A New 'Spin' on Technology Improves Oil Filter Performance

GASTONIA, N.C., May 27, 2004 -- Just in time for the summer driving season, NAPA AUTO PARTS introduces the first major innovation in automotive oil filters in nearly 50 years.

Called NASCAR Select by NAPA, the new filter for cars and light trucks employs patented Spin-Flow(R) technology to maximize the capacity and efficiency of the filter. The filter is available exclusively through participating NAPA AUTO PARTS Stores.

Not since the introduction of the spin-on filter has there been an advancement of such importance.

In traditional oil filters, unfiltered oil is forced under pressure through holes in the filter base plate directly to the top of the canister, creating turbulence in the filter. This constant turbulence concentrates the filtration of the dirty oil at one end of the filter media, resulting in only about 60 percent of the filter media doing the majority of the work.

The Spin-Flow technology, developed by Wix Filtration and used exclusively by NAPA for automotive applications, uses a ring of angled fins to force the dirty oil to flow in a circular motion around the filter media. This process evens out the flow of the dirty oil and virtually eliminates turbulence, thus using the entire filter media and maximizing the capacity and efficiency of the filter.

"With today's high-compression engines, it is more important than ever for the oil filter to be giving maximum effort," said Paul Bandoly, NAPA Filters Brand Manager. "The NASCAR Select by NAPA filter makes more efficient use of the whole filter, not just the top 60 percent."

In addition to Spin-Flow technology, the NASCAR Select filter also features a newly designed filter media, combining cellulose with synthetic fibers. This new media, called T-52, was also developed by Wix Filtration for NAPA automotive use. T-52 greatly increases the filter's "Single-Pass Efficiency," which is a measure of how much of the oil's contaminates are removed in a single trip through the filter. NASCAR Select has one of the highest Single-Pass Efficiency ratings in the industry.

Together, the Spin-Flow technology and T-52 media combine to make the most advanced oil filter available on the market today.

"It's not every day, or even every decade, that someone is able to make dramatic improvements in such a commonly used item as oil filter," said Bandoly. "As simple as it sounds, NASCAR Select is a great stride forward in oil filtration."