Royal Purple Oil Filter Review


Table of Contents

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In this article we will examine the Royal Purple 20-820 oil filter, described by its manufacturer as an “extended life oil filter.” We will compare the Royal Purple oil filter with several other oil filters. 

Oil Filter

Let’s discuss for a moment the function of an oil filter and its general benefits or purpose. As internal combustion engines run, they create enormous levels of friction, requiring oil to lubricate them. The oil running through the engine will collect tiny bits of metal and other contaminants which, if they are not removed by the oil filter will slowly but surely damage the finely machined working parts of the engine, decreasing its life. Thus, the oil filter is one of the most important, and least expensive parts of an engine.

High performance oil filters claim to provide, among other features, additional protection for engines in extreme conditions, for example in hot or cold operating temperatures. The high performance filter should also capture more and smaller contaminants than less expensive filters. This additional protection can extend the life of an engine. And high performance filters are usually better constructed and made to last longer than cheaper alternatives.


What Is the Royal Purple 20-820 Oil Filter

The Royal Purple 20-820 Oil Filter is part of the Royal Purple oil filter line of products, all of which offer “extended life” or high-performance filtering characteristics for motor oil. The Royal Purple 20-820 is designed for “superior particle removal and low flow restriction,” meaning the filter can capture very small, 25-micron contaminants, and does so while protecting the engine from “dry” operating conditions. The Royal Purple 20-820 achieves these characteristics by the use of high-efficiency synthetic filtering media, combined with high-performance components (e.g. all-metal filter housing) designed for strength and reliability.

Product Specs  

Features

This Royal Purple oil filter offers high-quality construction in all its parts. This means the product will provide extra protection for a customer’s engine and will last longer at the job than cheaper filters. For example, the Royal Purple oil filter’s aluminum shell (the canister) is thick and durable, designed to protect the filter from punctures from road debris.

Additionally, the highly efficient synthetic filtering media is 100-percent screen-backed, improving filtration and lowering flow restriction. Dry starts are prevented by a high-performance silicone-construction anti-drainback valve. Silicone performs better than rubber in extreme temperature conditions, and most high-performance filters will have this feature.

Additionally, the all-metal construction of the Royal Purple’s filtering media housing provides extra protection from filter-element collapse.

Technical Specs

The Royal Purple oil filter is a canister-style oil filter. It is 3.750 (height in inches) by 3.650 (outside diameter in inches). The thread size is 22mm X 1.5 and the gasket outside diameter (in inches) is 2.810. The gasket inside diameter (in inches) is 2.420. The 100% micro-glass media has a filtering efficiency of 99% (micron rating of 25). The product comes with a filter bypass relief valve, and an anti-drainback valve.

Pricing  

Pricing on the Royal Purple oil filter runs from around $12-$15, depending on the source. Generally, pricing online hovers around $12 at online retail stores. On Amazon, the Royal Purple oil filter sells for closer to $15.

How the Royal Purple Oil Filter Compares

We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.     

Bosch 3330 Premium FILTECH Oil Filter

Mobil 1 M1-110 Extended Performance Oil Filter

FRAM PH7317 Extra Guard Passenger Car Spin-On Oil Filter

Royal Purple 20-820 Oil Filter

Price about $12-$15                 $$

Efficiency                                  4.9 Stars

The Royal Purple oil filter has a filtering efficiency of 99%, and is capable of filtering contaminants as small as 25 microns. This is excellent filtering efficiency for high-performance oil filters.

Features                                   4.9 Stars

The Royal Purple oil filter provides extra protection for engines in extreme operating conditions. Its highly efficient micro-glass filtering media provides increased filtering efficiency and protects the engine from “dry” conditions caused by low-flow.

Design Quality                         4.9 Stars 

The Royal Purple oil filter uses high-quality construction and materials to produce a durable and reliable, high-performance oil filter.

Pros

  • High-performance             
  • High-quality construction for durability
  • Moderately priced

Cons

  • Higher-priced filters offer more efficiency
  • Prices vary a lot, it may be useful to shop around

https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Purple-20-820-Oil-Filter/dp/B003L358WI

Bosch 3330 Premium FILTECH Oil Filter

Features

The Bosch 3330 oil filter offers high-performance characteristics at a lower price than other filters. Bosch says its filtering media, made of a blend of cellulose and synthetic materials, will provide greater filtering performance over a range of contaminant sizes. While some performance ratings on the Bosch 3500 suggest it can filter particles at the 20-micron range, no specific micron rating was found for the 3300. However, Bosch says the 3300 has a 99% filter efficiency rating.

Technical Specs

The Bosch 3330 oil filter is a spin-on canister-type oil filter. The dimensions of the Bosch oil filter are 3.5 inches (height) x 3.11 inches (width) x 3.11 inches (depth). It weighs .6 pounds. The blended filtering media is made up of synthetic materials and cellulose (i.e. paper). The filtering efficiency of the media is rated at 99%.

Price about $6-$10             $

Pricing on the Bosch 3330 oil filter runs from around $6-$10, depending on the source. You can get the filter for around $6 at Amazon, while other retailers offer the filter for around $9.

Efficiency                                  4.7 Stars

The Bosch 3330 Premium FILTECH Oil Filter has an efficiency rating of 99%. As previously noted, no specific micron rating was available.

Features                                    4.5 Stars

The Bosch 3330 Premium FILTECH Oil Filter features what it calls an “exclusive blend” of materials in the filtering media. The combination of synthetic material with cellulose (paper) is said by Bosch to “screen out more harmful contaminants for greater engine protection.” The efficiency of this filter is 99%, so the main feature this filter offers is high performance protection at a lower price. Other components of the filter, such as steel baseplates and housing, as well as the silicone anti-drain back valve, are standard for higher performance filters.

Design Quality                          4.5 Stars

Most of the components of the Bosch oil filter are similar in construction and quality to other higher performance oil filters. The one main difference is the use of cellulose or paper in a blend with synthetics in the filter media. Generally, manufacturers include 100% synthetics and specifically “glass” in high-performance oil filters, so this may be one area where the Bosch filter saves money in materials, and so provides the filter at a lower price. Once again, the efficiency rating of the Bosch filter is still 99%, but this may be based on a higher micron rating.

Pros

  • High-efficiency rating of 99%
  • Lower-priced
  • Good construction

Cons

  • No micron rating is available
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EBSLA4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002EBSLA4&linkCode=as2&tag=oilfiltersmcnt-20&linkId=4CFFV2YTUWDUEZ3H

Mobil 1 M1-110 Extended Performance Oil Filter

Features

The Mobil 1 M1-110 Extended Performance Oil Filter features a blended filtering media which the manufacturer says “effectively removes contaminants, with a 99.6 percentage Multi-Pass Efficiency Rating.” However, this rating is based on removal of contaminants “greater than 30 microns,” so the efficiency of the product, while quite good for the price, is not at the higher end of filtering performance. The manufacturer claims the product will hold “double the contaminants compared to other filters, with 28.0 grams of total capacity.”

Technical Specs

The Mobil 1 M1-110 Extended Performance Oil Filter is a spin-on canister-type oil filter. The filter is 2.75 inches in height, and the outside diameter is 3.62 inches. The filter weighs .55 pounds. The filtering material is a blend of synthetics and cellulose (or paper). Blends are generally used in filters that are aiming for a higher performance, rather than the cheapest filters, but at cost savings by not going 100% synthetic. Paper is less durable and less able to trap smaller contaminants.

Price from around $9-$15                  $$

Pricing on the Mobil 1 M1-110 runs from around $9-$15, depending on the source. The filter is available for around $10 at Amazon, while you can purchase it for around $15 at other retailers.

Efficiency                                  4.6 Stars

The Mobil 1 M1-110 oil filter has an efficiency rating of 99%. As noted above, this is based on a micron rating “greater than 30”, which is not in the high-performance range, which is usually at or below 25 microns.

Features                                    4.5 Stars

The Mobil 1 M1-110 oil filter features a “synthetic blend” filtering element which delivers good filtering performance for the price. The manufacturer says the filter gasket is “pre-lubricated,” which leads to a tight seal and easy removal when changing the filter.

Design Quality                          4.4 Stars

Generally, the Mobil 1 M1-110 is designed and manufactured using better quality materials and standards. For example, the filter housing and the end plates are metal. The anti-drain back valve is silicone, which is the standard for better-quality oil filters. Again, the only concern when comparing this filter to high-performance filters is the M1-110’s use of cellulose (paper) in its blended filtering media.

Pros

  • Moderately priced
  • Good performance
  • Good quality

Cons

  • Blended filtering media
  • Lower efficiency (based on micron rating)


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005GYDBNS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=cailhq-20&linkId=795fe9e3ac98628b54cdb9b76f1a278b

FRAM PH7317 Extra Guard Passenger Car Spin-On Oil Filter

Features

The FRAM PH7317 oil filter is positioned as an “economy” filter, with low price being a big selling feature. FRAM does not claim this filter is high performance, but it is also not charging typical high-performance prices. Nevertheless, at 20 microns and above, FRAM says this filter achieves a 95% efficiency rating. FRAM says the PH7317 is for “everyday drivers” who are okay with doing frequent oil filter changes. These are required because this filter is rated for 5000 miles.

Technical Specs

The FRAM PH7317 oil filter is a spin-on canister-type oil filter. The dimensions of the FRAM oil filter are 3.47 inches (height) x 2.69 inches (outside diameter). The filter weighs .45 pounds. The filter material is a blend of synthetics and cellulose (paper). The efficiency rating of the filter is 95%.

Price from around $4-$10                  $

Pricing on the FRAM PH7317 runs from around $4-$10, depending on the source. On Amazon, the price is less than $4. At other retailers, the price is around $9.

Efficiency                                  4.1 Stars

The FRAM PH7317 oil filter has an efficiency rating of 95%. This is based on a micron rating of 20 microns or larger.

Features                                    4.1 Stars

The FRAM PH7317 oil filter features what it calls “high performance” filtration, but its efficiency rating is, of course, lower than other products reviewed here. However, the FRAM is aimed at those whose needs most likely do not require high performance filtering, and who are instead looking for an acceptable and very inexpensive oil filter for the average driver.

Design Quality                          4.1 Stars

Unlike the other filters in this review, the FRAM PH7317 oil filter definitely uses a more economical approach to construction and quality. However, that is considered a feature for this product, since its main virtue is its low price.

Pros

  • Very inexpensive
  • Decent filter efficiency for the price

Cons

  • Not a high-performance filter
  • Low filtering efficiency

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009H52BG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=cailhq-20&linkId=3a04a9fecf4b6873dc2485725f12ecca

Conclusion

In examining high performance or extended life oil filters, we reviewed a number of factors, including filtering efficiency, key features, and design quality. We also considered price, although one expects to pay a bit more for better performing products in general and oil filters are no exception.

For one thing, the materials and construction of high-performing oil filters are clearly distinguishable from cheaper models, in the use of 100% synthetics in filtering media and the use of metals and silicone in key components in high-performance filters, whereas less durable cellulose (paper) will be used in cheaper, lower-performing products.

Based on our review criteria, the clear winner of our comparison was the Royal Purple 20-820 Oil Filter. Scoring an average of 4.9 stars the Royal Purple oil filter came through with a high efficiency filter rating, high-quality components and construction, all available at a moderate price.

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