Motor Oil Brand vs Pressure?

[EddieC]

Well, I am going to change out the Castrol. The pressure oddity bothers me.
One I have not tried is Valvoline.

 

[15burban]

I'd swap out the oil filter first just out of curiosity. Could be a problem with the bypass valve or something internal on it possibly.

I used to order my oil filters from Walmart and have them shipped to me. I did that up until one filter showed up and the box was already opened and the bottom of it was ripped off. Filter media was out in the open. I didn't take the chance of who knows how long it was like that and who knows if anything got inside so I went and picked out a new one myself. No more having someone else pick out my oil filters for me.

 

[EddieC]

I'd swap out the oil filter first just out of curiosity. Could be a problem with the bypass valve or something internal on it possibly.

I used to order my oil filters from Walmart and have them shipped to me. I did that up until one filter showed up and the box was already opened and the bottom of it was ripped off. Filter media was out in the open. I didn't take the chance of who knows how long it was like that and who knows if anything got inside so I went and picked out a new one myself. No more having someone else pick out my oil filters for me.

That passed my mind. My box was sealed but I can't account for the internals.
I hate changing the filter because it messes on everything down there but I guess the filter should be changed if the oil is changed out to avoid mixing making more ambiguity.

I sure love the vehicles I have with top mounted upside down filters with built in catch basins. That and a ValvoMax makes it fun again.

 

[EddieC]

So I swapped out the PF48 filter for a Napa Gold today and see an immediate 5 psi pressure increase (on the dash gauge) at both idle and cruising speed (2000+ rpm). I'll add that it's good to buy the Napa filters now before tariffs because that thing is clearly marked "Made in China". I don't know about the AC Delco but it is odd that there are a couple lines of writing on the box that appear to be Asian symbols and nothing claiming country of origin.

For the filter change experience I really think that a condition of licensing a vehicle Engineer, he should be required to put in a month of vehicle service. I am tired of the oil filter dribbling up my shirt sleeve. I need a drain cylinder that captures the filter and the leaking oil. My wife gave up her bread crumb container for the effort today but the shirts still ended up in the washing machine!

I got the engine up to temperature but didn't really drive that long so the testing will continue.
I will say that the pressures are less erratic with the Napa filter than the PF48 that was just swapped out for the test.
My particular PF48 might be suspect.

When I get for a long drive I'll know whether to try changing the oil for further testing.

I did have a surprise that probably would be no surprise to others though. I have never really looked at the gauges when the engine is running under remote start and today when I happen to look (before the key was inserted and turned) the oil pressure was "0". WTF???
Oh, and apparently the gas tank had emptied itself.
Chevy designers' sense of humor?

 

[OR VietVet]

PF48 is a China filter, IIRC. Wix makes NAPA Gold oil filters.

 

[EddieC]

PF48 is a China filter, IIRC. Wix makes NAPA Gold oil filters.

So Wix is an import?

 

[j91z28d1]

some napa gold are definitely rebranded wix. but are they wix standard or xp? I don't know. I have a shelf full of different brands of the same filter at work and some seem the same some are different. I'm pretty sure there's a car quest model that's a rebranded wix too. but slowly they are branding everything fram. even though car quest is long gone we still get car quest branded filters from advanced auto haha.



who knows what's what anymore.

 

[OR VietVet]

Napa Gold is standard Wix.

 

[EddieC]

Napa Gold is standard Wix.

Rock Auto is dirt cheap for the name brand Wix filters.

 

[j91z28d1]

I think these guys do the best oil filter testing I've seen. few different videos I the series. but results seem legitimate. they don't just cut filters open and look at them. but measure pressure drop across them and how good they filter out small partials