Interesting new information here.. I run wix filters on all my daily cars, and we have no issues with long pump time after a cold restart, but those are all vertical mount filters. ON the dyno, we would not see this, but I should do some testing on my run stand, where I can let it sit overnight. I just had a couple motors on it, with wix filters, that did go thru a few cold restarts, but don't recall any issues.. I will pay more attention here in the future. Get a baldwin filter in here and do a back to back test. JW
Factory appearing or not, I run K&P Engineering oil filters. They're physically small but do a fantastic job with way less restriction than a paper element filter. I like these filters so much that I became a dealer for them. Read about them here, K and P Engineering Click the "Technical Info" tab and read. Here is the filter that fits our BBB, "S16", S16 – K and P Engineering It would be possible to make an original filter "cover" out of an OEM style filter body and cover this "state of the art filter" to make it appear period correct and un-modified. Anyone interested in one, I can offer a price break from the MSRP prices listed on the S16 page. A bright natural finish one is about $175 and the black anodized version is about $185, plus shipping. Keep in mind that these are cleanable, inspectable and reusable for "life", so this would be the last filter you'll ever need to buy for your vehicle...... plus the peace of mind of superior oil filtration and no "bypassing" unfiltered oil.
Thanks to all that input this thread. I, too, have been a WIX user on all of our vehicles and noticed that the oil pressure gage on the Buick was taking way longer to come up than it used to when cold. I could tell the oil was draining back and the valve feature not working as designed. It's very concerning while waiting for full system pressure as that's when lots of wear occurs and these old motors already wear out fast enough without help from the outside world. Apparently WIX was acquired by Mann Hummel back in May 2016 - another US company now owned by off-shore giants. Damn.
I used to use System 1 filters.........they are a good filter far superior to the paper elements, but I believe that K&P filters are even better. (Plus the physical size helps in a lot of tight applications). They utilize a proprietary stainless-steel mesh for proper filtration AND flow. The following aircraft article is a good read and an impartial explanation of the function of the K&P filters............... A Permanent Solution - KITPLANES
Another thing I noticed when changing out the Wix the other day….. I held the filter horizontal, just less than half full of oil so that oil would not come out of the threaded center hole to check the anti drainback function and it was allowing oil to escape through the smaller holes. So with this filter at least, the anti drainback was no longer functioning.
Didn’t read everything but 1258 Napa is the same size. Looked at this the other week. So maybe my stock is an old original size.
Great, I finally find a good filter company, with a good web site for applications. I've been maintaining 2-4 classics, 4 Ford trucks, an international 4700 class 8, and a few modern daily drivers. Now they sell out to the bean counters and I'm sure the quality will suffer for profit.
Watching closely… as I use the NAPA Gold or Platinum (Wix or Wix HP) filters in almost everything here. I do have a K&N on the shelf for the GS, but it’ll be spring before I change the oil next.
Yup Fred, in the profit first society we now live in, it's the way things are going. Especially in the auto industry. Everything is being gobbled up by holding companies, whose only concern is profit margin. The mantra is buy a name brand, cut costs on production any way possible, continually raise prices and then ride that name at max profit margin till it's value declines, and then sell it off or liquidate it. We are seeing it industry wide right now. Really bad with pistons.. there are basically two outfits that have bought up all the old time performance piston companies.. My Diamond pistons have gone up nearly 40% in the last two years, after years of very stable pricing when they were owned by the founder and his family.. The increase started before the current spike in inflation, but just after Diamond was acquired by Race Winning Brands, which is simply a holding company. Another large price increase is set for Jan 1. In the price sheet they sent out, only custom pistons are listed, I am afraid they have done away with what is known as "shelf stock", which is the category that all my proprietary Stroker pistons fall under. If this is the case, then I will be done with Diamond, since the new prices will be double the cost of just a few years ago. That's a price increase that will hurt my sales, so I will go looking elsewhere. Most of us just figure they are going to keep raising prices to milk the most money out of the well known brands they own, until customers flee due to high pricing, at which time they will consolidate all piston manufacture offshore, and liquidate all the brands they have purchased in the last few years. Or worst yet, they will start selling a "generic" off shore piston under the well known name brands. RWB owns Diamond, JE, and Wiseco. I just heard that Race-tec/Auto-tec was recently sold to a holding company.. The upside is that once they burn down the old brand names, and consolidate piston manufacture in one location (very likely offshore) then it opens the door for a new Piston company, to make quality USA made product. Engine builders in general are a tight knit bunch, and we will gravitate to new quality offerings when they become available. The latest piston company that sprang up here a few years ago is DSS Racing, I have spoken with the owner several times, but currently they don't have the dies to make any piston with a large enough diameter for our Buicks. He keeps saying they are going to get into making the bigger pistons, but like everything else, the events of the last few years have slowed that progress. JW
A silly hyporthetical question.. With all this disappointing news about lack of good pistons and higher costs would you have issue with building a engine today with the back in the day over the counter Stage 2 forged pistons? Were they streetable at all and did they really give a true 11 to 1 comp ratio with no decking..
I've actually done it.. about 15 years ago we ran across a set of unused Stage 2 pistons.. In fact a complete NOS shortblock, with the standard slugs replaced with Stage 2 pistons.. Built a very authentic Iron head Stage 2 motor for a guy out in California for his 70 GSX. Rob Sarlan was the guys name.. not sure if he still has it, I know he was talking about selling it at one point. The only thing that was not over the counter Stage 2 correct was the cam.. We did not have one, and I would not have used it anyway if we did. Too much for the street.. Pistons are more than 11-1 with the typical .010 in the hole blueprint build. More like 12-1 Had to run a .055 gasket, pistons .043 in the hole because his Iron Stage 2 heads were 58cc. Came out at just shy of 11-1. Made just north of 500 HP on the dyno, with a very streetable flat tappet hyd cam. JW
I found this video on another website in regards to the Wix filters (Old vs. New): Skip to the 9 minute mark for the final analysis.
I actually watched that video before buying my small batch of WIX filters for the Electra and LTC. I hate to say this. Both WIX oil filters I’m referencing were manufactured right here in the US in North Carolina. While Mann+Hummel is printed on each box. Neither filter has Mann+Hummel printed on them. I bought these filters this summer. Thought, surely the quality control still had to be good, as numerous YouTubers blindly recommend and use them. Well, Shirley was wrong! If you notice in his video, both of the filters show the center threaded steel plate is firmly butted up to the outer crimped plate. The two WIX filters I pulled from the Electra and LTC, as well as the unused ones I still have. There is a considerable gap between the threaded center steel plate and the outer plate that’s crimped to the can body. It is that gap that leaks. Going to perform some testing with RTV, rubber hose and water. Will video findings and post. In the meantime, here’s pics of the filters I’m referencing and will be testing.
WIX filter for my ‘70 Electra 225. WIX filter for my ‘05 LTC w/ 4.6L V8 and ‘06 F250 w/ 6.8L V10. These two filters for the Lincoln/Ford vehicles. The one on the left leaks, while the one on the right does not. Both purchased same day from same place as the top filter for the Buick. Which also leaks.
I am not doubting the information here, but am wondering what keeps that gap from closing up, when you tighten the filter. Could it simply be incorrect tightening of the filter is causing these issues? Your performing testing in a "not as in use" condition. In the testing world, this is generally a no-no.. I would cut one of those filters up, right down the middle, length-ways.. this will section it so you can study and see if it is possible that the gap your seeing, closes up when you properly tighten the filter. Actually you can cut it conventionally with an oil filter cutter, and then simply cut the top in half to inspect. The no doubt test would be to take an oil filter housing, and cut inspection windows in the housing, then screw the filter on, tighten to spec (tighter than a lot of guys think, you should have to use the wrench) and perform your pressure and drainback testing. Just playing devils advocate.. I think that due to perception now, if nothing else, I will start shipping my new motors with Baldwin filters on them, and will change my recommendation for an oil filter to one of the available cleanable units, for all hot rods and other cars that don't need a factory appearing oil filter. JW
