There is nothing wrong with following the "new" recommendation.
But there is everything wrong with assigning a reason why Wix left the 51356 when we have ZERO idea why.
Let me fire off some possiblities:
1) the "new" filter fits the base thread engagement better
2) the "new" filter is less costly to produce, so the margin is greater for them
3) the "old" filter is being phased out of some applications due to problems
4) the "old" filter is being phased out due to some vendor issue (lack of component availability, etc)
5) one filter may have more media (therefore different lifecycle) than the other
etc, etc
What we know for sure is that Wix cannot say the new filter is "better" than the old one for flow, efficiency, size, etc, because the two are identical except for the baseplate design. The performance criteria simply show these two filter to be exact duplicates. It is the physical property of base plate that changes, as best I can tell, visually. And the "new" filter is nitrile versus silicone, is it not? The new filter isn't a "better" filter, it's a "revised" filter. It's no more or less capable in this application to filter, but it might be "better" (or maybe not) for fit up. I don't know; I don't own this car/filter combo.
But my point is that while we can accept the decision at face value for Wix to change filter recommendation, we cannot fairly assign the cause of that change; we have no idea what the rationale is behind the shift in recommendation. And therefore it's unfair to say that the new filter is better or worse; it's only different.
Where I work now, we are in the process of spec'ing new "equal alternate" components as a cost savings. It has ZERO to do with quality or performance. The new items will neither add nor detract for actual field performance, but they will add to our bottom line. Did it occur to anyone that Wix may have (this is not an assurance) changed the filter recommendation just because it benefits them, but not us???
Here's what I find perplexing:
- many members on this site seek out "oversized" or "larger" filters, because they believe it's "better" somehow. They are willing to go out on their own, against a formal recommendation, because they think that they can find a "better" filter on their own.
- and yet other members here will worry about a "new" filter spec that supersedes a former filter, even with no idea as to WHY the filter was changed.
Ironic, is it not?
We are a fairly divers group here at BITOg; we own many vehicles. Just how many of us have had equipment die because Wix improperly spec'd a filter, anyway?