Difference between oil filters

[Exile]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

I figure, if no one cross-lists an oil filter part number with the OEM one, there's a reason why no reputable brand wants me to just grab something else "that fits". Saving five bucks and risking an engine loss, just isn't my kind of odds.

Reminds me of another potential issue I've often wondered about. When one does find cross-lists for oil filters specified for their engines, can they be assured they have the same mfg. specs? What comes to mind the most is, as several posts already mentioned, the importance of the pressure valve. Is this spec listed or easily accessible?

[hellosailor]

Normally things like pressure valves aren't listed, just "direct replacement for" and you are left to presume the replacement is in all ways similar to the OEM part. When in doubt, call the folks who make the new part, or email them. If they can't bother with answering...walk on.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

Note that Fram sells several versions of this filter. The base model is orange (as pictured) but they also sell higher-quality silver & gold versions. We use the gold & change it every hundred-ish hours, but we also have an adjunct (not full flow) JackMaster oil filter from Oz that uses a roll of toilet paper.

Also, the OP wants to use SAE 40, & folks have been saying 15W40 is OK. I always used to use 15W40 in all my engines, as I thought it was 40 weight oil with some additive to thin it down when it was cold. WRONG! 15W40 oil is 15 weight oil, with additives to thicken it up when it gets hot! Worse, those additives break down with time. So by the time you change your oil, you may only have 15W25 in there. So now I use the best quality 40 weight oil I can find, not a multi-grade. (But I also cruise the tropics, so I don't really need a winter-weight oil)

Fram does make better filters and according to the guys over at bobistheoilguy.com the better ones are actually very good filters.
Just can’t bring myself to buy a Fram though, or a Ford for that matter

Actually your close on the multiviscosity oil thing, what multiviscosity oils are is the lower viscosity oil with a VI or viscosity improver additive package, what it does is keeps the oil from thinning out as it gets hot.

But here is the thing, first our motors don’t get the oil hot, or mine doesn’t anyway. If you want to know how hot your oil is, shoot the filter with an IR thermometer, that will give you a real good idea.
Mine runs about 160 or so, right about the same as the water temp.
For reference an average automobile not being run hard has an oil temp in the low 200’s F. Non turbo and just driving around town.
Run it hard and of course the temp goes up, and a turbo drives temps up too as most turbos are essentially oil cooled.
You are correct in the the VI package is the first to go, but we need to change our oil early anyway before any package wears out to remove the abrasive soot that build up in a Diesel.

“Real” synthetics are the outlier on multi vis oils though, many good synthetics act like multi vis oils without any modification, it’s just a property some have, nothing to break down.

Real is in parenthesis, cause guess what, sometime we are lied to about synthetics, some that claim to be aren’t actually.
Some lawyer redefined what the word synthetic means apparently, and I guess the word is also.

[SoonerSailor]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Sooner-
"For 10 years and over 100,000 miles, ...The oil as tested always had an adequate TBN and low solids count and was never marked as needing replacement. Viscosity did tend to increase, ..."
That's actually odd, viscosity usually falls on multiweight oils as they age and break down. Or was yours single vis?

I was running Mobil1 10W-30. To achieve that fairly narrow viscosity rating "spread" with a synthetic oil does not require those fragile long chain viscosity extenders needed to give a light non-synthetic base oil a higher viscosity rating at higher temperatures.

In my instance, I presume that some of the lighter elements of the synthetic oil were evaporating/burning under extended service.


The early Mobil 1 oil was full synthetic. After other companies were able (through some means) to label their synthetic/non-synthetic "blends" as synthetic, I understand Mobil 1 also became less than a full synthetic. The wonks at bobistheoilguy.com have other favorite full synthetic oils now that are often a challenge to source.

Chip

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by cagney

I would not use the Fram filter, except for "get me home" in an emergency.
The reason is that PH8A (see the picture) is a hydraulic filter without a BPV (Bypass Valve) not suitable for engine lubrication.
Without a BPV the engine gets no oil if the filter clogs up.
You can't see a BPV, nor it's setting, from the outside. The only way is to check the documentation.

Thomas

That's funny, when I read the specs for the PH8A FRAM filter, I read it as having a BPV set at 10 . . . either their spec sheet is wrong or?

Many years ago, I was told by Sunoco service training school (they used to sell FRAM filters in their gas stations) that the quality of oil filters is often related to the amount of filtration paper used in their construction. They had a number of new 'other make' filters in the training school all cut open with each of the paper elements stretched out & measurable to prove their point. Pretty hard to argue factual evidence wouldn't you say?

[Juggerknot]

Fram filters are junk... I never run them on anything.

[Bleemus]

Interesting. Provisioning for the Bahamas and needed oil filters. Jammed for time so I cross referenced and bought the filter at the local NAPA store. Got the Gold filter and now have learned I didn't screw up too badly. Sometimes I get lucky.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Bleemus

Interesting. Provisioning for the Bahamas and needed oil filters. Jammed for time so I cross referenced and bought the filter at the local NAPA store. Got the Gold filter and now have learned I didn't screw up too badly. Sometimes I get lucky.

Yep, those are WIX filters. They are very good. The NAPA gold part number is the same as the WIX number except for the first digit is dropped for the NAPA.