Napa Gold? Are BOTH about the same as protection, flow, filtration, etc? Will the Napa give the start up noise I am seeing?

 

[RedOak]

I have used both the Napa fiter and the MC filter with equally good results. My vulcan in the 2000 taurus has 191000 and still going strong. Run mostly on motorcraft 5w-20 and 5w-30.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Are you sure the noise isn't a tensioner or timing belt cover? Does your Motorcraft filter have a silicon ADBV? What is the model number of the filter?

 

[robl]

I have the 400s for the MC filter. I haven't had any noise yet, I just read here about the MC filter had a special bypass or something and was just wondering if I should stay with teh MC or if the Napa Gold had the same set up and was better

 

[TurboJim]

I see no reason to not continue using the MC FL400S filter as long as you are cutting them open to verify the batch you are buying has it's media ends sealed correctly.

 

[robl]

Jim, have they had issues of not sealing correctly?

 

[TurboJim]

There have been a couple of threads on this in the past, this is one of them: http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/s...part=1&vc=1

The only Motorcraft filters I have observed to be defective are the FL-400S models. The FL-1A's construction is different. While the FL-400S media ends are supposed to be bonded together, the media ends on the FL-1A's are attached by means of a metal clip. Also a string surrounds the media in the 1A, but absent from the 400S.

 

[glenncof]

Wix is one one of my all time favorites but...

I have a Ford Duratec using MC FL-820S and found the WIX spec to specify "paper" and fairly high um rating in my study. I found MC is a Puralator filter using a fiber glass blend media 'like' the Puralator PureONE. I read a post by a Puralator Tech confirming this but said the % glass was different per Ford spec so he would not comment on it's holding capacity.

Look for a teardown study on your filter and don't assume this is also true for different part numbers even it the same brand.

 

[TallPaul]

Quote:

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The only Motorcraft filters I have observed to be defective are the FL-400S models.

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You probably can use the FL1A instead of the FL400s. I have been doing that on a 3.0 Vulcan engine for several years now. However, I generally just buy Wix, preferring them to Purolator/Motorcraft.

 

[TurboJim]

For me the appeal of the FL-400's is the silicone anti-drainback valve. That's also the appeal of buying a Wix or NAPA Gold.

 

[TallPaul]

Quote:

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For me the appeal of the FL-400's is the silicone anti-drainback valve. That's also the appeal of buying a Wix or NAPA Gold.

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Funny thing, the 3.0 specs the silicon valved model but mounts on a 45 downward where the silicon is not very important. Whereas the 4.9L mounts horizontally and could better use the silicon but doesn't have it on it's FL1A spec.