Guys, just wanted to pass this on.

I went to NAPA to get a few NAPA Gold oil filters and they were out of them. Soooo, I went to the house, did little research and found the CarQuest Premiums are actually made by WIX. Metal end caps, silicone anti-drain valves, good stuff. Identical to the NAPA Gold's, just cheaper.

Anyways, they are running about $8 a pop.

I know everybody has their own preference for filters, but here's a little info:
http://www.carquest.com/common/downl...Bulletin-1.doc

 

I would swear that theNAPAfilter I just installed two days ago did not have a anti-drainback, thought nothing of it since it is not needed in this applic.

I'm not intendingto hijack your thread of simply passing along good info, but probably am :

The thing I personally always wonder is...when does the "they sell this person's" type of data expire and how do you know. As many companys regularly change suppliers these days, how do you know definitively who manufactured it in what specific timeframe and furthermore that any particularitem on a shelf, insome storeroom or warehouse is of what vintage.(read supplier)
With the notable exception of purchasing an actual parts manufacturers branded item (i.e., Wix).
Even then, how would you know if/when say....the Zelinski Auto Parts conglomerate may have bought out the Calahan brake pad facility and just started slapping the Calahan name on outsourced offshore parts ?? Yeah I know, way over thinking a simple oil filter purchase.

 

I's kind of like shocks.....there are only like 3 or 4 actual manufacturers of shocks, everybody elses are jsut re-branded off shoots. Some are better than others.

Fram oil filters for example....the little orange cans of death. They do not hold up well to higher oil pressures and do even worse if they are subjected to any type of harsh abuse (i.e. off roading, racing, high vibrations - can you say CUMMINS)

WIX makes good filters. Steel bodies, steel end caps, silicone valves. Obviously Fleetguard and Donaldson make excellent products as well.

There are a ton of write-ups on the various filters and most are made by a few select companies. The ones made by company XXX are usually noted as having the same weak points and when you cut them apart have the same connstruction from the same manufacturer.

There was one company, can't remember off-hand which one, that used a cotton string to keep their filter media together and this would deteriorate and find itself lodged in your oil system. Not good.

And then personal experience / preference always plays part too.

Not over thinking by any means, just protecting a very expensive piece of equipment.

 

Wix and Baldwin are good stuff in my opnion. I am an engineer of an OEM equipment mfg. Fram moved production of some of the filter we used on our product to Mexico. All bets are off now. We no longer use these filters asa the flow a nd filtering charactersitcistics changed. I bought real Mopar filters at WalMart last oil change. They wre abour $12 and I bought three of them. One left ... wonder if they will have them in the future.

 

What I’d like to know is what grade of filter media they use when they sell them to anyone at such a cheap price over their own name brand filter? They have to cut cost some place if they all use the same grade of steel for the can around the media!

 

WHY WOULD YOU BUY AN AFTERMARKET FILTER WHEN YOU CAN BUY FACTORY DODGE FILTERS FOR $10.20
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT MAKES GOOD SENSE WHEN THE PRICE IS THAT CLOSE.

 

The "factory" dodge filters are just re-branded fleetguard filters. Get them from the dealer and they ain't $10.20. Now order then from Geno's, and yes you can get them for that, but it's also $5 for shipping.

So, it's actually closer to double the price. Unless you have a local source.

Hell, a fuel filter from the dealer is $42, compared to $14 for a Fleetguard Premium Stratopor at Geno's.

 

Hmmm, I thought for sure someone would give a nod to the Zelinski/Calahan reference. Was also worried thatmay havecheapened the sentiment.

 

Motopimp -

I'll throw you a bone on the Zelinski/Calahan reference. Gotta love the Spade & Farley flix... Thanks for the laugh.

Did you eat paint chips as a kid? But the best was, "Hey, I can dump in a box and mark it guaranteed. Trust me, I've got the time. But all you've got is a guaranteed piece of ****."

 

YES, THEY ARE $10.20. WOULD YOU LIKE THE INVOICE OR THE PHONE NUMBER? THE FACT THAT ALL DODGE DEALERS DONT SELL PARTS FOR THE SAME PRICE WOULD MAKE ME LOOK AROUND INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO MAKES WHAT AND HOW GOOD IS IT. I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS I SPENT AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY ON A TRUCK I HOPE I WONT HAVE TO REPLACE SOON AND WHILE ITS IN WARRANTY ILL USE FACTORY PARTS. WHATS IN AN OIL FILTER AND WHO MAKES THEM IS A MYSTERY AND JUST BECAUSE A COMPANY THAT MAKES OE FILTERS MAKES YOUR DOESNT MEAN ITS THE SAME FILTER. WHEN AN ENGINE COULD COST $10,000.00 TO REPLACE AN EXTRA $5.00 WORTH OF INSURANCE THAT I WONT A PRODUCT ISSUE WHILE A WARRANTY CLAIM IS IN PROCESS IS JUST PEACE OF MIND.