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Oil filters

In the eighties, I saw a Fram and a WIX cut apart at the auto store. This peaked my curiosity, so at that point I started cutting apart old filters to see how they were constructed.

I have not seen one in several years, but the Baldwin was by far the best. It is a ball of string and extremely well constructed.

My second choice is a WIX. I am sure that the K&N and Mobil One are far superior, but I'm not sure if they are worth the 4X upcharge.

BTW, I was doing my cutting on Ford filters in those days. A Ford filter has the bypass valve in the filter. The Fram bypass valve was the flimsiest and the main reason that it was far inferior. There is a bypass valve above the filter on a Chevy block, so I assume that a Chevy filter has no bypass valve in the filter. If this is true, it makes the Fram not quite as bad on a Chevy.

That said, I wouldn't use a Fram unless I was really in a pinch and couldn't find anything else. I believe the OEM brands (AC for a GM, Motorcraft for a Ford) to be adequate, but not the best.

I try to use WIX when I can (NAPA brand is WIX) and I wish I could find someone selling Baldwin, they may not be in business any more.

If I had to buy a Fram or spring for the K&N or Mobil One, I would pay the extreme up charge for the premium filter.

My $0.02,
 
After reading the information it looks like all my Fram filters are going in the trash. Still undecided about using either the Wix, Mobil 1 or K&N. What was interesting about the Balwin filters is that my dad, who was a farmer, always used them on the tractors. I guess if they stood up to the abuse those engines got, they must be good.

Thanks for all the good information. This is a great website to get valuable information.
 
exbanker said:
Thanks for the input. For those of you interested, you can order K&N filters on line @ www.ajusa.com for $9.95. Best part, no shipping, no tax. Gotta love the internet.

Thanks for the tip. I just ordered a couple of K&N oil filters & a recharging kit along with an air filter for my Jeep at great prices (and no shipping). Unfortunately, except for K&N stuff, this company only supports Porsches & BMWs.
 
I found their pricing on K&N stuff to be in line with what I can buy it for at the autoparts stores, such as Advance Auto Parts or AutoZone. It's free shipping, versus less than $1 tax (for oil filter) to buy it local. For a buck and having it right now, I'll still buy local. My less than 02¢
 
I saw the same display that one of the other folks did, but this one is current. It has a Wix, AC and Fram filter cut away to show what you can't see unless you have a working set of x-ray glasses.

The Wix is by far a better filter. More surface area, better filter material, etc. I agree with the folks commenting about Fram. It just looks downright scary. Lots of loose "fluff" and not much media at all.

I've been using Wix for 10 years or so, long before I saw the display. No problems. The engine runs over 80 psi pressure at speed, so the cans can take the pressure.
 
Ya but....

I put 175K on my S-10...... dang I admitted to driving another vehicle... I had no problems and never saw particles in the oil. However, the results from all the post do point in a direction that the next purchase will not be a Fram.

Detroit has casinos, I should stick to rolling the dice there and not my vehicles.
 
Re: Ya but....

96Holly said:
I put 175K on my S-10...... dang I admitted to driving another vehicle...

Hey, that's OK! You can drop a Corvette engine that baby! It's all good...although, as Yoda says, "Engine not does a Corvette make, yes?"
 
Baldwin filters are still available. Find them at industrial filter houses. They are mostly used on hydraulic pump systems, backhoes, etc. They are a GOOD filter.
 

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