Oil and Fuel Filters - are there quality differences ?
Posted: Fri 22 Feb, 2008 6:15 pm
Just spent the last few days with a workshop full of different brand oil and fuel filters being tested and sectioned. ( I work for BOSCH BTW... )
Started off being pretty unconvinced, but there ARE definite quality and performance differences.
Things that came to light with oil filters ( all Z9 or equivalents ).....
Case thickness varied
Quality of internal filter "tube" varied widely ( inconsistent holes, ridges, spiral wrap vs 1 piece ).
Quality of pressure relief seal and spring.
Quantity of filter media
Consistency of filter media pleating
Initial backpressure
End of use backpressure
Quality of media bond to filter end caps.
General "construction" ( one actually had string tied around the filter media to re-enforce it )
The two top performing and constructed filters were BOSCH ( yes you could see that coming ) and RYCO. Given that Bosch doesn't market its product, most people probably wouldn't even know that we make them and probably couldn't get one if they tried - I have to say the RYCO product is top quality and readily available.
The Fuel filter situation is even more distorted - the quality differences are huge. The worst was constructed like a toilet roll instead of having a pleated surface and needless to say blocked up very quickly and didn't filter very well either.
Once again the best were BOSCH and RYCO. For fuel filters I would buy BOSCH if possible but the RYCO are also a very good product.
So there you go........ fit BOSCH or RYCO filters they are both quality product - others not so good.
Started off being pretty unconvinced, but there ARE definite quality and performance differences.
Things that came to light with oil filters ( all Z9 or equivalents ).....
Case thickness varied
Quality of internal filter "tube" varied widely ( inconsistent holes, ridges, spiral wrap vs 1 piece ).
Quality of pressure relief seal and spring.
Quantity of filter media
Consistency of filter media pleating
Initial backpressure
End of use backpressure
Quality of media bond to filter end caps.
General "construction" ( one actually had string tied around the filter media to re-enforce it )
The two top performing and constructed filters were BOSCH ( yes you could see that coming ) and RYCO. Given that Bosch doesn't market its product, most people probably wouldn't even know that we make them and probably couldn't get one if they tried - I have to say the RYCO product is top quality and readily available.
The Fuel filter situation is even more distorted - the quality differences are huge. The worst was constructed like a toilet roll instead of having a pleated surface and needless to say blocked up very quickly and didn't filter very well either.
Once again the best were BOSCH and RYCO. For fuel filters I would buy BOSCH if possible but the RYCO are also a very good product.
So there you go........ fit BOSCH or RYCO filters they are both quality product - others not so good.
forgot to mention that the fuel filters were EFI.