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The D-Max 2019 Fuel Filter Shootout... Pt 2 !

73K views 286 replies 54 participants last post by  skeeter_tzx 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok, the testing has begun! PLEASE do not comment until I tell you it's safe to do so, OK! Otherwise, the thread will turn into a big mess.

First, the rig and the way the test's were conducted.

Here is the rig, its gravity fed and filters were tested in the following manor.


1. A gallon of clean diesel was run through the filter to wet all filter media before the test. Also, for filter test #2 and beyond, this first gallon of clean fuel also flushes out anything left after the previous test.

2. All filters are tested at gravity fuel feed speed. I decided to do this instead of a fixed flow rate. I did this as most all these filters have aprox the same filtering area. If one filters flow rate in slower, then it's safe to assume it's micron rating might be smaller, or if a filter flows fast, it's micron rating might be bigger. I use the word "might" as who knows the actual micron rating. Getting legit answers from the filter makers was nearly impossible. All filters had 1 gallon of diesel, and 8 oz of dyed water. The funnel was always held at the same height to create the same "head pressure" I tried to repeat each test in exactly the same way. I also tried to take enough photos to record everything, but due to time and blue diesel covered hands, it was hard to take enough photos or "action shots". The filters were tested in random order except for filter #1 , The AC Delco filter.

3. Some filters are "One Stage" filters, some are Two. Some filters are barrier or absorbent type filters, some are coalescing filters. For our purpose, the term coalescing means "To gather up". It collects micro droplets or water, to combine them into larger droplets that fall to the bottom of the filter. Some filters are both barrier AND coalescing as I found out. There are many surprizes ahead.

4. I will use "percentages " of trapped water. These are in no way scientific measurements. The photos speak for themselves. If you want to apply your own percentages to the images, by all means do. I was going to try to makes this more scientific than it turned out being.... with all the holidays and my workload, I decided to just get it done. All collection trays were propped up at a angle for 5 minutes to let the water settle and combine into larger droplets. Sorry to those expecting more. As it was, testing under these parameters took all day.

So........ here we go!!
 
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#2 ·
I decided to test the AC Delco filter first.... as many believe its the best there is. It's a dual element type ( Large primary element and a smaller secondary element) Both elements are the coalescing type. Here you can see the contaminated diesel going in, and the pure , clean diesel flowing out. Flow rate for this filter was among the slowest of the filters tested. I rank it's flow as "Slow" , meaning the test took 4 -5 minutes to complete.


How did it do? Outstanding!! My eagle eye judged this filter as 99.9% efficient at removing all the water. After sitting for 5 minutes, no microdroplets refromed into larger, visible droplets. Good job AC Delco!!



When the filter was drained, all the water was found in the filter sump, as you would expect in a coalescing type filter.

 
#3 · (Edited)
Filter #2 tested was the Premium Guard. A inexpensive filter from either China or Korea, depending on what day it is. I did not get any action shots of this filter... sorry. Flow rate was judged as High. This means the test took 2 minutes or less.

So how did it do? Pretty good, considering it's price point!


My guesstimate is 97% efficient.

But here's where it got kind of weird. When I drained the filter, it contained nothing but clean diesel!!



So where did the water go?


I left the filter inverted for a few minutes and the water trickled out. Appearantly this filter traps the water between the can, and the exterior of the outer element. This type of media is a barrier media that wont let water through. Holding water against the can is bad for rusting, and once the void is full of water, I dont know if the filter will continue to function. The Premium Guard is not recommended .
 
#4 ·
Test #3 was the FRAM. Fram did very poorly in the oil filter shootout, lets see how they do here.

So far so good. Clean fuel flowing nicely. Fuel flow scored as Medium.

After sitting 5 minutes, the basin had a few droplets. I judged this at 99.5 % efficient.


I dont have the spread sheet in front of me, but I remember it being real expensive. Costs more that the Delco, and pass's more water... no thanks.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Test # 4 is the Luberfiner, from Champion Labs. Some may remember all the issues with the Mobil 1 oil filter, also from Champion Labs. Well, I had some questions regarding this filter from the get go, as the advertising shown it as a 2 stage filter, when its made as a single stage filter. Some may also remember Mr. Otis Ferguson from Champion, and the way he looked into that issue.

Well, Mr. Ferguson was of no help this time. Maybe he got his ass chewed last time, or maybe he was told by the bean counters not to respond. We'll never know.

What I can tell you is this filter is made very poorly. I had a real problem even screwing the drain into the filter. It was a chore and I had to use tools to screw it in,a nd tools again to screw it out. The threads got all boogered up and needed attention before I could use the drain again.

How did it test? Poorly as well.


Shortly after the test began, I could see droplets forming in the drain hose!

Once the test was complete, the basin told the story. Lots of water.

I think if I let it sit longer, even more water would collect. This is a single element coalescing filter thats not worth buying, at any price... pass.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Test # 5 Next up was the Baldwin RED.... lot's of discussion on this filter in Pt 1 of the shootout, lets see how it did!


Excellent! I'd give this a 99% efficiency rating. Flow rate was judged as Low (do you see a pattern developing on flow rate vs. efficiency yet).

Draining the element revealed it to be a coalescing type filter, even though it's only a single element



Like their oil filter, this is a no frills, good performer.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Test # 6, The Baldwin Gold filter... WARNING, shocker ahead!

So I'm taking it out of the package and giving it the once over and I start thinking to myself... " Damm, I know why Baldwin discontinued this filter, it must have cost a fortune to make! It's heavy, the packaging it great ( it comes shrink wrapped, and under the shrink wrap the filter head has a snap on plastic cover.) The drain assembly threads are perfect! Screwing it in feels like a ARP nut and bolt going together. Just a wonderful filter. This thing is going to perform great right? " WRONG!

This filter passed allot of water. Very dissapointing!


Flow rate was also very high.

When I took it off the test rig, the sealing oring stayed in place on the center post of the filterhead.



I peeled it off the center post, and set it back in the filter. It fit loosely. I dont know if water was flowing across this poor fit, or if the elements themselves are poor. All I know is Baldwin was right to discontinue this filter, it's a dud.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Test #7, The Racor. Shocker # 2 !!!

This filter is thought to be a clone of the AC Delco filter, and I can tell you with allot of confidence that this is simply not the case!

I have seen both of them disassembled, and they look identical. The testing proves otherwise.

First, the flow rate.. The AC Delco filter flows on the slow side, while this is med to high flow in comparison.

What was in the basin.... water!

Not much, but WAY more than the Delco!!

It's marketed as a coalsecing filter, so all the water must be in the filter sump... right?



Nope, about half was in the sump, and about half was trapped on the outside of the primary element much like the Premium Guard filter. When I inverted the Racor,it came out ( Sorry, In my dumbfounded state, I forgot to snap that photo)

So while these filters look identical, and are thought to be the same, they are very different and the AC Delco takes the prize over the Racor.

The Delco also cost's more, so you are paying for more filter. The AC Delco oil filter also was a good performer.

Some guys take allot of heat for buying "Factory Filters" when the aftermarket ones are supposedly better. Nope. This OEM filter is worth the extra $$$$$
 
#9 · (Edited)
Test # 8, the JFiF from China. In Pt 1 we saw what a POS this filter was. The outer element is too small to fit the can, so they hot glue it in place so it does not rattle, but that does not fix the gaps in the flow path.... we all know what was going to happen.... but I did the test anyways, and here it is!


Water coming in.... water coming right back out..... FAST!



Real fast!!! STOP THE TEST!!! STOP THE TEST!!!!

This filter is the biggest POS in the history of filtration..... ever!

BUT..... I also had a epic fail as my whole test rig is now contaminated with water. I knew this test was going to have this outcome, so it should have been performed last.

Now I need to take everything apart and scrub it clean before any more testing can occur.

But, this serves as a nice stopping point to discuss what I have posted thus far.

In my opinion, at this point in the testing, is that the AC Delco filter is vastly superior to any filter on the market. There is no reason to use anything else, with the exception on the RED Baldwin. Some folks are very loyal to Baldwin, or get them for free or at a discount at work. While I'm not a big fan of its single element design, it does a great job at removing water. Lets hope it removes debris as well too.

LET THE DISCUSSIONS BEGIN!
 
#10 · (Edited)
Bob, Thanks for taking your time and doing this test. Very good info for all to keep there duramax's running longer. Glad I have that Delco installed. But I would be happy to use those red Baldwin BF46062's i have, if needed. Would like to see how the Donaldson P550833 would perform.
 
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#11 ·
Did you ever come to a conclusion whether or not any of the filters were counterfeit? Or was it just design changes?
 
#15 ·
Typo
Post 8 should be #7
 
#18 ·
Old skool there People....

click on the thread tools tab, click to subscribe.....easier than typing out and also the biggie.....everyone else doesn't waste bandwidth in anticipation of seeing new info added....only to see an unfulfilling 'subscribed' posted. :frown2:
 
#20 ·
No....every time you click on a new post, it loads all of the pics that came before it.
Even if it was the min 3 characters, it wastes data (not everyone's on unlimited) to open the latest post.
 
#21 · (Edited)
your phone should be caching the page data (mostly images) and only loading new elements on the page, however i was just being a smart ass anyway. If you have caching turned off, and are on a limited plan you may want to turn it on as it will save the pictures from the page to your device so that you dont have to re-download them each time you view the page.


i bet the 1900 x 400 adds at the top of the page do a lot more damage to your bandwidth though then a sub post. not to mention all the tracking content build into this site.

Additionally, to put the full scope of this sites data use in perspective. I have a tab running in chromes dev mode monitoring network resources. Loading the home page of the site cleanly with no cache data takes 1.6 MB. after letting the tab sit for a couple minutes i have now reached 24 MB (and continuously growing with no end in sight), the delta is all ads and tracking traffic. If bandwidth was anyones concern here, this site would be built MUCH differently.
 
#22 ·
I seem to recall results like this with the air filters too when comparingnoem to aftermarket. If it trapped dirt well, it was a more restrictive filter. If it passed more dirt, it was a better flowing filter. Theres always a trade off between performance and function. I may end up going back to a stock fuel filter yet, will have ro see what happens with the donaldson.

Eager for the coming results as usual Bob :)
 
#23 ·
Theres a part of me that wonders if there is some intent here in the design side of the filter. A more open filter would naturally flow more fuel, at first. But over time, it would plug up and may actually start filtering, but more importantly, would be less likely to plug up if not serviced. Perhaps we are in the minority on frequent filter changes, and the cheapo ones work fine if you leave them on the truck for 3 years at a time?

Imagine one of the low flow filters tested put in that same situation? odds are good it would either pack full of crud and prevent flow, or it would tear the element open to flow bypass.
 
#24 ·
Just changed my fuel filter from a Baldwin to a Racor after the recent discovery we had where some of the red Baldwin's were actually single element. Looks like I should have gone ACDelco. I'll wait on that change until my regularly scheduled maintenance since I have the filters on my lift pump.
 
#30 · (Edited)
hey.... at last you weren't running the ijij or whatever filter.


Thank you Bob for the time you put into this.

I spoke with Racor and they tell me both the PFF50216 and TP3018 are both built exactly the same. Obviously your testing showed some results that might say otherwise. What is the probability that maybe your test methods were not 100% accurate between each filter ?
I would say there is a fair degree of error in the setup, however that error is randomly distributed and unbiased towards any particular filter. that error would be in flow rates and pressure which given the wide range our trucks run at from vacuum to +8 PSI, im not sure that plays a significant factor in the test. Since the test was "will X filter remove water from fuel" the results are pretty clear even without exact measurements. Since the purpose was not to determine how much water is separated, but instead which filter separates the most, i feel like the setup was sufficient to produce that result with a fair degree of accuracy.
 
#29 ·
Thank you Bob for the time you put into this.

I spoke with Racor and they tell me both the PFF50216 and TP3018 are both built exactly the same. Obviously your testing showed some results that might say otherwise. What is the probability that maybe your test methods were not 100% accurate between each filter ?
 
#31 ·
TWhat is the probability that maybe your test methods were not 100% accurate between each filter ?
It is 100% probable that there were inconsistencies in my testing due to a number of factors.

What doesnt change is the observed flowrates between the filters at the same funnel height / head pressure and that the Delco caught 100% of the water in the center filter sump, and the Racor did not.


This is the AC Delco filter drain basin. 100% of the water was caught in drainable filter sump




This was the Racor. Half in the drainable part of the filter. Half was caught between the outer element and the can. It was only drainable by inverting the filter and having the fuel go back through the inlet slots.

No way my testing methods can influence that
 
#37 ·
The company I work for has used Wix filters for years on everything, pickups, big trucks, heavy equipment, the tractor we mow the lawn with, compressor engines, pipe benders, our 3,000 gallon bulk fuel tanks, air, fuel, engine oil, hydraulic oil....you get my point. Never had an issue with them. Not trying to start an argument, just stating my experience :thumb
 
#38 ·
Did you turn the red Baldwin over and have water come out of the top also or did the drain let it all out. I have some white 46062 filters that are still the 2 stage. Did you have a 46062 in 2 stage to test also?
 
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