Oil Filters
In my younger days I had a Pepsi sales route. I made deliveries to a filter plant. One day when I was there they had just completed a meeting about filters. They had several different one on display on the table in the front of the room. I asked the person incharge there if they were compareing different manufacturs filters. He said no, we make all of these. He told me that they were all the same except for the can that the paper was installed in with the exception of the Motorcraft one that had a few more paper pleats. Their display had the likes of Mopar, Wix, Ace, AC, Powerflow, Napa, Motorcraft plus others I don't remember. They also had their own on display. Since then I have used any of the cheaper ones that this manufactur had because there was no difference anyway.
Same with many types of milk, kitchen cabinets, etc.
I'll toss my $.02 in:
1987 GMC cargo van, 650k. Just pulled a 5000 pound bobcat with it including all my tools in the back. Seemed to still have most of it's power. I don't think the camshaft is round yet.
1991 Jeep 4.0, 317k, gave it away two years ago. Still got 18mpg and used no oil, acceleration still there. People are still driving it.
1991 Jeep Laredo 4.0, kids' college car, only 183k but sill runs great.
2001 Chrysler Town and Country, 256k, daily driver, no issues yet with small V-6.
2006 Cobalt,73km no issues yet.
Oil changes every 3000 miles with Fram and Wal-Mart oil, about 99.99% of the time. Are these filters that are exploding being over torqued or other wise installed wrong? I never met a filter on someone elses car that I didn't have to pound off. I don't think they stay on your car long enough to matter one way or the other, just use what you are comfortable with. Now, that said, I'm not saying you should use inexpensive stuff on your on your 900h.p. wheelstander, but keep in mind that some racecars go thru the traps with no oil pessure at all. I remember filters in the '70s that you could stack one, two or three toilet paper rolls in. They might be the best, but who wants to add all that weight to their car?
