Does Lab-Tested Equal Installer-Worthy?
Continued

Two recent physical examples of this spin-on oil filter standardization are the collaboration on 22-mm oil filter releases from the Detroit Three covering Ford/Motorcraft FL500, General Motors/AC Delco PH48 and Chrysler/Mopar MO-231. While the Ford and Chrysler filters are identical in height and thread size/pitch, the General Motors version is slightly shorter, but is still standardized on the 22-mm thread. Such collaboration in the recent release of a “standard” oil filter platform across all new 2008-2009 and later vehicles is unprecedented! In fact, USCAR states as its mission, “…the power of collaboration…[enabling] the U.S. automakers to do great things efficiently and effectively. Individually, these same tasks would be far more difficult, potentially redundant.”

There are other changes occurring behind the scenes as well, beyond the collaboration of the Detroit Three in standardizing new filters to a common size and threading. Existing filters are undergoing evaluation for commonality between sizes and threads to determine if redundancy can be identified and older, less popular numbers can be consolidated.

One example of the USCAR Spec initiative is the reduction in size for 80-mm oil filters down to the very popular 65-mm diameter units. Following the lead of Honda, Subaru, Toyota and others, fewer 80-mm filter applications exist today compared to 10 years ago. These manufacturers realized years ago that they could achieve the same filtration performance results with a common 65-mm filter.

Prove It

A driving factor behind a reduction in filter size and/or filter SKUs is a guarantee of the efficiency performance of the filter media itself. In order to provide these guarantees, the filter manufacturers and their distributor partners must be able to undeniably qualify the performance of the product. Today, this testing is commonly done through the use of a benchmark performance test in a laboratory environment.

One commonly accepted test for the establishment of performance is the ISO4548-12 Multipass Efficiency Test used today by OEs to qualify the use of a manufacturer’s product on the vehicle. The ISO4548-12 test gives the manufacturer, distributor and installer the easy-to-understand “micron rating” benchmark for one-oil-filter-versus-another comparative product. This micron rating states how well the oil filter performs in removing harmful particle sizes of various micron sizes (e.g. 10, 20, 25).

Today’s engines are designed to exacting specifications, making them perform better and last longer, but also exposing them as vulnerable to harmful, smaller particles that are even more critical to remove. Coupled with lighter-weight, lower-viscosity fluids, the importance of a proven, efficient oil filter becomes more critical. At these smaller, harder-to-trap particle sizes, the micron rating differences between oil filters become more and more distinct (see graph).

To understand and accept any reduction in filter size or SKU offering, a filter manufacturer should be put to the test. In other words, can they demonstrate using an ISO4548-12 test that their product is capable of meeting the efficiency expectations for today’s engine environments? Without such assurances, installers should ask themselves and their suppliers some even more pointed questions about the product stocked on the parts room shelf.

PATRICK SULLIVAN is Mighty’s director of Underhood Programs. Sullivan has been with Mighty since 2005, and has 17 years experience in the automotive, electronics and medical device markets, focusing on new product introduction, product rationalization and high-speed manufacturing processes.

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