GOLD72

When GM obsoleted the PF44 in favor of the new PF46 over a half dozen years ago, the reason I remember is that the PF46 had upgraded internals or upgraded filtering media. I may have wrongly assumed that to mean a change to synthetic media. My bad if the standard Delco is still cellulose (paper) media.

jft69z

So because I have a bunch of free time due to a recent shoulder surgery, I decided it was time to cut open a few oil filters & see what's inside of them.

I had a few PF48 & a case of UPF48R in stock for the ZR1 because my parts guys made me an offer on the case of them I couldn't refuse, so sacrificing a clean new one isn't going to break the bank. My local NAPA donated the equivalent versions (Platinum 47060 & Gold 7060) because the manager, Tom wants to know what's inside also. He wanted to see the real deal and if the parts reps are blowing smoke about their filter quality...

It took a bit of time due to being able to use one arm, but I have nothing but time to kill.

So it appears at least visually that the UPF48R & PF48 use the same type of media. The UPF appears to have a different drainback valve than the standard PF as well. Silicone vs nitril maybe? The UPF filter media is a bit shorter, but is wider than the standard PF48 & the metal case of the PF actually fits inside of the UPF. The tension spring to keep everything in place is a bit different, but appears to function the same.

All 4 filters do have a built in bypass valve with the specs on the NAPA website saying it's set at 12 psi and a total filter flow rate of 10-12 gpm for both versions

The NAPA Platinum says it is a "wire reinforced, fully synthetic media" and use a silicone drainback valve. This one is obviously a different material than both of the GM filters. The NAPA Gold filters use a "Glass Enhanced Cellulose Media" and silicone valve. Both of these state made in USA and made by WIX on the box.


I will get a Mobil1 m113 in the future & cut it up, but it won't happen for a few days.

In all, they all appear to be well made & the case thickness on the UPF48R & NAPA Platinum are noticably thicker to accomodate the dry sump oil systems as in the ZR1 & other models. I had been looking for quite awhile and can't seem to find anything that stated the UPF48R filtered better or had a synthetic media, just something on GM Techlink that said the case was stronger for the higher oil pressure & the other internals were the same as the standard PF-48. Twice in this article below, it states that the internals are the same for the UPF48 & PF48 versions. Once in the oil filter section & once at the very bottom of the page in the dry sump oil section.

http://www.archivedsites.com/cgi-bin...gs=10&limit=20


On to the pictures:









UPF48R & NAPA synthetic elements:





Inside the UPF48R (PF48 is about the same):




The reinforcing screen they were talking about inside the NAPA Platinum:



Internal oil bypass valves:

JoesC5

I think I read somewhere that sometimes the synthetic material is used in conjuction with a cellulose material. The cellulose material is used to physically support the much finer synthetic material by layering them.

From Donaldson's website...

"....nanofiber webs have been applied onto various substrates. Substrates are selected to provide appropriate mechanical properties to allow pleating, filter fabrication, and durability in use. Substrates are often chosen to resemble conventional filter materials, which allows the use of conventional filter media pleating and element handling equipment."

That might explain why the filtering media in both the UPF48R and the PF48 appear to be the almost the same. I see a slight color varation.

It's very old but this link does discuss the Ultraguard filter UPF44 that was availible for the LS1/6 and then dropped. http://www.shoclub.com/news.php?extend.6 Going to the present ACDelco website, I can not find any mention of a Duraguard oil filter even though we know they offer one(UPF48R) thus no officail "specs". At one time, several years ago, they did have the Duraguard on their website and the specs said it had synthetic media and filtered down to 10 micons. I wonder why they don't show the specs on it now?

I'm sticking with the Mobil1 and the K&N filters, as they do give me the details on their filters.

jbomx363

Thanks for your efforts jft69z

jft69z

I dunno Joe, none of them look like the white NAPA full synthetic . I also cut open a PF47 initially & just went out in the shop to look again. They all look the same color, including the NAPA Gold - yellow colored element. Probably just the camera angle. The look & texture of all the yellow colored elements are all the same. Obviously if they're nano treated or such, there would be no way to tell by eyeballing it.

I looked all over too & couldn't find anything on the GM or Delco websites regarding Ultraguard filters, just the info from the GM Tech Link site I already listed . Now they are calling the regular blue ones "Professional" on the box instead of Duraguard. They looked the same to me in the store today as they had a couple of each. I'll go shopping tomorrow for a M1 filter.

There's not much else to do, I can't drive the toys with stick shifts due to the surgery. Plus there's over 1000 channels on TV & there's nothing on....

JoesC5

Looking at Donaldson's website where they show blownup pics of the nanofiber applied to a wet cellulose substrate, I doubt if one could see the nanao filbers with the naked eye.

Like the SHO link I provided, it looks like they downgraded the "UltraGuard" filter before they dropped it back in the early 2000's.

Could be that the PF48 and the UPF48R are the same except for the thicker shell and thicker endplate on the UPF48R. They sure have dropped all mention of a synthetic filtering media and filtering down to 8-10 microns like they did in the past specs they showed on the UltraGuard oil filters. Of course, dropping the "UltraGuard" name and going with the "Professional" name means they aren't misrepresenting their products. It's now a new product with new specs.


I think that if I'm paying a premium price for a filter, I want a premium filter, like the Mobil1, or the K&N, not just a thicker shell on a standard oil filter.

Goatdad

because car owners know where and how they will be using their cars and "the people that designed the car" design it for any and all conditions ie: sitting at idle in 116 degree heat for hrs. or the exact opposite conditions.

jft69z

The part that made me laugh when looking at the old "Duraguard' & new "Professional" filters today in the store...... the GM part number is the same 89017542, lol.
(The "Duraguard" is the old name for the plain blue variety PF48, Ultraguard is still used on the UPF48R).

At any rate, I have 10 left in the case of UPF48R filters, I'll be using them for awhile.

eshuber

Thx for the oil filter autopsy!
My understanding is GM used the PF48 on the Z06 from 06 to 08 and then switched to the
UPF48R in 09. Its speculated that GM wanted to use the same filter on all dry sump engines made at Wixom(due to minimizing parts inventory?).

Wass

^ That's how I understand it too. When the ZR1 came out in 2009, GM used one oil filter for the ZR1 and Z06.

JoesC5

True, but they used up the remaining inventory of PF48's (over a thousand) on early built 09 Z06's. My June 2008 built 09 came with the PF48 oil filter installed. At the first oil change(1670 miles) a Mobil1 oil filter was installed and nothing but Mobil1 and K&N oil filters used since then.

need-for-speed

good stuff jft69Z !!!

Maypo

What are the Mobile 1 and K&N equivalent part numbers
Thanks!

Gary '09 C6

thanks, Joe...

jft69z

I think the Mobil1 is M-113 & the K&N is HP-1017. I'm going to get those tomomorrow & cut them up too.

3 Z06ZR1

Same as Walmart super tech! Open the box and compare you will see! Yes AC Delco went cheap on thier filters!
Use at least a Wix or Napa gold (same thing)!

GOLD72

Excellent. Now it will be great to get a M1 and K&N filter cut apart to compare with the UPF48R as all are rumored to be made by Champion Labs.

VTcorvette

This is great advice! I heve seen the inside of many brands of filters, will only run a Wix or NAPA Gold filter.

jft69z

So I guess I'm going to Walmart today too

BearZ06

Thanks for making your down time very interesting and helpful for all of us! Hope you have a speedy recovery.