[GO4BROKE]

SuperTech ST5

Cost $1.97 -- WalMart
ADBV material: Nitrile
Spring type: leaf
Intake area: 0.345 sq/in (7 of 12)
Filter area: 305 sq/in; 56 pleats (6-7 of 12)
Total Weight: 425 grams (3-7 of 12)
Filter and endcap weight: 5 oz (5-10 of 12)


Physical Rating: 20 (5-7 of 12)

Average pore size: 42.5 µm (3 of 12)
Smallest pore size: 17 µm (5 of 12)
Oil flow @ 10psi: 10.8 oz per minute (9 of 12)


Pore and Flow Rating: 26 (5-6 of 12)



Overall Rating: 46 (6 of 12)

This filter appears to flow well and do an average job of filtration. It appears to be made by Champion and has a solid construction and very similar in physical characteristics to the AC Delco and STP filters.

[ST 5 pictures coming soon]



Fram Extra Guard PH5 Fram website

Cost $2.99 -- Advanced Auto
ADBV material: Nitrile
Spring type: leaf
Intake area: 0.227 sq/in (1-2 of 12)
Filter area: 183 sq/in; 36 pleats (2 of 12)
Total Weight: 400 grams (1-2 of 12)
Filter and endcap weight: 2.5 oz (1 of 12)


Physical Rating: 5 (1 of 12)

Average pore size: 32.5 µm (8 of 12)
Smallest pore size: 14 µm (8-10 of 12)
Oil flow @ 10psi: 4.0 oz per minute (1 of 12)


Pore and Flow Rating: 19 (1 of 12)



Overall Rating: 24 (1 of 12)

This filter appears to have good filtration media but flow poorly. Much of the poor flow rating is due to the small surface area of the filter media.

Note that the Fram PH6606 is the cross-reference to the Merc 35-802885T filter. It is the same size as the Merc filter. However, it was unavailable locally and required a special order for $9. Instead it is compared here to the longer filter PH5 for $3 that was readily available.

Both Frams (EG and TG) had a different design than all the others. Instead of metal ends to hold the filter material in place they had a paper material. Since the leaf spring at the bottom of the filter cannot press against paper, both ends of the filter have holes. The leaf spring has a raised circular form to plug the hole at the bottom of the paper endcap. The black nitrile ADV has a long neck on it that inserts into the hole in the top endcap. The leaf spring holds everything in place.

This filter has the smallest filter area of the large canister filters (except for smaller canister Merc and WIX). The intake holes have the smallest combined area of all filters (both Frams are the same in this regard).



Here are the internals of the PH5 showing the leaf spring that fills the hole of the bottom endcap.



This next photo shows the Fram PH5 internal canister. It has fewer holes than most filters. It has pronounced ribs for strength, although the canister gage appears less than the other filters. One positive design only on the Frams and two other filters (Baldwin and Hastings) is the metal band to crimp the start and stop pleats together. Many filters in this comparison used an adhesive.