AC Delco Oil Filter Shedding?

[t-topflyer]

I remember reading a while back somewhere that AC Delco Oil Filters used to be good, but no longer are, but didn't think anything about it till I just did a rear main seal replacement on my car and found lots of small paper pieces from the filter stuck to the oil pump screen. I've been using AC Delco Filters for years, but will no longer use them after finding this. Fortunately, the internals looked great, so I don't think it did any major damage, but I don't like having paper pieces floating around in my engine. Anyone else find this with these filters? I put a Mobil 1 filter back on it cause I've had fairly good luck with those and the K&N ones on other cars, but they are costly. Is there a cheaper/good quality alternative to these $10 filters?

 

[pacecarta]

are you sure thats not your old rear main you were looking at ?

seen a few of the rope seals shred to nothing but fibers and jam up in the oilpickup

 

[NASSTY]

I doubt it was the oil filter media.But you should have cut the filter open and inspected it to remove any doubt.

 

[79TurboCutlass]

I've heard of Fram filters doing this, but not AC Delcos.

 

[t-topflyer]

The only reason I bring this up is because I was skeptical myself. I remember reading on gnttype.org or some other forum about another TR owner that switched from AC Delco to one of the other filters because he kept finding paper in the oil at each change. It was also mentioned that the manufacturing of these filters had been outsourced and not up to the same quality standards that they were in the past. I'll cut open the filter to be sure. There were some pieces of the rope seal as well on the screen, but they were black & copper colored fibers. The paper pieces were different and brownish/oil stained. There was also a piece of paper in an oil droplet coming out of the oil hole on the journal for the rear main bearing.

 

[phillyturbosix]

I send out oil samples from my GN all the time to be checked. I kept finding a foreign material in the oil. The company that was doing the oil sample told me to change the brand of oil filter. I was using AC Delco for years. I switched to Mobil 1 filters and K&N oil filters and I have no more foreign debris in my oil! So yes. It's been proven AC Delco filters are junk and come apart! Don't use them. Fram is next on the junk filter line. It's amazing how many of these cars I see at shows with the 2 worst filters on them. AC Delco and Fram!

 

[Gary Wells]

Jim:
You might be onto something. What are appropriate part #'s for Mobil 1 & K & N filters & do they have an equivalent/corresponding part # for the long AC Delco PF-52 that is not any larger in diameter?
Is your favorite ex-Kalif GN off to another buyer/seller yet?

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Problem solved.

Try one of these.:wink: Billet Oil Filters

 

[boostingbuick]

I had a fram filter take out a motor when it came apart and go thought the engine and then pluged up the pick up. Now I run Wix filters. Have had no issues so far. But that canister filter looks like it maybe the one to have.

 

[PARKBOY]

Found this article on oil filters, thought id share with you guys.


Engine Oil Filter Study

 

[fc227]

Try one of these.:wink: Billet Oil Filters

Look's good Mark !

 

[TurboDave]

Found this article on oil filters, thought id share with you guys.


Engine Oil Filter Study

I wish they'd update that sight. the last time they touched it was 4 years ago!!

And back then it had already been around for several years.

 

[turbofish38]

I send out oil samples from my GN all the time to be checked. I kept finding a foreign material in the oil. The company that was doing the oil sample told me to change the brand of oil filter. I was using AC Delco for years. I switched to Mobil 1 filters and K&N oil filters and I have no more foreign debris in my oil! So yes. It's been proven AC Delco filters are junk and come apart! Don't use them. Fram is next on the junk filter line. It's amazing how many of these cars I see at shows with the 2 worst filters on them. AC Delco and Fram!

So I guess there are millions of GM cars running around with crap in their oil pans? Just like every other GM dealer on the face of the Earth we use nothing but AC filters on our customers vehicles. I cant think of one engine failure to date atributed to a junk AC filter. And I've been in this game going on 30 years now. Now if you buy a filter through a non-dealer source like AutoZone than it's possible you have been buying counterfeit oil filters. Do a google. The aftermarket is notorious for doing this.

Besides, do you have any proof that a little paper in the oil is harmfull to anything in the engine?It sure doesn't sound like you are describing big chunks of it here. Lets see some bearings and rod journals. If you cant see into the engine than how do you know?

I've used nothing but AC filters on my cars for the last 30 years at least. You might try your local dealer. The ones I get are fleet packaged and dont come in a box. If you compare them to the aftermarket sourced filter you will see some differences in them.

 

[phillyturbosix]

AC Delco oil filters are junk period. Use whatever you want on your car but I don't want ANY type of debris coming from ANY oil filter getting clogged in my pick up screen. AC Delco use to be a decent filter but they have since out sourced all their filters to mexico several years ago and the quality is junk. Argue with your self all day long but I'm done on that issue! :biggrin:

MOBIL ONE oil filter part number for the GN with the biggie adapter is MI-203
The K&N oil filter part number for the GN with the biggie adapter is HP-2003

Go to the store. Open an AC Delco oil filter and open a K&N or Mobil One filter and squeeze it in the center. Depending on how strong you are, but I can just about crush the AC Delco filter in my hand. My finger would break off trying to squeeze a K&N or Mobil. The quality is all there in K&N and Mobil One filters. They are made better and filter better and don't come apart. And this is coming from a guy who changed his oil every 1K miles!

That web site PARKBOY posted is nice but like TurboDave stated it's OLD and out dated information.


For the TTA guys...

Mobil One filter number for TTA is MI-302
K&N filter for TTA is HP-3002


Gary: Maybe our fav. low mile Cali. GN has been using AC Delco filters since new and it's got a rod knock now from all the clogging in the pick up screen! Maybe that's why it keeps getting flipped around so much!

 

[JOHNDEEREGN]

Nice Filters Jim:biggrin:

 

[phillyturbosix]

I only switched to Mobil One because Ty stopped getting me K&N's for free! :biggrin:


Just look how sexy Mobil One looks too! It's even black and not ugly GM blue!

 

[t-topflyer]

The PF-52 is equivalent to the MI-201 or HP-2001 and has the larger surface area. PF-47 filter is the MI-101 or HP-1001.

Now, a little bit of paper may or may not be harmful to an engine, but I'm not gonna take the risk. Furthermore, I don't intend to inconvenience myself by having to go to a GM dealer to buy a filter that may or may not be crap during limited business hours when I could get a quality K&N or Mobil I filter almost any time from a local autoparts store.

 

[KrisW]

Now if you buy a filter through a non-dealer source like AutoZone than it's possible you have been buying counterfeit oil filters. Do a google. The aftermarket is notorious for doing this.
I've used nothing but AC filters on my cars for the last 30 years at least. You might try your local dealer. The ones I get are fleet packaged and dont come in a box. If you compare them to the aftermarket sourced filter you will see some differences in them.

I get the same delco from the bulk pack now that comes from the auto parts stores. They have changed the end caps and threaded end parts and they don't feel the same when they go on. Just look at the new PF1218's, you'll see...

No more delcos for me...

 

[turbofish38]

Maybe the infamous Mr.Clark has an oil filter dyno?

This thread is going nowhere. Not one engine failure? I guess that answers the original question.

AC filters. Standard equipment on every GM car including the Z06 and used exclusivly on the C6R. There you go! There is your cheap alternative. If you cant atribute the paper coming from the oil filter than it's all biased opinion.

 

[turbofish38]

I get the same delco from the bulk pack now that comes from the auto parts stores. They have changed the end caps and threaded end parts and they don't feel the same when they go on. Just look at the new PF1218's, you'll see...

No more delcos for me...

And that there is the difference between the inferior(maybe counterfeit) store filters and the superior fleet packaged ones. There is a difference. I'll post pics as soon as I waste $4 on a AutoZone filter.