dusterkid
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Is there any downside to running a smaller oil filter like Wix 51085 vs the larger Wix 51515?
oil filter
- Thread starter dusterkid
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Not at all. Most of us are **** about our cars and we change oil way more and sooner than the average joe.
If you look at new cars/trucks the oil filters are tiny with 5,000 mile intervals.
If you look at new cars/trucks the oil filters are tiny with 5,000 mile intervals.
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Sure there is - but the question is, how much less filtration can you tolerate?
The filter is important in the case of a fresh rebuild but, unless the engine is self destructing (in which case you are in trouble) I do not believe it is working very hard. I think we could get by with a tiny filter, as long as it flowed enough oil.
Mike
Mike
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I'm admittedly a bit fastidious with oil changes (dates matter more to me on Fred the GTX, since miles
aren't being put on him enough really) but I tell you what - I can't ever recall doing an oil change on
any of my vehicles where the oil came out as clean as it went in new.
That alone tells me I need at least as much filtration as these engines came with, if not a bit more.
aren't being put on him enough really) but I tell you what - I can't ever recall doing an oil change on
any of my vehicles where the oil came out as clean as it went in new.
That alone tells me I need at least as much filtration as these engines came with, if not a bit more.
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I usually use the shorter filter on my big blocks because of limited room around lower rad hose. Like someone else said, we change our oil more often than really needed. No more Fram!
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Smartest part, right there. Fram hasn't been Fram in a long time now....
I dunno, a lot of folks fuss about difficulties with big block filters, but I don't find them
particularly troublesome myself and if not for the pressure drop associated with it, I'd
actually consider trying to fit an even longer filter in there actually.
Bottom line is there's a lot of filter brands in stores out there that need to be avoided.
Lots if information out there on the innerwebs on the subject.
Me, I stick with Hastings or Baldwin, two of the better brands left.
I had to go with a shorter filter due to headers. I get the MOPAR filters; but are SAME common type as say FRAM. I change the oil every spring and I think the most miles I've ever driven before a change has been around 1500 miles. If I had the luxury of shorter winters, I'd be more fussy though.
My supercharged 340 runs the very small filter that fits Neon and Ford Escort. It's been running this size since 1991. been to 7000 rpm many times. It's never hurt anything.
Doug
Doug
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I almost didn't want to say this because many might be outraged.
The WIX 51516 for a Chrysler PT cruiser Turbo charged.
I have been running these and other brands such as Purolator Gold for the same car.
My PT is now 17 years old. I also run these on every Mopar I got or have had. Slant six,all the way up to a cross ram 472 Hemi.
Small case but thick housing,able to withstand the turbo beatings these engine take.
The WIX 51516 for a Chrysler PT cruiser Turbo charged.
I have been running these and other brands such as Purolator Gold for the same car.
My PT is now 17 years old. I also run these on every Mopar I got or have had. Slant six,all the way up to a cross ram 472 Hemi.
Small case but thick housing,able to withstand the turbo beatings these engine take.
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There's a great episode on Engine Masters 'the Great Oil Filter challenge'
(or something like that)
about flow, pressure & hp (+ or - marginal #s)
K&N HP-3001 Gold (1 qt) won the consensus of spin-on filter wars,
best filtration vs pressure/flow
Wix (IIRC) was good too, just not as good as advertised micron/filtration, in microns,
that gave the edge to the K&N, all 3 agreed after testing...
yes there is a difference in filters
they tested a GM/Delco small filter 1/2 qt, it did well, nothing special
better than I would have thought
(or something like that)
about flow, pressure & hp (+ or - marginal #s)
K&N HP-3001 Gold (1 qt) won the consensus of spin-on filter wars,
best filtration vs pressure/flow
Wix (IIRC) was good too, just not as good as advertised micron/filtration, in microns,
that gave the edge to the K&N, all 3 agreed after testing...
yes there is a difference in filters
they tested a GM/Delco small filter 1/2 qt, it did well, nothing special
better than I would have thought
68-500
Well-Known Member
As big of filter that I can fit on every vehicle I own. The little ones most likely don’t affect flow because they go into bypass sooner than a larger filter with more media. Why run a filter if it’s bypassing?
It'll only bypass if it's restricted. It's only restricted if it's dirty. The bypass setting on the 51516 is 16 psi. All other Wix filters that fit Mopar V-8 (small or large) are 8-11 psi bypass. Including the 51515R race filter.
Doug
68-500
Well-Known Member
I’m no expert this just the thoughts of a blue collar farm boy turned lineman.
Sure, dirty oil, cold oil, a high rpm event where the pump moves more oil than the media can flow, filter can bypass. Being thats there is not a indicator for when it is in bypass, I will error on the side of caution and use a big filter with lots of media when 1 is available. Feel free it use a tiny cute little filter its your engine.
51515 R also has a media that filters at a larger micron rating, thus flowing more oil, less likely to bypass.
Sure, dirty oil, cold oil, a high rpm event where the pump moves more oil than the media can flow, filter can bypass. Being thats there is not a indicator for when it is in bypass, I will error on the side of caution and use a big filter with lots of media when 1 is available. Feel free it use a tiny cute little filter its your engine.
51515 R also has a media that filters at a larger micron rating, thus flowing more oil, less likely to bypass.
I went with the K & P billet aluminum filter.
Sometimes clearance is an issue. This engine has run the "tiny cute little filter" since 1991. Street car with plenty of 11.0 passes on it. I'm may not qualify as an expert either. But I do have a lot of experience building race motors over the last 30 years. Worked in the automotive repair field starting in 1974 as a ASE Certified Master Tech until 2021.
Doug
68-500
Well-Known Member
Just curious. Whats causing the clearance issue on that engine? Looks like a manual steering box. The crank pulley doesn’t look to be interfering. Lower rad hose is the same Im guessing, I can’t see clearly on my phone.
It's a smallblock.
I do agree with more filtration surface area.
But also agree that it's hard to conclude that a small filter will destroy a motor.
The headers. Bigger filter fits fine. But you can't pull it out of the headers once it's off.
Doug
moparx
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everything i own uses a wix 51515 filter.
my charger, my "bus" [1999 caravan with the 3.3 engine], and my wife's 1994 chrysler concorde with the 3.5 engine.
i know these are the "big" filter, but what can it really hurt ?
i buy these filters by the case, so if "one size fits all", why not ?
just my personal life experience.
your mileage will vary.
my charger, my "bus" [1999 caravan with the 3.3 engine], and my wife's 1994 chrysler concorde with the 3.5 engine.
i know these are the "big" filter, but what can it really hurt ?
i buy these filters by the case, so if "one size fits all", why not ?
just my personal life experience.
your mileage will vary.
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