There's a whole section on BITOG just on filters: Oil Filters - Bob Is The Oil Guy

I can give you my takeaways from it:
- Fram Xtended Guard (aka on the forum as Fram XG. But, stay away from all other Frams) - Praised for it's dual layer synthetic material makeup.
- Bosch Distance Plus (aka on the forum as Bosch DP) - Excellent filtration and can hold lots of dirt.
- Mobil 1 (aka on the forum as M1) - Great filtration and a tough shell/case.
- K&N (which is internally identical to the M1, but there's that external nut on the end if you like that).
- AC Delco UPF - Synthetic filter material, but limited in applications
- Royal Purple - Strong case, synthetic filter material, great construction (as all above are, really)
- Purolator Pure One (aka Purolator P1 or PP1) - Great value for the price, just be sure to change it every oil chance (vs. some of the extended oil change interval filters which can go two or more oil changes, depending on the mileage when the OCI occurs)

There are others, but I stuck with the more commonly available ones. Keep in mind that most of them above are pricey, but are capable of being used for multiple oil changes, so that helps one justify the price. If you're not into using a filter for more than one OCI, then the PP1 or other well made, efficient filters are fine. WIX/Napa Gold filters are tough as nails, but don't filter as well as the PP1s (or at least that's what the published numbers say). The filtration numbers vary with the WIX. I pulled the link for the 3.9L Wix filter: Part Detail which shows a 50% efficiency at 10 microns and 95% efficiency at 26 microns. Compare those numbers with the higher efficiency filters above and you'll see that it isn't as good. Even the PP1 is 99.9% efficient at 20 microns and holds 13 grams of material. The Bosch DP is also 99.9% efficient at 20 microns but holds a whopping 29 grams of material (thus why it's designed for long OCI or multiple shorter-mileage OCIs).

This stuff is addicting. I never paid much attention to which oil I used or which filter I used for many years. BITOG has changed my mind.

 

I refuse to pay more than ~$6 for a oil filter, so the long life filters are out for me.
I always use the NAPA Gold or the Pure One, NAPA runs BOGO sales all the time.
Thats good to know about the Fram XG as it can be had at Wal-Mart which is where I buy my oil.
Thank you for the links and the run down, I stay away from that site because I know I would be sucked right in and I spend way to much time on the web as it is. lol
Thanks again Jimmy.

 

Ok, so I've spent some time on the oil filter page and those guys have WAY to much time on their hands.
Just change the oil and filter often and why worry about it?
Just my $.02.

 

if you have a slight leak for a higher mileage disco would you advise against full synthetic?

I use valvoline 20/50 synthetic blend. Your thoughts?

 

No not at all.
Personally I think full syn is a waste of money, unless you are driving 25k or more a year and need to go 10k on oil changes.
Otherwise a heavy duty oil will do just fine, like Rotella 15w-40.

 

Haha! They do, but at least we get to benefit from their obsessions. I can't visit that site without spending a hour reading. It's crack, I tell ya!

 

LOL!!! I jumped over to check the filter page real quick and 5 pages later...I was still wondering why the average person would ever need to cut open a oil filter.

 

Spike, I read another thread today that you posted on as well as some others...curious, do you need to make a transition to different oil? Also you mentioned about the gaskets absorbing the new oil. Can you expound? I'm looking to change to Rotela, 122k mi.

 

No you do not need to make a transition when changing brands/types of oil.
I recommend picking one brand and sticking with only that brand, so make sure you can get it easily and at a price you are willing to pay.
Thats one of the reasons I like Shell Rotella, everyone carries it, even quick lubes, gas stations, truck stops, Wal-Mart...and its cheap.
The problem I had when I made the switch was I went through 2 qts a week for the first month or so, then my oil consumption started to slow down and now I use ~1 qt between oil changes which are every 5,000 miles.
I contribute the excessive oil consumption to the seals and gaskets in my truck soaking up the new oil.
Your results may vary.
But using 1-2 qts of oil every 5,000 miles is of no concern in a engine with over 200,000 miles on it.
I have been using Rotella for the last 2 years, before that I used Mobil 1.
I like Rotella better, my engine is quieter with the Rotella.
I have also tried the Pennzoil Platinum in my truck and I drained that back out after a month, my engine sounded like it had ball bearings rolling around in the crank case and my oil light took forever to go out in the morning.

 

Okay, trying not to hijack the thread.

I just changed my oil in my 99 D1 and switched to Rotella T6 5w40 and a K&N HP-3001 filter(taller than the recommended HP-2004).

As I was running the engine a bit to circulate the oil before checking the level, I noticed what appeared to be a small exhaust leak coming from under the driver's side manifold which is basically where the drain plug is. I didn't see any smoke coming from the plug area, but the smoke was so light it would be impossible to see from that angle anyway.

The previous dino oil was dark. Is this something to expect when changing to synthetic? I've changed several of my previous(low mileage) vehicles to full-synthetic without a problem, but the seals on a 115k LR engine seem to be funny.

If the problem is not possibly related to the oil(as I suspect it isn't), then I'll search for similar cases and post a new thread if needed.

Using Rotella T6 5w-40(back on topic) and the engine sounds fine on day 1.