GM
Engineering has seen examples of sub-standard non-OEM engine oil change parts
used in vehicles. The following information points out the flaws of some of
these components, and how they were identified.
Oil
Filters
The
filtering capacity of an oil filter is dependent on the surface area of the
filter paper, which, in turn, is dependent on the number of pleats, or folds.
In the photo, the ACDelco filter PF2129 (Fig. 7, A)
has 43 pleats in the filter paper. The aftermarket filter (Fig. 7, B) is marketed as a premium filter. It has
only 35 pleats. It also has a metal joining tab (Fig.
7, C) for the filter element, which further reduces the filter surface
area.
Some
aftermarket filters are manufactured with inferior parts that can damage an
engine. For instance, the orange rubber material from an oil filter
anti-drainback valve can migrate to the oil passages of the engine. (Fig. 8)
At
best, the material will restrict flow and slowly cause damage. At worst, it
will block passages and quickly damage the engine.
Oil
Filter Cap
Issues
also have been identified with aftermarket oil filter caps. The one in the
photo is from the Ecotech engine family (2.0L, 2.2L, 2.4L). The condition was
an oil leak from the Ecotech oil filter cap O-ring. The O-ring was not OEM.
OEM
O-rings are not available separately from the cap. They are designed for the
life of the engine.
All
OEM O-rings are green, and the majority of non-OEMs are black. A green O-ring
with a flat on one side is a non-OEM part. Green OEM O-rings will not develop a
flat side as a result of the normal compression during sealing (also known as a
compression set). (Fig. 9)
ACDelco
offers an oil filter cap, gasket, and filter in PF458G.
Oil
Drain Plugs
It
can be very difficult to distinguish the differences between an OEM and
aftermarket drain plug and seal. However, be aware that many of the aftermarket
seals are not designed to handle extended oil change intervals and the drain
plugs may not have the correct design to provide good sealing between the seal
and the oil pan.
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