The best built oil filter in your opinion ?

[Wilhelm_D]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
What would you say is the best built oil filter that has zero chance of coming out with bent/wavy/torn pleats at the end of the OCI ? Assuming cost is no factor.

Bent and/or wavy pleats mean absolutely nothing to the performance of an oil filter.

Small holes also won't make any appreciable difference.

The optimum oil filter has sufficient capacity to make it to the next oil change without bypassing and sufficient efficiency to remove most of the particles that would produce significant wear.

If your oil change intervals are not too extended, a paper media filter will do everything the super premium synthetic media filters do. The advantage of the synthetic media premium filters is in capacity, not efficiency.

 

[Eltydiyer]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Honestly Fram Ultra would top the list if it had the bypass valve mechanism like Purolator uses.


I don't have any qualms with Fram's bypass valve design. It's spring operated, and the valve is high temperature nylon material. Fram has tested the design 100%.


I'm fine with it also. But the Purolator bypass valve is, in my opinion, the most predictable of all the common types when mass production tolerances are considered. Its cheap to build, but its also very, repeatable depending more on the modulus of the metal its stamped from than on its physical dimensions which are subject to error in the production process. Its an example of very clever engineering to counteract problems in production... I admire that.

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Honestly Fram Ultra would top the list if it had the bypass valve mechanism like Purolator uses.


I don't have any qualms with Fram's bypass valve design. It's spring operated, and the valve is high temperature nylon material. Fram has tested the design 100%.


I'm fine with it also. But the Purolator bypass valve is, in my opinion, the most predictable of all the common types when mass production tolerances are considered. Its cheap to build, but its also very, repeatable depending more on the modulus of the metal its stamped from than on its physical dimensions which are subject to error in the production process. Its an example of very clever engineering to counteract problems in production... I admire that.



The Purolator bypass valve with the spiral design, which I've read about, seems to be stiffer and might not provide enough oil to engine when bypass is activated. I think those are also the same spiral design used for Bosch and QuakerState filters as well. I tend to hear a 'slurpping' noise ever few minutes on my toyota during initial start up and while idling, which I don't get using a Fram Extraguard or Denso. I guess most cars didn't react abnormally, but it did with mine.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Eltydiyer
The Purolator bypass valve with the spiral design, which I've read about, seems to be stiffer and might not provide enough oil to engine when bypass is activated. I think those are also the same spiral design used for Bosch and QuakerState filters as well. I tend to hear a 'slurpping' noise ever few minutes on my toyota during initial start up and while idling, which I don't get using a Fram Extraguard or Denso. I guess most cars didn't react abnormally, but it did with mine.


Numbers have been ran on the Purolator flat spiral spring bypass valve design and it starts to open in the range that Purolator says it should. I doubt Purolator is going to design a bypass valve specified to open at 12~16 PSI that really opens at 25~30 PSI for example.

Personally, I like bypass valves that use a coil spring, as I think a coil spring is easier to design and manufacture to operated the way you've designed it.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: Wilhelm_D
Small holes also won't make any appreciable difference.

Small holes under pressure usually lead to larger ones, so for my money I want a filter neither has holes or develops them.
Originally Posted By: Wilhelm_D
The advantage of the synthetic media premium filters is in capacity, not efficiency.

In the case of the Fram Ultra, Purolator Synthetic, NAPA Platinum (and a few others) the wire backed media also ensures the filter will not develop holes or tears in the media. So there is a bit more to a premium filter than simply capacity--which, in an engine that has no issues, is more often than not, irrelevant anyway.

 

[Eltydiyer]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: Eltydiyer
The Purolator bypass valve with the spiral design, which I've read about, seems to be stiffer and might not provide enough oil to engine when bypass is activated. I think those are also the same spiral design used for Bosch and QuakerState filters as well. I tend to hear a 'slurpping' noise ever few minutes on my toyota during initial start up and while idling, which I don't get using a Fram Extraguard or Denso. I guess most cars didn't react abnormally, but it did with mine.


Numbers have been ran on the Purolator flat spiral spring bypass valve design and it starts to open in the range that Purolator says it should. I doubt Purolator is going to design a bypass valve specified to open at 12~16 PSI that really opens at 25~30 PSI for example.

Personally, I like bypass valves that use a coil spring, as I think a coil spring is easier to design and manufacture to operated the way you've designed it.


I agree with you there; they probably use the same bypass valve throughout their filters regardless of the vehicle application the filters are for. But with that being said, I would probably chose to use a different filter to save my car the stress. Both Fram and Denso use a similiar bypass valve design; the car seem to react well, so I m probably sticking with them. I actually use a Purolator and Bosch filter cartridges for my other minivan with a built-in canister filter without any problems. I guess there's always a small percentage of aftermarket filters that doesn't work well with specific vehicles.

 

[Wilhelm_D]

Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
In the case of the Fram Ultra, Purolator Synthetic, NAPA Platinum (and a few others) the wire backed media also ensures the filter will not develop holes or tears in the media.

Actually the mesh backing is there because unlike cellulose and cellulose/synthetic blend media, the synthetic media lacks the structural rigidity to maintain its shape without it.

This has been a feature of synthetic media oil filters since Champion Labs made Delco Ultraguards several years ago, and all brands use the same basic technology.

You can manufacture a cellulose media filter that matches any synthetic media filter in efficiency. Where the synthetic surpasses the cellulose is in capacity. If you do short change intervals, you're throwing money away on the synthetic media filter.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: Wilhelm_D
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
In the case of the Fram Ultra, Purolator Synthetic, NAPA Platinum (and a few others) the wire backed media also ensures the filter will not develop holes or tears in the media.
Actually the mesh backing is there because unlike cellulose and cellulose/synthetic blend media, the synthetic media lacks the structural rigidity to maintain its shape without it.

Be that as it may, the mesh backing adds a level of strength that far surpasses standard cellulose filter media strength. There will be no "waviness" or pleat "flopping" that could result in a tear in those filters. Throwing money away is a subjective condition that must be defined by an individual and not by the masses (but that is just my opinion).

 

[dieselbass]

Donaldson. Get them at a huge discount and are constructed well.

 

[lim]

Mahle/Knecht, Mann and Hengst are the items used in my cars and boats. Thus far no reservations, no qualms.

Regards, lim

 

[Oregoonian]

Fram Ultra and Mobil 1 EP. I would rate both as equal, but the ULTRA is significantly cheaper (under $9 at WalMart), compared to $12 to $13 for the M-1 EP. Both can be used for long OCI's of up to 15K.

The Fram ULTRA is IMO, the best bang for the buck

 

[NJC]

The best looking filter I've seen (internals) is the German made Mann W917 for my Volvo.