I decided to see if I could find one of these new shorter filters. A trip to Autozone later and I have one of each. They both rang up the same ($4.19 each) at the register, exactly the same part # on the receipt.
I remembered seeing a while back where someone had taken apart a bunch of filters and posted pictures online. That site is here:
So I did the same, with an exhaust pipe cutter and a hacksaw. The results below.
First, a side by side comparison. Long filter on the left, short filter on the right.
Tops:
Gaskets:
The filter element: The heart of the filter, and the whole point. While I don't have a way to test how well they filter, just looking at the two side by side tells you right away: the short filter is made of a cheaper material.
Here they are next to each other, the long filter on top:
Inside the short filter, you see a black plastic framework
Inside the long filter, is a metal tube with a lot of holes
The only suprising part was the bases: While the short filter appears to use a much cheaper, thinner base, inside you can see it's just as thick as the old long filter's base
(short on top in both pics)
So it appears AC Delco have completely switched manufacturers, and the new PF52 is made from FAR CHEAPER materials than the old one.
Going back to the above website, the new filter appears to be made by Champion Laboratories, and looks like the STP filter shown on the site.
I think the amount of filter surface area is one of the more important things. See if you can take the filter material apart and stretch it out so that they are both flat. Find out which one has more filter surface area.
Thanks for going through the time, trouble and expense to post that. Cheaply made but sells for the same price, figures. My #1 filter choice is Mobil 1, 2nd is Wix. Others here do use the PF52 ACDelco so that's some good info for them.
Just took the short one and peeled the top and bottom parts off it (came off VERY easily), and cut along one of the pleats. The stretched out flat filter element measures 3.5" x 47" long, giving it a surface area of 164.5 sq. in.
On the long filter, I had to cut the paper element off the metal ends because it was glued in place so well. 4" x 46" = 184 sq. in.
I just use the PF47 and don't worry about it. Plenty of oil flow and filtering. Now when they go cheap......
There's a picture of a PF47 in that other thread, and the base of it looks just like the base of the new PF52. So the entire AC Delco line has probably gone over to the new style.
Filter Design Change - PF46, PF47, PF52 and PF61 (WD Bulletin 09D-054) ACDelco is implementing a design change on the PF46, PF47, PF52 and PF61 ACDelco Oil Filters due to capacity constraints on the current product design. GM engineers have approved the new design which will begin to be incorporated in upcoming vehicle designs. This OE approved and manufactured filter provides the same Duraguard filtration performance as the previous design and specifically utilizes the original ACDelco media that traps particles up to 25 microns. Additional features include a slightly smaller can, fully covered baseplate, non metallic end caps and high strength nylon core. This newly designed oil filter has the benefits of not only bringing excellent filtration performance, it is also environmentally friendly with components that can now be easily separated into steel, oil and parts to incinerate, resulting in less waste. At this time, the Durapack versions of the alternative design filter will begin shipping. The boxed or individually packaged versions will utilize the available production capacity on the original design, where possible, and will otherwise begin to rollover to the new alternative design. ACDelco appreciates your business and stands behind each and every filter that we distribute with pride and confidence. Should you have any concerns or questions at all, please feel free to contact your local ACDelco sales representative. -------
So the smaller can, paper end caps and nylon core isn't for cutting manufacturing costs, they're "features"! Filtering down to 25 microns isn't much to brag about either. Supposedly the Mobil 1 filter is rated at filtering 98% of particles as small as 10 microns.
Without question the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza. -- Dave Barry
There's a picture of a PF47 in that other thread, and the base of it looks just like the base of the new PF52. So the entire AC Delco line has probably gone over to the new style.
that was probably mine from when i did an oil change on my aveo the other day. i still have 64,000 more miles of warranty on that car, and i may continue to use AC Delco filters so if that engine does go, at least i know they cant pull some BS saying it was to blame on the oil filter. but if mobil1 is a better designed filter, i will probably go with those since thats the only oil i will use and have since the initial oil change when i bought the car.
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09:57 AM
Marvin McInnis Member
Posts: 11599 From: ~ Kansas City, USA Registered: Apr 2002
Translation: The end caps are almost certainly cardboard, which Fram has been using for years. RWDPLZ, can you confirm the end cap material?
I'm not sure exactly what the material is, it's kind of a cross between fabric and paper, not really cardboard. It feels familiar, but I can't quite place it. It has little hairs coming off it. Maybe cotton? Actually it kind of looks and feels like an STP air filter.
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12:43 PM
Larryh86GT Member
Posts: 1757 From: Near sunny Buffalo NY Registered: Jan 2008
I went to my local Autozone today to stock up on the 25171377 and they had this PF52 # in stock. My DD, a 2004, Olds Alero, V6, uses the same oil filter as the Fiero so I wanted to get a supply of them before they were just left with the cheaper ones. Still 4.19 each. I picked up 4 of them.
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03:14 PM
Patrick Member
Posts: 37676 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Registered: Apr 99
Just took the short one and peeled the top and bottom parts off it (came off VERY easily), and cut along one of the pleats. The stretched out flat filter element measures 3.5" x 47" long, giving it a surface area of 164.5 sq. in.
On the long filter, I had to cut the paper element off the metal ends because it was glued in place so well. 4" x 46" = 184 sq. in.
I just noticed the same thing when I bought an AC Delco PF46 for my truck. It is IDENTICAL (inside and out) to a Walmart Supertech ST3506. They are OBVIOUSLY made by the same company. If I would have noticed it while I was still at the store, I would have bought the Supertech filter.
Supertech ST3506=$2.42 AC Delco PF46=$3.67
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06:25 PM
PFF
System Bot
rogergarrison Member
Posts: 49601 From: A Western Caribbean Island/ Columbus, Ohio Registered: Apr 99
On all my cars, I always get the biggest filter that fits. Just the fact it holds more oil makes it a plus for me. Race cars run gallons of oil instead of quarts.
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06:54 PM
Dec 22nd, 2009
Marvin McInnis Member
Posts: 11599 From: ~ Kansas City, USA Registered: Apr 2002
Today (12/22/2009) I examined one of the new "PF52" filters and verified that #19212086 (shorter) is indeed a Champion eCore filter. I also verified that the WalMart "SuperTech" #ST3980 is a Champion eCore filter, identical to the AC Delco "PF52" #19212086, priced at about a dollar less.
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09:51 PM
Dec 23rd, 2009
ltlfrari Member
Posts: 5356 From: Wake Forest,NC,USA Registered: Jan 2002
Filter Design Change - PF46, PF47, PF52 and PF61 (WD Bulletin 09D-054) ACDelco is implementing a design change on the PF46, PF47, PF52 and PF61 ACDelco Oil Filters due to capacity constraints on the current product design. GM engineers have approved the new design which will begin to be incorporated in upcoming vehicle designs. This OE approved and manufactured filter provides the same Duraguard filtration performance as the previous design and specifically utilizes the original ACDelco media that traps particles up to 25 microns. Additional features include a slightly smaller can, fully covered baseplate, non metallic end caps and high strength nylon core. This newly designed oil filter has the benefits of not only bringing excellent filtration performance, it is also environmentally friendly with components that can now be easily separated into steel, oil and parts to incinerate, resulting in less waste. At this time, the Durapack versions of the alternative design filter will begin shipping. The boxed or individually packaged versions will utilize the available production capacity on the original design, where possible, and will otherwise begin to rollover to the new alternative design. ACDelco appreciates your business and stands behind each and every filter that we distribute with pride and confidence. Should you have any concerns or questions at all, please feel free to contact your local ACDelco sales representative. -------
Mike
Sounds like typical marketing BS to justify using cheaper materials. Is all this stuff made in China? We'll be finding Melamine in them next http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26769189/
I dont know if those are them, but if not you guys should be using the larger filter anyway, they came on a lot of cars in the early 90's, the lumina 3.4DOHC to name one. Provides probably twice the area of the factory specified fiero filter, fits fine, and is easier to install because its longer so you have more area to hold.
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11:54 AM
blakeinspace Member
Posts: 5923 From: Fort Worth, Texas Registered: Dec 2001
Wow I read through that thread, what flame! Sure don't want to start that up again since this is a filter thread. Thought it was going to be about filter instead of plugs. (BYT champions run just fine in my Dodges but that is all I use them in. Old school stuff. )
Yes 2 beers..
[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 12-23-2009).]
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06:28 PM
css9450 Member
Posts: 5491 From: Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA Registered: Nov 2002
I only wish I have the equipment to test the filters to see if there really is any change. I can understand that GM would like to keep the same performance specifications and make the filer smaller to fit into modern car designs. The only question is how will the less than 10% change in filter area affect our cars. It would be nice to have some real data. My SWAG on this is in the end it most likely will not affect our engines. I bet that the difference between the two is minor compared to using a high quality brand in the first place. It is far more important to properly maintain the car per the schedule, than the design of filter. I would never use Fram filters, but I bet a car would run longer with someone who followed the maintenance correctly and used Fram filters, than someone who changed the oil every once in a while. I am tired of running into Fieros with 80k miles on the spark plug wires, and 20k miles on the oil and the person wondering why the car does not run well.
Small update: The new AC Delco filter is in fact made by Champion Laboratories. The filter is also COMPLETELY IDENTICAL to STP and Auto Zone's Valuecraft filters, which are half the rpice of the Delco's.
ALSO: I went to buy a WIX filter for my 84 Fiero. and the parts guy gave me the wrong one. Not his fault though, the catalog is wrong. The WIX catalog incorrectly lists the smaller 51040 filter for the 84, but It SHOULD be 51036. Auto Value is the only store around here that carries them.
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05:15 PM
phonedawgz Member
Posts: 17091 From: Green Bay, WI USA Registered: Dec 2009
Filtering down to 25 microns isn't much to brag about either. Supposedly the Mobil 1 filter is rated at filtering 98% of particles as small as 10 microns. 
<---- did you buy Cliff a beer?
