Supertech ST6607 - 4,900 miles - '99 Kia Sephia

[ThirdeYe]

Here are the pictures of a ST6607 I cut open today. It was taken off of a '99 Kia Sephia with around 4,900 miles on the filter. It was driven mostly highway from what I can gather since it was done in under 3 months, but I know the driver tends to be aggressive. I don't know what to think about the pleats, they were all bent up. I saw no rips or tears in the material however. The filter was purchased just a few days before putting it on the car back in January. I have two problems with this filter: 1.) The gasket always seems to fall off very easily. It's happened on two out of two ST6607's I've purchased. And 2.) In this filter, the pleats are all distorted. I don't think it hurt anything, does anyone have any idea why they'd be like this? I put another Supertech on his car after this oil change and I'll cut the next one open to see if the pleats look the same after another 5k. The oil used was Mobil Clean 5000.

 

[Drew99GT]

Hmmm, usually the pleat issues turn up on Supertechs with the clicker bypass valve, but this one has the good spring loaded kind.

I'd surmise that the filter is so tiny that during super cold starts, the bypass just can't handle the thick oil and the psid through the element is excessive, deforming the filter media. You might search out a larger filter.

On many many other Supertech tear downs shown hear, especially from BillinUtah, they look fine and the filter pleats are all straight.

 

[Dyoel182]

I'd use a 7317 next time for a little extra length and maybe less pleat distortion?

 

[ThirdeYe]

Will that fit on a '99 Kia Sephia? It's really tough to get to the filter, not much room to work with. I saw Bill's posts and thought that something was up with this filter. I didn't know if it was a manufacturing defect though. I might, for experiment sake, buy another and cut it open to see how the pleats look new. Regardless of what happens though, I think I'll start using a different filter on the next oil change. From what I understand, AutoZone has a brand called ValuCraft for $2.50 for that application that I might try. If they don't have any, I'll try to get a ProLine from Pep Boys.

 

[Dyoel182]

Its not that much longer really but if it fits on my Mazda it should fit on your car. The Valucraft will be the same as the ST though.

 

[ThirdeYe]

If it's longer but not wider I can probably make that work.. I'll keep that in mind if the ProLine is significantly more expensive than the SuperTech.

 

[Gary Allan]

That sure looks like some sort of compression "damage" ..so to speak. Champions all typically have one wide pleat where a human squeezes the media together, the rest tend to be uniform.

That looks like a water saturated filter. I would not expect it to look that way on an "all highway" engine. In fact, I wouldn't expect that on a mixed bag shorter trip filter. Too much pseudo goo on the media. It should merely be darkened ..not coated.

 

[dwendt44]

Can't recall off the top of my head if the 3593 is bigger than the 7317. Check and see.
Those filters fit many Japanese engines.
Korean ones too.

 

[ThirdeYe]

It's weird because the oil itself didn't look bad, like it didn't look as if there was a coolant ingestion. Just looked like regular oil to me, dark brown. He drives over to our house and to his work every day which is a good 50 mile trip, mostly all highway, but I know he does drive aggressively from time to time (at least when I've been with him in the car). For what it's worth, the picture made the oil itself look worse than it really was. In the picture it looks like goo, but it wasn't actually. It was just darkened. I think it had to do with the poor lighting making it look bad. I was thinking an assembly error where the end caps were on too tight, but who knows.

I'll keep an eye on it and cut the next one open. If it looks like this again, I'll buy a new one and see if it looks like this from the factory. Hoping this is a fluke

 

[Dyoel182]

Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Can't recall off the top of my head if the 3593 is bigger than the 7317. Check and see.
Those filters fit many Japanese engines.
Korean ones too.


Its fatter but shorter than a 7317. Also its gasket is a little bigger od so it might not seal as well. I've used them with no problem before but I quit because of the missing bypass valve.