That?s a really interesting piece of research there Dave N, keep it up!
I've become a bit obsessive about parts quality since I hade a cheapo filter fitted to my Polo some time ago. Although it was the right size, there was little else to recommend. It leaked badly, and did not have a return valve (or if it did, it didn't work) If the obvious looking parts were of such atrocious quality, god knows how bad the filter material was.
Since had that changed to a Hengst filter which although seems of substantially better quality, still leaks. Also, it was a bit smaller than the OEM/Mann filters that I had fitted prior to that.
Out of the 3 different brands I have had so far, the OEM/Mann filter have been by far the best. (Cant wait to have them fitted at next service which is a matter of days a way)
Do you have any plans to test these 2 brands out, Mann and Hengst?
In addition, here is a study done in the US on Oil filter performance in terms of flow rate. The page layout is naff as it is in a forum style setting, but scrolling through the pages you will see the results of the tests:
theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=ge...=
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www.filtrauto.com/equali.html is a presentation about oil filter quality. After reading that, I'll only use genuine or OEM filters in my Citroen.
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From what I've read Sogefi, Fram, Crossland, Purflux, and Technocar are all one and the same company. The names are just brand names and they also supply 'own brand' filters to other companies (e.g. Champion, Bosch) and to the car manufacturers.
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Very interesting thread started by Dave N and also a very uselful link to the Purflux site. I thought the comparison table which cross-referrenced every other manufacturers filters with their own against every model of car was very useful. Allowed me to check that my various Mann and Champion filters were the correct ones for my different vehicles. The only filters they dont list are Halfords.
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My worst experience was for a Halfords filter which would just not pass any oil (oil change procedure for turbos - crank engine to raise oil pressure, then reconnect fuel valve to allow engine to start)
After that fiasco I went back to using Unipart filters
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Steve.o's comment about replacement cartridge filters brings me back to my favourite topic of conversation (no really) which is why does nobody make cars where the oil is as easy to change as it was on the MB W123... No need to get muddy in the gutter, no need to get oily, a doddle to pop in a new cartridge.
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Years ago all oil filters were paper cartridge type. Then the 'spin on' filter was introduced - supposedly cleaner and quicker/easier to swap. The snag is that you are throwing away a lot of metal and also the spin-on type can retain quite a bit of oil. Now, probably for environmental reasons, we are going back to paper elements - a good thing IMHO.
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Some, like BMW never stopped using the superior paper elements.
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Is there a reason for the filter to be mounted so low in the engine bay? Did it start off as an historical location and then cost came into play so it stayed there?
A few years ago in the USA I saw adaptors that with a couple of pipes allowed the filter or even twin filters to be mounted in an accessible location high in the engine bay thus allowing frequent, easy changes especially useful in dusty parts of the land. I know there is less space in the engine bay now but it should be possible to locate filters up top.
I accept the need to get to the sump plug unless the oil is sucked out but to access my Mondeo II filter it appears to be a real pain. It is suggested take off wheel and a belt guard.
Progress?
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I've just checked to find that the MB branded filter for my W124 E320 Coupé to be identical to the Hengst filter, complete with "Hengst" stamped on it. The former costs £7.71 from the MB dealer; the latter costs £5.75 from Euro Car Parts. The difference doesn't matter much per filter, but is non-trivial on a long-term basis, so it's worth checking, especially if you (like me, broadly speaking) are concerned to fit the best possible parts.
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If the oil filter wasn't located toward the bottom of the engine I would find either oil running down my arm when I changed it or finding I'd put the drip-tray in just the wrong place and having oil spill over the driveway. Sudden gusts of wind don't help either!
I'm intrigued by the USA adaptor you mention. Surely this would involve maintaining the oil level above a certain point (i.e. near MAX on the diptick), because of the oil capacity taken up by the pipework. A reason why they didn't catch on?
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Remote oil filters are available in this country, not just the USA. I saw one recently, it was on a Jap import, either a Skyline or an FTO - can't remember which.
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access my Mondeo IIfilter it appears to be a real pain. It is suggested take off wheel and a belt guard. Progress?
My Mondeo is a 1999, and I guess yours is a proper II, not a facelift like mine. The recommended procedure for mine sounds similar, bit with a pair of long-handled filter removal pliers, it can be removed from underneath
hth
Andy
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Well, I went to Croslands in my lunch hour, and apparently, they don't make them for cars anymore, just agriculural machinery, generators, industrial machinery etc...
Well, I must say, I haven't seen there filters for about 10 years.
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My Mondeo is a 1999, and I guess yours is a proper II, not a facelift like mine.
>>The recommended procedure for mine sounds similar, bit with a pair of long-handled filter removal pliers, it can be removed from underneath
>>
Thanks for info. No mine is a facelift. I have a spider filter tool.
Must find the time to do the job.
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I think that paper filters are a big step back in diy.
I know from the old days, getting covered in oil, rinsing the outer cover in paraffin, what a palaver. It is so much easier with the spin on type.
I reacon that the manufactures are doing it to put people off doing their own oil changes.
As for oil getting in the ground, where did it come from in the first place?
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It is so much easier with the spin on type.
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I would agree if the filter bowl is at the bottom when the filter is in place.
With all the Ford filters I have changed it is not exactly a clean task removing the filter with oil spilling all over the place even when plastic sheet and rags are strategically deployed.
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I think it depends Quizman, my last car, a Mazda 626 was a disaster, and that included the oil filter, which to get to you had to lie underneath and squeeze you arms between a driveshaft and crossmember, and you could hardly get a grip on it, when you did get it off, a sleeve full of old oil was guaranteed. With my current car, Omega (with BMW engine) there is never a drop spilled, the plastic top unscrews, the old filter is taken out and put in a bag, and the new one put in, and the lid screwed back on, and it is all done stood up.
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Thanks for that Schnitzel, I am feeling a bit more confident about changing the oil and filter on my Passat which has got the old new new type of filter, of course using a VW filter and Castrol SLX Longlife 2 oil ( at great expence )
On my John Deere tractor the spin off filter stands upright, and has got a dome on top of the filter, so when unscrewing it the oil stays in the filter, not on my hands. I wish that cars were like this.
I think that this is a very good thread, but are all filters the same?
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>> It is so much easier with the spin on type. >> I would agree if the filter bowl is at the bottom when the filter is in place. With all the Ford filters I have changed it is not exactly a clean task removing the filter with oil spilling all over the place even when plastic sheet and rags are strategically deployed.
Well I've just changed the oil and filter on my Mk3 V6 Mondeo and didn't spill a drop, although a small amount did drip, from the filter, onto the front exhaust manifold/cat and needed wiping off. With the old Mk1 1.8 mondeo, I had to take the wheel and pulley guard off (which took all of 3 minutes) and the filter was horizontal, which meant quite a bit of oil spilled out of the filter onto the drive shaft boot. This was more difficult to wipe off and ended up being sprayed up the back of the engine and the bulkhead.
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