Oil Filters for Duratec 3.0L - Part 1

Oil filters for Duratec 3.0L - Part 1

By glenncofregistered member

Oil filters for Duratec 3.0L
Ford’s P/N is F1AZ-6731-BD
September 2006
NOTE: ALL OF THIS IS SUBJECT TO MANUFACTURER CHANGES AND SOURCING ISSUES SUCH AS INVETORY AND SUPPLY LINE CHANGES. IT IS RECOMMENED TO VISUALLY CHECK THE FILTER EACH TIME FROM YOUR SOURCE.
Motorcraft FL-820S (Walmart $2.35, AutoZone $4, PepBoys $5).
This filter appears to be made by Puralator as external construction looks almost identical. The holes in the base are elongated and it uses the preferred Silicon ADBV with S on end of p/n. The bypass valve is in the base. It is speculated by some to have better particle filtration by using the PureONE media.
Champion Labs is an OEM supplier to Ford and is the probable source for the filter that comes on the engine from the factory. They look different (light gray) than the MC. Champion may have a patent on the base bypass design and share it with Ford. I have also read that a Champ version was distributed at some point by Motorcraft as the FL820(S?).
Purolator PremiumPLUS L24651 and PureONE PL24561 ($3.50 / $6 Pepboys)

The construction looks like the FL-820S except the bypass valve in the dome, not the base. Both have the red Silicon ADBV. They are considered by others as moderate flow rate and the PureONE is very well regarded on particle size. They claim 98% multi-pass efficiency for PureONE and claim 10-20um filtration for the lower PremiumPLUS on website. They call the better media Micronic.
Purolator was/is owned by Arvin Meritor who has signed an agreement with Bosch and Mann to sell it and be run as a joint venture. See Watch for any changes.
Bosch Premium 3410 ($6 Autozone)

This was observed to be identical to Purolator with red ADBV and dome bypass. 98% efficiency is claimed on the box (microns?)
WIX 51372, Napa Gold 1372, and Carquest 85372
($3 by case , Napa ~$6, Carquest $7)

WIX (Dana) is well regarded filter company. I looked at the Napa Gold version and the bypass valve is in the dome, the ADBV is red Silicon. WIX website generally claims bypass is in the base but when I checked it was also in the dome. Flow is rated at 11-13gpm, 19 micron nominal, and bypass valve set for 12-15 psi. Right now WIX website says they are using “paper” on the 51372 but I would watch them for improved filtration material.
WIX also has general information on “Glass enhanced” media good down to 10-20um and is specified in some other oil filter applications. They call it “depth” vs. “paper” media. On a Napa web site I found “T-03 Glass Enhanced Media” for the Gold 1372 (FIL1372) and NASCAR version (NFI91372, $3.70) uses “T-52 Synthetic/Cellulose Media” with black ADBV and dome bypass. So who knows ? I’ve emailed Wix twice on this to clarify but no response.
Mobil M1-210 ($11 Pepboys/Kragen)

M1 appears to be the first major brand claiming synthetic filtration. This filter is well regarded by many but may not have the flow rate of the K&N. It has small holes in the base plate and stamped ZZ. Silicon ADBV is there but bypass in the dome and set for 9.5psi. They appear to be made by Champion Labs and claim 99.2% under SAE J1858 Multi-Pass Efficiency Test (microns?).
K&N HP-2010 ($9 online, $12 Kragen/Pepboys)

K&N claims high flow and excellent filtration using phenolic-resin impregnated cellulose. Construction looks identical to the M1 externally and Champion is probable manufacture. Even the ZZ is stamped on the base plate. Red Silicon ADBV and dome bypass. They claim the ”Performance Gold line is from 12-16gpm ‘capable’ of trapping 10-20um.” based on the larger HP3008 filter, so I suspect it’s ~14gpm.
Ford Racing CM-6731-FL820 ($14 online)

Ford says it has Silicon ADBV and Synthetic-Polymer/Cellulose-Fiber blend media.
Champ Labs PH820 (Luberfiner)

($3each+$5 shipping on Amazon.com)
ECORE was a new construction technique which can be seen on their above website. They have a “patent” claimed on integrated bypass/ADBV on the base plate which is also shown. I have not seen a PH820 but I have seen a SuperTech and AC Delco versions. A Champ document claims the design is tested to 96/94% single/dual pass per SAE HS806(10-20um) / J1858(20um) using media 9668.
AC Delco PF1250 ($3.50 Pepboys)

This was found to be a Champion Ecore design. The filter height was reduced by about 20%. It had a thin backplate and a second one added for easing blind installation. The bypass is in the base with black ADBV. The most unusual aspect is you see the pleats inside. A black plastic cage held them in place; maybe 90% open, unlike others using a perforated metal tube. See the diagram of Champ filter on their website above, item labeled “nylon core”. I have also seen a reference to a PF1250CL listed as “Classic Design”.
FRAM PH2 and Pennzoil PZ-42 ($5.50 Kragen)

These appear to be the same with “2S” stamped on the base plate and black ADBV. The bypass appeared to be in the dome and valve may be plastic. The PH2 box claims 96%/94% single/dual pass efficiency per the manufacture, Honeywell, testing to SH806 J1858 spec (microns?). FRAM MH2 ($9 Kragen) physically looked like the PH2 but had a plastic insert in the outlet hole to hold the time release TRT additive for this “high mileage” version.
FRAM TG2 ($7 Kragen, $5 Walmart)
The box claims it is synthetic glass/cellulose filter and has 99% efficiency for >20um per Honeywell testing to SH806 J1858. This Tough Guard had the red Silicon ADBV also. The bypass in the dome is probably plastic and the box said a bypass screen was included.
Baldwin (Parent of Hastings)
Baldwin B329 ($5-6 online), Hastings LF110 ($4), Amsoil SDF-11 (new EAO11 $16), Casite CA-110
The site has a good general discussion on filter media.


Others:
STP S2 ($3.20 Autozone) Champion Ecore design.
SuperTech ST-2 ($2 Walmart brand) Champion Ecore
Carquest 85372 ($7.30) WIX,
Valvoline VO-47 (Champ ?, Maxlife version is Purolator)
Quaker State - QS-2 (QS filter website redirects to Purolator)
Donaldson 550965
Oversized Filter List (check for clearance and applicability)
You should verify seal dimensions before using anything here.
Baldwin # 281...... h 5 9/32"....bpv 20 psi
Carquest # 85087 and 85592 (see Wix below) ~$12-14
Donaldson # p553315 and p550166....h 5." bpv 17-20psi
Fleetguard # lf3315....h 5.61"..bpv=17.4psi
Hastings # LF444...bpv=20psi
Motorcraft # EFL252
Purolator # L30238...h 5.28"...bpv=20psi
Wix #51087...h 5.47"...bpv=19psi
Wix #51592...h 5.214".bpv=18-20psi ($12 at Napa)
Since these are 22x1.5mm metric threaded, perhaps look for European filter manufactures of truck filters.
MY EXPERIENCE
My relevant experience was on a 1997 Chevy Tahoe, 5.7 liter. I ran Castrol 5-10W30 dino for over 100K miles using primarily low-end FRAM filters. OCI was 3000 miles except 3 runs of 6000 miles using Castrol Syntec 5W30. It consumes no oil in 3000 mile changes at 137K miles. It used 2/3 qt during 6000 miles using the Syntec. This was primarily local driving, i.e. a mom’s truck. My conclusion was I could use almost any filter in 3000 mile OCI.
SO WHAT FILTER ? (warning, this is based on lots of opinions)
It depends on what is important to you. In February I got a new vehicle with Ford’s Duratec 3.0l engine and want to get results similar to my Tahoe but using full synthetic 5W20 and 5000 mile OCI. Ford warranty requires 5000 mile OCI. Motorcraft 5W20 blend is recommended by Ford but both dino and full synthetic are accepted.
ADBV – I never had a problem running 5W30 oil with black Nitrile with sideways mounted filter on the 5.7l engine. The red Silicon appears better especially for very hot/cold climates. If I have a problem at start-up I’ll worry about. So silicon ADBV is minor consideration to me for now.
Bypass valve location is better in the base especially if the filter got loaded and ran into bypass a lot. If filter goes into bypass only temporarily, such as start-up and occasional high revving, I don’t care about location since the filter is horizontal in my application. (I would worry if the bypass vavlve was hanging downward with filter base up.) I may care if I was sever duty or hard-driver but then I would then be more concerned about flow rate and bypass psi.
I read some findings on particle count/distribution after 5000 miles showed PureONE media did an excellent job, slightly better than the K&N (caveats abound). A PureONE type filter is expected to have more media stuffed into the can resulting in much lower flow rate. If I’m sever duty or hard-driver, I feel the K&N may be a good trade-off as one Mazda hard-driver (Duratec) indicated better UOA compared to FL-820/PureONE. Then again I may just do OCI at 3000 miles as recommended by Ford for sever duty.
My big concern is filter load-up with these improved media resulting in filter bypass. I have some experiments planned for this but will take awhile to get actual road results

Everything you ever wanted to know about OIL FILTERs with internal views

Filter Scoring System

In addition to my “opinion” rating of the filters, I am attempting to rate the filters based on a scoring system. This is also opinion based, but it provides details to the reasons for my opinions of the different filters. The scores are generated by breaking the filters down into various factors that influence the overall rating and then weighting the factors to achieve an overall score. Here is how I see the various factors and how they figure into the overall rating.
Cost – 20 points
This is straight forward. This factor is worth 20 points. I subtracted the cost of the filter from 20 to calculate the score for this factor. The highest score goes to the Pro-Tec 159 (18.5) and the lowest to the Amsoil Ea011 (4.25). The Motorcraft FL-820S scored 16.72. You might chose a lower rating for this factor, or dismiss it altogether if you want the best filter regardless of cost.
Filter Can Quality – 3 points
There is very little difference in the various filter cans. And this is a relatively unimportant category. All of the filters were either a 3 or a 2. In most cases, if the can used 0.020” thick material, I rated it a 3. If it was less, I rated it a 2. Even though the Amsoil Ea011 Filter had a 0.020” thick can, I rated it a 2 because it had no features to make installation easier (no flutes, flats, or easily gripped surface). The FL-820S scored 3 points in this category.
Base Gasket Design – 3 points
This is another minor category. Most filters were awarded either 1 point or 2 points. I gave the Denso 150-1014 3 points because of its innovative gasket design. All the other filters used similar square section O rings. If the O ring included a lubricant, I awarded the filter 2 points in the category. Otherwise it got 1 point. The FL-820S scored 1 point in this category.
Inner Core Design – 3 Points
I preferred the inner core design of the Purolator, Wix, and Amsoil filters and gave them all 3 points. The other filters that used a metal inner core (including the Motorcraft FL-820S) got 2 points. The Champion labs filters that used a plastic inner core got 1 point.
Retainer Spring Design – 3 points
I prefer the coil spring type retainer. I feel it will be more consistent in providing consistent pressure on the filter element and give the best seal between the filter element and base. Filters that use a coil spring retainer got 3 points. All the others (including the FL-820S) got 2 points.
Anti-Drain Back Valve Design – 15 points
I consider this a very important factor for Ford Overhead Cam Engines. It is probably less important for the old OHV engines. If you ahve an OHV engineyou might want to drop this factor from 15 to 10 points. I rated the ADBVs based on material and design. The Amsoil EaO11 Filter had the best design (in my opinion) and I gave it 15 points. The FL-820S had the next best design and got 14 points. Most of the other “premium” filters with silicone ADBVswere given 11 or 12 points. The Donaldson P550965 had a ADBV similar in design to the Amsoil EaO11but it was molded from nitrile instead of silicone. Therefore I gave it only 10 points. The filters that used the combination ADB and Relief Valve design (Wal*Mart and STP) got the lowest score of 3 points.
Relief Valve Design – 10 points
This is a hard category for me to score. All the filters I have evaluated, except for the Motorcraft FL-820S, have a dome end relief valve design. The FL-820S relief valve is far more elaborate and expensive than the relief valve design used by any of the other filters. So why does Ford go to all this trouble for a relatively inexpensive filter, while all of the other premium filters, including filters that cost 4 times as much make do with a dome end relief valve? I don’t know the answer. I do believe the base end design is the best (well except for the cheaply made combo valves). Interestingly, several of the other manufacturers admit that the base end design might be required by some manufacturers. It seems to me that Ford, by the design of their OEM Filter, is making this a requirement. I can only assume it is not written into the product specifications, since all of the premium filters are claimed to meet OEM specifications. I gave the FL-820S filter 10 points in this category. The filters with the coil spring loaded dome end filter element relief valves got 5 or 6 points. The Fram filters got 3 and 4 points (the TG2 got 4 because of the screen – I am not sure this is justified). The Bosch filter got 3 because I just don’t like the design. The cheap filters with the combined ADB and relief valves got 2 points. If you don’t think the relief valve design or location is particularly important, you might want to rescore this category.
Media - total of 40 points, broken down into four 10 point sub-categories
Now we come to the most important categories. These are the ones that actually relate to the filter media. I don’t have the means to actually test the media; therefore this is a beauty contest more than an actual performance contest. This is the only way I can rate the . I love to hear a suggestion on a better rating method. Rather than have one overall score for the media, I have broken it down into 4 sub-categories worth 10 points each – media volume, media surface area, filter element construction quality, and filter media quality. Therefore the media represents 40% of the total score. This might not seem like enough since the primary purpose of the oil filter is to filter the oil, but the filters don’t differ greatly in the other categories, so the media categories taken together are the deciding factors.
Media Volume – 10 points
This was a straight forward calculation. The filter with the most total media, the Ford Racing CM-6731-FL820 FIlter was awarded 10 points. The other filters were award points based on their total media volume compared to this. The FL-820S got 8 points. The Amsoil EaO11 was only awarded 5 points. I am worried this comparison isnot fair to the EaO11 Filter. All of the other filters had media that was either cellulose or cellulose blended with “synthetic” fibers. It may be that the Amsoil media is so different, a direct comparison of volume is irrelevant.
Media Surface Area – 10 points
More surface area equates to higher flow rates and more contaminant holding ability. The Ford Racing CM-6731-FL820 FIlter was awarded 10 points in this category since it had the greatest surface area. The other filters were award points based on their total media surface area compared to this. The FL-820S was awarded 6 points in this category. Again, because of the unusual media, I am not sure I am being fair to the Amsoil EaO11 Filter (it scored only 4 points).
Filter Element Construction Quality – 10 points
The Amsoil EaO11 Filterhas a very well constructed filter element and I awarded it 10 points. The Donaldson filter element was the same as the Amsoil filter except for the media, so I awarded it 10 points as well. The FL-820S was slightly better made (mostly because of the interface to the ADBV) than the “premium” filters that used metal end caps and was awarded 8 points. All of the other filters that used metal end caps and a glued media seam were awarded 7 points. The Denso filter also was awarded 7 points despite using a metal clip to make the media joint. The Fram filters were awarded 4 points and this was generous given the low quality appearance of the paper end caps and the use of a metal clip to make the media joint. The Wal*Mart and STP filters were awarded 3 points. I just don’t like the poorly bonded fabric end caps.
Filter Media Quality – 10 points
This was strictly my opinion. I liked the Amsoil media and awarded it 10 points. I awarded the FL-820S 8 points. The “premium” filters all got 7 to 9 points. The lowest rated fitler was the Pro-Tec 159 which got 4 points.
And the Winner is…..
I was a little surprised by the results. With cost considered, the Motorcraft FL-820S was the highest rated filter, but not by much. Here are the results:
Filter Mfg / Filter P/N / Total Score (with cost) / Total Score (without cost)
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