NEW??? AC Delco oil filters

[Alan Roehrich]

We've noticed that the Delco filters are now VERY inconsistent in quality, except for the expensive PF-35L, the PF-932 (2 quart truck filter) and the PF-2232 (Duramax). We had problems with the PF-35L, we noticed a drop in oil flow, I don't have the figures handy. I am pretty sure I posted a description of the physical differences you could see between the good Delco stuff and the crap (which most closely resembles the cheap filters from "the zone", named after an oil treatment). We're using the Car Quest racing filters now, they're a Wix Racing filter, with better flow. The Napa Gold is also the same. The K&N is the same basic filter as the Wix as well.

[SSDiv6]

The Amsoil oil filter is made by Hastings to more rigid filtration specs. Hastings and Baldwin are the same company, but different divisions. They are the supplier to the government for filters for military and aerospace use and built to MIL-SPEC. Since the start, in order to have common manufacturing processes, they decided to build all their filters, including automotive aftermarket, to the same military specifications.

[Adger Smith]

Yes, SIR, SSdiv 6
I've had good luck with the Baldwin. Check out that red filter in this link: http://adgersperf.com/dyno.htm
One other comment on the AC... don't use any filter with the plastic inner liner. They fold up the paper & push it through the large cutouts in the plastic. They are fine for what they were designed for, but not high pressure with thick oil. (It's not a race filter)

[Joe Marcinowski]

PF-25 is Wix #51069R, PF-35 is Wix #51061R, If you got the room the Wix #51794R will fit and is 7.82 inches long.
Later, Joe

On my street car I have the oil bypass plugged and I noticed right away after switching to the 1218 that these filters clog up pretty fast compared to the older PF25 and when they do you had better change them quick before you lose all of your oil pressure. With the PF25 I could go 3k miles between changes and only lose a couple of pounds of pressure but the 1218's start losing pressure after only a couple thousand miles and will drop from 56 to 30 lbs @3000 rpm in as little as a 100 miles. Where I live out here in the outback it is usually pretty dusty and the distances between towns is far. Twice I got caught out where I had no choce but to drive the car home and was nearly ready to shut it off before I got there but now at the first sign of pressure drop I change it. I'm not sure if it is because they are just clogging up or if it because they coming apart inside as I haven't cut one open to look but I think I'm going to switch to something else.

Jackie

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Jackie McCracken

On my street car I have the oil bypass plugged and I noticed right away after switching to the 1218 that these filters clog up pretty fast compared to the older PF25 and when they do you had better change them quick before you lose all of your oil pressure. With the PF25 I could go 3k miles between changes and only lose a couple of pounds of pressure but the 1218's start losing pressure after only a couple thousand miles and will drop from 56 to 30 lbs @3000 rpm in as little as a 100 miles. Where I live out here in the outback it is usually pretty dusty and the distances between towns is far. Twice I got caught out where I had no choce but to drive the car home and was nearly ready to shut it off before I got there but now at the first sign of pressure drop I change it. I'm not sure if it is because they are just clogging up or if it because they coming apart inside as I haven't cut one open to look but I think I'm going to switch to something else.

Jackie

Have you looked at the inside of the 1218 that gives you problems? Does it have a plastic and screen tube supporting the filter media? Does it have small flow holes around the top?

[Bill Belden]

I use the 1218 ffilters with no problems, but like Adger & Alan said, you have to look inside to make sure it has the metal tube and the larger holes, also the "new" 1218's are a little shorter than the good ones

Alan,

I haven't cut any of them open but I have them sitting on the bench to do it when I get 15 minutes to myslef. This losing pressure really fast has me concerned so I want to get to the bottom of the problem. So far I'm on the 5th one of the 1218's, the first 2 that I had on it didn't seem the have a problem then the next 2 did and I want to know if I need to chunk the current one sooner rather than later.

Here is something else interesting that maybe somebody knows about. I have always run the standard regular green Prestone AF in the older cars I own but I flushed the system about 2 months ago and switch it to the new style orange AF and now it won't stay full and I have to keep adding water/AF to it. This is the same car, 79 Malibu wagon with a mild 350 I built about 15 years ago, it's got around 200k miles on it. No leaks I can find but this bugs me and my 97 Probe GT which came from the factory with the orange stuff has always had the same problem and no leaks to be found. After I flushed the wagon, I had straight water in it for a couple of weeks and never lost a drop during that time. My wife's Astro seems to always need to be topped and after a year or so the stuff in it looks like rusty water so I flush it start over. I just check them a lot and keep them topped off, probably maybe a pint a month or so in each one. Anybody else seen this or have any ideas? I can tell you that I am starting to really not like the stuff and it ain't just because of the price.

Jackie

[Alan Roehrich]

You don't have to cut them open, just drain them and look into the center hole. The plastic liner will be VERY obvious. It's a black plastic "frame", with a white plastic screen around it. If it has the small holes around the outside on the top, you'll know it's a cheap one as well.

The orange antifreeze is crap. It leaks out of nearly everything. As soon as my Firebird was out of warranty, I dumped the crap, because it seeped from every joint. The intake really leaked. As soon as I replaced the orange crap, the leaks were gone.

[NovaMan]

The Hastings LF349 and Baldwin B279 (I think they're the same filter) have a 20 psi relief valve, which is nice for people who have plugged the factory 4-6psi bypass in the filter adapter. That way, you still get oil pressure and flow even if your filter needs changing, but you aren't constantly in bypass mode.