For those that may be interested, I wanted to take some comparison photos of both the TRD oil filter and Fram Ultra for the late model 1.8L Toyota engine. This is the filter used in the current Toyota Prius, Corolla, Yaris, some Scion models, previous Matrix, etc etc. The OEM cellulose is allegedly 50% efficient at 20-microns... the TRD is 98% efficient at 20-microns... and the Fram Ultra is 99% efficient at 20-microns.
The TRD filter (made by Champion) is kind of a love:hate relationship. You'll notice the pleat spacing isn't very precise and they're pretty wavy right out of the box. In addition - the process of gluing/sewing the seam together resulted in some loss of media (see photo #2) - almost like a hole, but since it's on the glued seam - I'm not sure if it'd matter or not. The build quality is very solid (obviously) and the silicon gaskets at the top and bottom are an interesting addition unique to the Champion made filters (i.e. Amsoil), but they definitely add height to the filter as it's slightly longer than OEM and the Fram... so I'm not sure how that'd effect everything, but you'd want to watch your torquing and I could see it binding if you over-torque. It's also interesting that they decided to add a center-tube in the filter as all the 1.8L motors this would fit already have a tube built into the housing itself... and if you look at the last photo, you'll see the center tube actually results in less media depth -vs- the Fram or even the OEM cellulose.
The Fram Ultra build quality is excellent all around. They use the more traditional high-temp plastic endcaps. All pleats were evenly spaced and free of wavy distortion. The pleats also utilized the entire depth of the endcaps (versus the TRD which has the extra center tube). It's worth noting that the OEM cellulose filter is the same height as the Fram Ultra as well, so there should be no binding as you torque down the housing cap. Fit on the center tube was nice and snug, so there should be no slipping.
BOTH of them are Made in the USA!
For what it's worth - I ended up using the Fram Ultra and will be returning the TRD.
Part Numbers:
Fram XG10358 - (purchased at Wal-Mart - $10.97)
Toyota PTR43-52090 (purchased at local Toyota dealer - $15.75)
The TRD filter (made by Champion) is kind of a love:hate relationship. You'll notice the pleat spacing isn't very precise and they're pretty wavy right out of the box. In addition - the process of gluing/sewing the seam together resulted in some loss of media (see photo #2) - almost like a hole, but since it's on the glued seam - I'm not sure if it'd matter or not. The build quality is very solid (obviously) and the silicon gaskets at the top and bottom are an interesting addition unique to the Champion made filters (i.e. Amsoil), but they definitely add height to the filter as it's slightly longer than OEM and the Fram... so I'm not sure how that'd effect everything, but you'd want to watch your torquing and I could see it binding if you over-torque. It's also interesting that they decided to add a center-tube in the filter as all the 1.8L motors this would fit already have a tube built into the housing itself... and if you look at the last photo, you'll see the center tube actually results in less media depth -vs- the Fram or even the OEM cellulose.
The Fram Ultra build quality is excellent all around. They use the more traditional high-temp plastic endcaps. All pleats were evenly spaced and free of wavy distortion. The pleats also utilized the entire depth of the endcaps (versus the TRD which has the extra center tube). It's worth noting that the OEM cellulose filter is the same height as the Fram Ultra as well, so there should be no binding as you torque down the housing cap. Fit on the center tube was nice and snug, so there should be no slipping.
BOTH of them are Made in the USA!
Part Numbers:
Fram XG10358 - (purchased at Wal-Mart - $10.97)
Toyota PTR43-52090 (purchased at local Toyota dealer - $15.75)
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