08z51m6Ls3

My family drives all GM vehicles.

Me: 08 C6, 99 Sierra Z71

Wife: 2010 Escalade 6.2

I do all of our maintenance, repairs, etc. and I've always used AC Delco Oil Filters. My Sierra has had nothing but AC Filters since I bought it in 2004, 200+K Miles, and every filter I've put on it has been good.

Fast forward to 2015/2016. 4 of the 5 oil changes I've done I've had a bad AC Delco Oil Filter. 4 of the 5 leaked oil! Shocked that this is the case after so many years and miles of great performance with these filters.

I was prompted to start this thread when I read another OP bad experience with AC Delco plugs here on the tech page.

Maybe it's a coincidence? My inkling is QC has taken a nose dive at AC Delco, or they're sourcing shoddy manufacturers for their parts.

c5racr1

Never had a problem

Dano523

Defined leaked,

Hence as in you forget to remove the old filter seal stuck to the block that did not come off with the old filter and now have two seals in place,

Did not oil the new filter seal when installing the filter to the car to cause a leak at the seal since it did not seal correctly/was torn up during the install,

Forget to wipe the motor seal surface before the new filter with oil on seal to cause a void between the sealing surface and the seal,

Or the filter leaked at the factory weld seams instead?

In the case of the first three, that is install error to cause the leak, while have not come across a filter yet that leaked at the weld seams since they are pressure tested on the assembly line to make sure they don't have these problems.

Must_Have_Z

I use WIX in all my vehicles.

jft69z

They're made by FRAM now. They took over Champion Labs a few years ago.

Here are pics of the inside of the old & new:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1590845777

GOLD72

Oh crap!!! The half dozen UPF48Rs that I ordered over a year ago still look like Champion units. Maybe old stock.

Looks like I will standardize on WIX in the future.

Kent1999

So much detail.

I'm with Dano -- Define "leaked".

jft69z

The UPF48's are still good, they haven't changed them as of at least a couple of months ago. No worries there.

EDIT: Same with the Mobil1 filter. Looked at those too recently on the store shelf and all good.

WW7

I was the one who started the thread on the AC Delco plugs being bad... There are threads on this forum from sources that have cut open many of the most popular brand filters to check build and filtering quality , both Fram and AC Delco failed miserably in their tests. I now only use Mobil 1 filters on the Vette...From what I have seen recently, AC Delco isn't the same quality parts company we knew and loved years ago.... Sad but true..WW

PS..Everything bad I have heard on the AC Delco filters has been about build and filtering quality , never heard anything about them leaking..

CMY SIX

I used AC Delco no problems, you do know the MFG nothing leading MFG's do it for them. Do you fill the filter and lube the gasket before install? they are actually very good high FLOW filters

Pitufina

I like Bosch filters but Ive never used one on the vette. I did notice something different on my last ac delco filter but cant remember what it was.

banph

Just noticed a small leak under my 2008 Z06. Just changed the oil and filter about a month ago and had no issues. Looked under the car and the filter is leaking. Not a lot, but it is leaking. I have always used the PF48 but noticed this time it was a PF48E. going to put it on the lift this weekend to see where it is leaking. Never had an issue with the PF48 Going to replace, but need to find where I can get a PF48. Since I just changed the oil, how much oil will I loose if I just replace the filter?

Kent1999

I thought all the 2008+ dry sump LS3/7/9's were supposed to use the UPF48R instead of the PF48, because of the higher sustained oil pressures in those motors?

I know in my 2012 Owners Manual, it specifies the PF48 only for the LS3 standard (wet sump) motor,
and specifies UPF48R for the LS3 dry sump and LS7/9 motors:



Did things change between 2008 and 2012?

Either way, I don't think AC makes the standard PF48 anymore -- pretty sure they replaced the PF48 with the newer/cheaper PF48E. Thought I remember threads from the time of when the PF48E was announced -- CF members running around and scooping up supplies of PF48's from local shops before they ran out of the old stock.

EDITED TO ADD:
Snippet from the PF48E news release:

ACDelco Redesign PF48/PF48F Oil Filter
WD Bulletin 14D-038
"ACDelco Oil Filters PF48 (GM# 89017524) and the Durapack version, PF48F (GM# 19167894) are transitioning to a new design that offers improved performance. The new part numbers are: PF48E (GM#19303975) and PF48F (GM# 19303974).
This will be a rolling change and the old version will not be available once stock is depleted."

WW7

You shouldn't lose much, maybe 10oz to 12 oz at most. I don't know if having a dry sump makes any difference when you remove the filter, but if it does I'm sure someone will chime in....Try Mobil 1 filters , they are rated at the top, as are Wix/Napa Gold and Purolator Pure One filters..Wix makes Napa's filters for their stores.....WW
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banph

They must of... My 2008 manual calls for the PF48. I bought this new in 2007 and it always used a PF48.

I went down and compared the Mobil 1 -113 to the PF48E and not only is it longer like the PF48 but heavier and beefier. Don't know if I should use the UPF48R since it does not call for it any of the conversion charts

Kent1999

GM says the UPF48R can be used in PF48 applications. From a 2009 announcement in another thread:

"GM Powertrain has released a new oil filter for the 2009 Corvette. The new design UltraguardTM Gold UPF48R oil filter will be used on the following OEM applications: Z06 - LS7 7.0L and ZR1 - LS9 6.2L

According to GM, this filter was designed with the following in mind: “With the addition of piston oil cooling nozzles and other unique lubrication system requirements, a new design dual-rotor oil pump is required for the LS9 application. The new design oil pump produces greater volume and higher system oil pressure. To meet those requirements, a new oil filter with higher BURST strength is required.

The UltraguardTM Gold UPF48R filter (U is for Ultra and R is for Racing) is black in color, has a thicker exterior shell and can be identified as GM part number 12626224. The internal components are the same in both the UPF48R and the PF48 oil filters. The UPF48R can be used in applications where the PF48 is specified."

With the advent of the PF48E and its debatable(?) decline in quality vs. the PF48, the UPF48R looks to be a great successor for those wanting to stay with OEM filters.

It's hard to find the UPF-48R in stock at most local auto stores, so like most forum members, I order the UPF48R online a few at a time and keep a little stock on hand... Amazon carries it as do Forum sponsors --likely for the same price or less as the Mobil 113 filter.

I know the Mobil 113 filter is very high quality as well, but I prefer to keep using OEM parts for stuff like this. YMMV...

Pitufina

From the looks of the latest PF-48 I would not use it again. I rather go with the mobil 1, k&n, or the wix premium.

banph

I agree. Have always bought GM products, but have to say if this is what they call improvement, have to reconsider that direction in the future.

banph

I put the car on the lift and the PF48E was leaking around the top. Not a lot, but enough to create a drip. I should of listen to my concerns when I was putting it on during the oil change and was thinking why is this new filter so flimsy compared to the one I was replacing? Not clear if I created the issue by maybe putting it on too tight. All I can say is that I have a tendency to tighten them more then they recomend and have been doing it for years with no issue. I went to the UPF48R and it clearly is more in line with the old PF48. So far, seemed to solve my problem.

Just my thoughts, but why make something so cheap that you have a risk of failure. I don't see this as green issue, since the outer shell and mounting is clearly less beefier then the PF48 or any other filter for the corvette. I know this filter is used on many GM models so clearly it was based on cost. Even though I used the AC Delco UPF48R this time, most likely will change brands for the future. Not clear GM had the customers best interest in mind.

PS: If I had not asked the question to this forum, I would of never known about the GM Announcement that I should use the UPF48R. You would think that as corvette Z06 owner GM would of notified me that this new filter was recommended. Why change something in 09 and not notify 06-08 owners if this improvement was recommended.

Timothy Barth

I use the ultraguard UPf-44 and have never had any leakage problems.