WIX 51522 cut open after 9,427 miles

[Falcon_LS]

This filter was in service on my 4.2L Vortec L6 for 9,427 miles and changed when required by the OLM. The oil used with this filter at the time was 76 Pure Synthetic 5W-40. I switched to their XP synthetic media filter when I started using Mobil 1 0W-40 not that long ago.

I am rather impressed with the construction and quality of the 51522. Any solid particles you see were probably deposited by 1 liter of Liqui Moly Pro-Line Engine Flush, run for 25 minutes. Any metal particles you see will be there from the filter casing, it was quite a job cutting it open with the Dremel tool.

 

[Jim Allen]

Yawn! Another boring filter autopsy ( : < )... which is the ideal, isn't it? Move on, folks. Nothing to see here but a filter that did its job well.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Let's just close shop and move the foxtrot on.

Oil is oil, a filter is a filter. Why bother dissecting new and used filters and paying for VOAs and UOAs anyway? Get some SN/GF-5 rated oil change your oil every 5,000 miles and be happy.

 

[danthaman1980]

Yep, I've cut open several 51522s after ~6,000 mile OCIs, and I've never been disappointed. Not surprised that this one looks just fine after ~9,000.

 

[gregk24]

Looks great! THANK YOU for posting.

 

[Sayjac]

Looks good. Wix makes a solid filter. What's particulary nice about this application though is that being for GM, there's no bypass needed in the filter, which means the element itself can fill the canister. This Wix application's media element is good size.

Thanks for the pics.

 

[ABerns]

Thanks for posting!

It is true, anymore I don't expect to see anything bad when cutting open filters. I also don't worry too much about oil choice in my 'standard' engines (e.g. non-DI...). Any more, I often won't even cut open a filter.

That said, I love me some filter pics!!

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
Let's just close shop and move the foxtrot on.

Oil is oil, a filter is a filter. Why bother dissecting new and used filters and paying for VOAs and UOAs anyway? Get some SN/GF-5 rated oil change your oil every 5,000 miles and be happy.


Falcon you didn't catch my attempt at humor. A "boring" filter autopsy is a very good thing. Means no problems for you and a confirmation of your wise choice, not that we shouldn't investigate, test or do occasional "keep 'em honest" tests. Sorry I wasn't more clear. I did put a smiley on ( : < ).

 

[440Magnum]

Keep em coming. I'd rather see a hundred used oil filters cut open than one thread on additives or wax.

 

[KCJeep]

Hee hee looks great just as you'd expect from Wix, always great construction. If they could get their ADBV's to work better probably all I'd use.

 

[dnewton3]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Yawn! Another boring filter autopsy ( : < )... which is the ideal, isn't it? Move on, folks. Nothing to see here but a filter that did its job well.


Yup.

I don't really understand why folks expect to see something extraordinary, as if they were anticipating an "Ah-ha" Einstein type moment in revealing a yet-undiscovered plague.


How many of these filter pix and UOAs do we need to see to realize that general use of both brand-name and house-brand properly qualified products result in the following?:
It worked and did exactly what we wanted it to do.

 

[KCJeep]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
How many of these filter pix and UOAs do we need to see to realize that general use of both brand-name and house-brand properly qualified products result in the following?:
It worked and did exactly what we wanted it to do.


MORE, LOTS MORE!

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Yawn! Another boring filter autopsy ( : < )... which is the ideal, isn't it? Move on, folks. Nothing to see here but a filter that did its job well.


Yup.

I don't really understand why folks expect to see something extraordinary, as if they were anticipating an "Ah-ha" Einstein type moment in revealing a yet-undiscovered plague.


How many of these filter pix and UOAs do we need to see to realize that general use of both brand-name and house-brand properly qualified products result in the following?:
It worked and did exactly what we wanted it to do.

DN3, if we didn't have filter dissection here all there would be is posts about using the same filter for over 1568 OCIs.

 

[Falcon_LS]

You're all very welcome.

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Falcon you didn't catch my attempt at humor. A "boring" filter autopsy is a very good thing. Means no problems for you and a confirmation of your wise choice, not that we shouldn't investigate, test or do occasional "keep 'em honest" tests. Sorry I wasn't more clear. I did put a smiley on ( : < ).


I realized that, albeit a bit late. The humor does sometimes get lost in the text.

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
I don't really understand why folks expect to see something extraordinary, as if they were anticipating an "Ah-ha" Einstein type moment in revealing a yet-undiscovered plague.


How many of these filter pix and UOAs do we need to see to realize that general use of both brand-name and house-brand properly qualified products result in the following?:
It worked and did exactly what we wanted it to do.


That's exactly the point I was trying to make. A lot of people post questions about whether or not a particular filter is good for extended drains. "Extended" really depends on how far you want to go, but for almost a 10,000 mile drain interval, a quality paper filter is all you need. I went overboard with a synthetic media filter, but fine particles of dust does make its way past the air filter and end up in the oil. If it can trap those, then all the better.

 

[mr_diy]

The third, fourth, and fifth pictures look like the several pleats are full of sludge. I cannot say I have seen many this bad.

 

[Falcon_LS]

A small "puddle" of oil came out of the casing, and I rolled it in the oil as I took the pictures. I wasn't wearing gloves, and didn't want to pick it up.

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS

I went overboard with a synthetic media filter, but fine particles of dust does make its way past the air filter and end up in the oil. If it can trap those, then all the better.


EXCELLENT POINT! I think a person's maintenance choices have to be partially dictated by the environment. You are in a dusty region with a lot of fines in the air. Your air and oil filter choices should be made bearing your environment in mind and in your case, my opinion is that fine oil and air filtration is a justified expense in your case due to the dusty air. Somebody in a less dusty environment, the same choices might be "overkill." In terms of ROI, that is. Looked at strictly from the technical POV, you really can't have oil or air that's too clean. In the real world, the cost of maintenance must be a consideration and if a $4 filter gets the job done according to the driving venue, why spend $12.

 

[dnewton3]

Yes - there is some merit to spending more on filtration.

But I'll delineate the issues of source versus containment.

I'd rather spend money on a more efficient air filter, pulling out more junk BEFORE it gets into the engine, rather than trying to pull it from the oil after it's had a few rounds to do potential damage!

There are some "better" filters (defined as having greater efficiency over a fixed FCI and/or having greater holding capacity) you could possibly get that would perhaps protect well, versus paying for expesive lube and oils. Your ROI would be well served here versus the alternative. Fram has the TG series of air filters, not unlike their TG oil filters, conceptually, as one example.

 

[Jim Allen]

The only problem being that the best air filters are only marginally as efficient as an oil filter, so no matter how good your air filter, the fines are getting into the oil and a high efficiency oil filter can get more of them than the air filter so in some cases you really need the 'ol "one-two punch." Again, my point is that it's not always black and white but situationally dependent.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I posted several times before, of the two filters air filter is more importance. If you like to spend a fix amount on the 2 type of filters over 5 years(as an example), I would pay more for a high quality high efficiency air filter and less money on oil filters.