Oil Filter Differences

[natemoen]

I am looking to do some comparisons of oil filters but need people that use filters other than Wix/NAPA brand filters.

I would much appreciate if you could take the filter apart and count the number of pleets and the depth of the pleet.

I wanted to completely pull it apart and measure the filter media from end to end for a total length but found that to be impossible because of the glue used

So to start this off.

Wix/NAPA Filters

75 pleets and about 31/32" deep.

[webbcraft2150]

I used to be a Wix factory rep and I have cut apart a gillion filters to show customers what they are getting. Purolator, Fram and most "house" brands fail the cut apart showing. Paper end caps, marginal amount of media, sheet metal relief springs and even string (Fram) holding the pleated media together.
Actual oil test results bear out the marginal effectiveness of lesser priced oil (and air) filters. Now, in the past few years, Fram, Purolator, Bosch have all come out with higher priced filters that I suspect are built better. Its a price point thing with some people. All of NAPA's filter used to be made by Wix but even they have come out with a "cheap" line of filters. Napa Gold is a Wix made filter. I don't know who makes there "budget" line. Number of pleats is a mute point if the media cannot filter out the nasty stuff. OEM branded filters like Delco and Motorcraft tend be made with better materials. Emgo is a popular budget brand of motorcylce filters and while I have never tested the media, I suspect its at the low range of "factory" specs. For me, I buy Wix or Napa Gold for all my 4 wheeled rigs and my boat. For our rigs, there are few options for a preimum oil filter so your best bet is use the best filter you can afford and change the oil often (for me, 3k is the time). Some may think its overkill but I have never had an oil related failure and I have vechicles pushing 250k (83,000 on my XS). (The only line that gave me run for my money as a rep was Baldwin)

[ManagerMike]

For my money, the NAPA Gold / Wix brand filters are the best. They are in my bike, my personal vehicles, and in the 80 plus shuttle busses and support vehicles I maintain, 36 of which are at the 400,000 mile mark and still going strong.

[SFerinTEXAS]

All the vehicles in the world, brand vs brand is an important issue. On the simple filters for the XS with regular oil changes not so much.My view.

[WMarshy]

Im interested in seeing where this thread goes. So far no one has been able to show any tangible evidence that the wix is better than the fram filter (for our bike only, lets stay on topic). I will see if I have my last used filter kicking around and I will cut it apart and post what I find!

[jetmechmarty]

Normally, I won't put a Fram on anything. I recently picked up a Fram for the XS11 for free w/ 4 qts of oil. Looking at it I'd guess that it came from the same place as the Wix filter for the bike. I'll have to get a Wix to be sure.

[skids]

Never had a problem with Fram filters. I used an STP filter once and it crumbled in my hand when I was removing it during an oil change!

[jetmechmarty]

I don't think we want to generalize here. What's the difference specifically in the filters for the XS11?

[DCII]

Filters

Even though the oil filter for our bikes is available in a number of different brands I doubt that there are very many companies actually making it. Personally I have only used Wix filters as they are a good filter and easy to get. I just looked at the two in my garage to see where they are made, one is made in Korea and the most recent one I got is made in Poland, when I compared the two filters I found that they are basically the same but not identical. I will have to check out a Fram filter to see how it compares.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Nate,

Okay, I happened to have a Fram CH-6002 filter that had not been used, sitting in a bag for a few years...since I now use spin on filters...FRAM!

Here are a few photos, it says on the METAL plates that make the sandwich layers "Made in Canada". The pleats are only about 1/2" deep, and there are ~62 of them. The filter material is WELL GLUED into both sides of the metal tops and bottoms, and as you can see comes with both filter cup O-ring as well as filter bolt O-ring. The paper seems to be quite tough.




I used them exclusively for the 10 years I rode it prior to having it sit for 10 years, and then I've used Fram Spin-ons eversince doing my conversion.

T.C.

[jetmechmarty]

I have a Fram that isn't that old. I'm not at home, but I could swear it has more pleats than the one in the photo and is made in China. I'm beginning to believe there are only one or two manufacturers of this filter.

[WSL91]

I've only ever been concerned with the frequency of the oil changes, not the brands. Any new filter and oil change is probably better than an old neglected filter.

[mharrington]

With the cycle filters being EASILY visible I think the Frams will be of good quaility. Now with an automotive filters where the filter element is not seen/ housed in metal there thats where the shennanigans start! Think about it- Fram uses cardboard endcaps with pleat spacing inconsistent and angled to cut mfg costs but yet they charge us the same $$ or more as other filters that are built better!!!! No thanks. For the same $$ or even less I can get a Purolator, Hastings, Baldwin, Delco ect ect that is built the way a filter should be. Shame on Fram for abusing their long positive history with the auto industry. Just because you have had no problems in your cars with Frams does not mean the filter is acceptable in quality.

[WMarshy]

With the cycle filters being EASILY visible I think the Frams will be of good quaility. Now with an automotive filters where the filter element is not seen/ housed in metal there thats where the shennanigans start! Think about it- Fram uses cardboard endcaps with pleat spacing inconsistent and angled to cut mfg costs but yet they charge us the same $$ or more as other filters that are built better!!!! No thanks. For the same $$ or even less I can get a Purolator, Hastings, Baldwin, Delco ect ect that is built the way a filter should be. Shame on Fram for abusing their long positive history with the auto industry. Just because you have had no problems in your cars with Frams does not mean the filter is acceptable in quality.

We're trying to keep this topic about the MC filters and not the automotive filters...but to your point, if I had a spin-on then I would use NAPA gold filter due to the issues you stated... again, not the intent of this thread though.

[MPittma100]

Oil Filters

What is the NAPA filter number for the XS11 (if there is one)?

The auto experience I have with Fram - do not use them! The bad things that you hear about them are true. They make ONE good filter - HP6. It is used in all of Top Alcohol and Top Fuel racing engines.

What a lot of people do not know is the fact that, when your filter stops up with trash, the oil filter bypass opens and the oil is no longer filtered at all.

Use Wix (NAPA Gold) or Purolator or Baldwin.

MP