spoonplugger1 wrote:
Personally I wouldn't buy the Mopar filter, I put a NAPA on mine and it's working just fine (WIX). There are no differences in the filtering media used in a diesel vs gas filter from the same manufacturer. The fact is that are very few filter manufacturers in the US or the world for that matter and everyone buys their filter from one of them and have the external packaging/paint changed to suit there needs. Baldwin, WIX, Champion and a few others make all the filters in the US. The gasket ring, holes in the inside filter body inside the ring and the relief valve are all giveaways to who built a particular filter.
You only got it half right, the makers of the oil filters make each to the spec required by the retail seller and NAPA spec's are not the same as OEM. They could be better, but most often they are less. In other words two filters made by the same filter mfg can be made to different quality, spec's for filtering, canister strength, etc. What really blows my mind is that it can even be the Quality Control spec's that vary, and I have seen that first hand in small engine mfg plant that builds more engines then anyone in the world.
What I am saying here is that almost anytime you buy aftermarket parts for you vehicle, you are buying lesser quality then OEM with rare exception. I used to have a friend who worked at local Purolator plant in Dexter MO in management before they closed/moved the plant. That is where I learned some intyeresting info about oil & air filters, both OEM and aftermarket. Typical low cost oil filter will remove about 40% of particles in 8 to 10 micron range, while typical OEM oil filter will remove about 70/80% of particles in 8 to 10 micron range. Synthetic filters generally range in the 3 to 7 micron filtering range, but that does impact oil flow rates and if oil is not up to the extra stresses caused by the slow flow then you have made things worse.