PF63 Oil Filters Going Away?

Another JR · Friday at 04:58 AM

I went to order some PF63 oil filters from an on line GM parts source, and the blue PF63 oil filters seem to be getting phased out. They show the new part number as 19363567, which is a black colored AC Delco Silver product apparently marked PF63A. Some sites show a part number 12693541, which is a black colored AC Delco Ultragard Gold filter marked UPF63R.

I assume the UPF63R is the better one, but I’d be happy if I could just get blue PF63 filters I’ve been using.

Can anyone explain what is going on with the filter part number changes and any actual design changes? Any other advice on buying OEM filters right now? Thanks

TrueBlue · Friday at 05:20 AM

Interesting.

There's always WIX WL10255XP though.

parthery · Friday at 12:29 PM

The blue filters were made by First Brands for AC/DELCO and they went bankrupt. The replacements are now being manufactured by Champion and they are labeled PF63A/PF66A etc. Perfectly fine to use.

Interestingly, I just picked up a PF66A for my LM2 Duramax and it is definitely heavier and feels more robust than the blue PF66 ever did. The new one is also painted black. The box had the genuine GM hologram on it, so it's the right one.

newdude · Friday at 12:46 PM

Correct. Supplier changes because of the First Brands bankruptcy. From First Brands (Fram) to Premium Guard.

13 minutes ago, parthery said:

The blue filters were made by First Brands for AC/DELCO and they went bankrupt. The replacements are now being manufactured by Champion and they are labeled PF63A/PF66A etc. Perfectly fine to use.

Interestingly, I just picked up a PF66A for my LM2 Duramax and it is definitely heavier and feels more robust than the blue PF66 ever did. The new one is also painted black. The box had the genuine GM hologram on it, so it's the right one.

Champ Labs hasn't "made" filters for almost 12 years. They got bought by Fram in 2014, and then Fram got bought by First Brands in 2019. First Brands no longer makes oil filters as a result of the bankruptcy. Fram fixed and improved the eCore design that Champ made a long time ago that many people didn't care for. So Champ branded filters for the last 12 years are made by Fram using their old design, and then using the new design that was created under Fram.

Premium Guard bought the assets from First Brands mid this year. Oil filters, wipers, air and cabin filters, and respective brand names. Premium Guard makes a lot of private label filters including Napa Gold, Carquest, and others. Their main filter supply flow comes from Vietnam Advanced Filtration Inc.

Premium Guard Inc. Completes Phase 2 Acquisition of First Brands Group Assets, Expanding U.S. Manufacturing, R&D, Distribution and Workforce Capabilities

Premium Guard Acquires Fram and Champion Labs Production Assets - Autosphere

VAFI, Premium Guard, Carquest Premium, Microgard Select, Specs | BobIsTheOilGuy

parthery · Friday at 01:02 PM

OK...so I was partially correct. It's not Champion but Premium Guard who is now making the filters for GM. I stand by everything else though.

BuckWallace · Friday at 01:27 PM

25 minutes ago, parthery said:

OK...so I was partially correct. It's not Champion but Premium Guard who is now making the filters for GM. I stand by everything else though.

Jeeze, get it right next time please!

newdude · Friday at 01:40 PM

35 minutes ago, parthery said:

OK...so I was partially correct. It's not Champion but Premium Guard who is now making the filters for GM. I stand by everything else though.

Just was clarifying as a lot has happened in the last 12 years in the filter business :lol:

Definitely wasn't questioning your impression of the new filters as they are definitely of a better construction it seems vs. the blue ones. We did see a couple of the PF48A's and PF64A/B leak though at the seam where the can and the baseplate mate up. Right out of the box too. So I don't know if it was a bad batch that slipped through or what. 48A would be on like 07-14 LS V8 engines, 64A/B would be like 2018-current Chevy Equinox.

Another JR · Friday at 01:56 PM

Thanks everyone and especially Newdude for taking the time to explain the story in detail. I am now much more confident about what I’m ordering.

Edited Friday at 01:58 PM by Another JR
Typo

Atlas · Friday at 02:54 PM

I'm still unclear on the multi-supplier A/B/C filter designations, as they all supposedly come from different suppliers now.

A = OE, which replaces "blue" AcDelco filters of yesteryear?

B = ?

C = ?

One is supposed to be their value line/ budget friendly. We need to know which ones to stay away from.

newdude · Friday at 02:57 PM

6 minutes ago, Atlas said:

I'm still unclear on the multi-supplier A/B/C filter designations, as they all supposedly come from different suppliers now.

A = OE, which replaces "blue" AcDelco filters of yesteryear?

B = ?

C = ?

One is supposed to be their value line/ budget friendly. We need to know which ones to stay away from.

So far they are all ones "not to stay away from"? I haven't cut any open yet though to compare A and B style.

As for what they replace:

B = regular "blue" Duraguard

A = The "black" Ultraguard Gold. So like UPF63R is now the PF63A.

C = That I can tell, alternate supplier or same supplier but alternate model being used.

Right now on like PF63 for example though, the "B" is on backorder again so we are using the "A" for both PF63 and UPF63R usage. Same with PF64s, the B is backordered, so we are using A.

PF66, the most recent case we got were actually from SAIC-GM from China (GM ETurbo engines so 1.0, 1.2 and 1.3 turbo 3 cylinder). They look like engine assembly plant filters to me which even for US products have different labeling on the cans. These ones are blue with the SAIC-GM logo on them.

Edited Friday at 03:05 PM by newdude

Atlas · Friday at 03:05 PM

It was this video where I saw there are now 3 different supplier and one of them is a value model.

newdude · Friday at 03:28 PM

23 minutes ago, Atlas said:

It was this video where I saw there are now 3 different supplier and one of them is a value model.

My info is right from stuff we got from GM for the "A" and "B" and what they replace based on the old Duraguard (blue non "R" filters) and Ultraguard Gold (black "UPFXXR" filters) which are now gone as a result of the First Brands issue.

Edited Friday at 03:29 PM by newdude

Z45 · Friday at 03:56 PM

3 hours ago, parthery said:

The blue filters were made by First Brands for AC/DELCO and they went bankrupt. The replacements are now being manufactured by Champion and they are labeled PF63A/PF66A etc. Perfectly fine to use.

First brands was the holding company that owned Champion Labs and Fram, + many other auto parts companies. Those brands are not making filters anymore.

Premium Guard Inc. (PGI) acquired the intellectual property for both FRAM and Champion Labs. Premium Guard is a similar company as Champion Labs was.