• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

PF 48 or PF 63 oil filter

W**T**D

Full Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2013
Messages
26
Location
Wisconsin
Had my 2013 avalanche in for an oil change here a while back and today while I was under the truck
I noticed that they had a AC PF 63 oil filter on instead of a AC PF 48 like the owners manual states.
I called the dealer and they said that's what they have been putting on all the 5.3 ???????????
I like the idea of the PF63 as it is longer than the PF 48.
does anyone know what the difference my be between the two.
I will be starting doing my own oil changes as I've used my freebe's from the dealer.
should I go back to using the PF48 like the owners manual says or keep using the PF63.
thanks for any input
 
can't tell you a difference ... I've always used the 48 .....

63 would be interesting ... that is what the new Impala's take .... Autozone doesn't stock them here but O'Reilly's had one ... and it was $11 vs the normal 4.19 ..... ouch!

and one other thing ... they must have changed the PF63 ... the one already on the car was way shorter than the PF63 that we got at O'Reilly's ....

John
 
The pf63 is 3/4 inch longer.  So you may want to measure the clearance from the front driveshaft if you have 4WD.
 
Sure, and a PF46 or a PF 64 will fit also and probably a dozen other spin-ons with the same thread and approximate size gasket. If it came with a PF48 and it says PF 48 in the owners manual, it gets ONLY a PF48.....there's a lot more to a filter than fit.......the filter media pore size, surface area and the construction and cutoff pressure of the bypass valve to name a few.

The PF 48 IS the filter for the 5.3.; it has not been discountinued or superceeded. If they can't use the correct number filter, what makes you think that it's filled with the correct Dexos equivalent oil? That's why I never use the free changes from the dealer pr let a quickie lube place touch the vehicle. I spend a few bucks and do it myself so I know that I am always getting the correct filter and Mobil 1, not some mystery lubricant pumped from a 55 gal drum.


I wouldn't want to show up at a dealer for warranty work with burned bearings, worn cam or bad lifter and the incorrect number oil filter attached and be surprised when they blame it for the damage.
 
I normally always do my own oil changes, but I received 3 free oil changes when I brought my
Av, don't know if they used the PF63 on the 1st 2 oil changes, only noticed it on the last change, will
stay with the PF48 like the owners manual states, but would be nice if you could use the PF63 as it's longer
which makes it a lot easier to remove.
Note: there is plenty of room for the PF63 filter.
 
Actually the PF63 is a better filter cause more case means more filter element.

Avalon
 
avalonandl said:
Actually the PF63 is a better filter cause more case means more filter element.

Avalon

That's kinda like saying a 4 door Smart car is better, because it is bigger.

I don't believe quantity is better than quality, I have torn apart a few filters (when I did my own oil changes) and would have to say you get what you pay for regardless of size. (I will never use another Fram filter again!) A lot of the filters you get for under 10 bucks are paper and not designed for extended use with todays synthetics.

Thomcat said:
I spend a few bucks and do it myself so I know that I am always getting the correct filter and Mobil 1, not some mystery lubricant pumped from a 55 gal drum.

I am usually too busy (aka lazy) to change my own oil, but I always go to the same quick lube.
They all know me, and the kid downstairs knows to hand grease the 2 zerks for the tie rod ends and to do a pristine job, or he gets an earful of Train Horns!
They have it on file that I provide my own filter (Royal Purple 10-48 $13.50) and I always watch them crack fresh bottles of Mobil 1 Extended Performance
 
There are a lot of posts on this on Chevy boards.

A summary of the many posts:

Apparently, the PF63 is a larger version of the PF48 developed specifically for the newer GM 6 cyl engines which may have different or more severe filter requirements than the V8s.

Many indicate that they have been using it sucessfully on their V8s, others indicate that they will stick to the PF48 for fear of warranty concerns. The only difference in specs other than the extra 3/4" in length for the PF63 is in the range for the cutoff pressure......PF63 is 9-12 psi and the PF48 is 9-15 psi.....this, in conjunction with the greater internal volume of oil of the PF63 might matter under high pressure load conditions otherwise, no one seemed to think this was significant. The 6cyl engines come from the factory standard with the PF63 and this "break-in" filter is marked to replace with a PF48....only a guess on my part, but could be that the 6cyl needs a larger filter for "break-in" under the recommended change cycle or that there was insufficient stock of the new PF63 during initial production. Also there is/was a PF63E version (I've seen PF61E, PF46E and PF47E variants of other filters) containing a plastic ("E" core) instead of metal core designed for better disintergration in a landfill which some claim are prone to breakage/failure under prolonged use or severe pressure conditions.

If I changed oil and filter at 6K or above I might give the PF63 a shot, but since I change both every 3K on the engines since they were new, there's no chance that I'll ever need an extra 3/4" of filter length. Besides I still have over 2 dozen PF48s and a dozen 6 packs of Mobil 1 stored in the garage.
 
When comparing the PF 48 and PF63 they are exactly the same filter except for the extra length. The 63 therefor has more media for filtering without being excessively large.

I myself use Wix filters  and Mobil 1. I think they are the 2 best products out there, everybody has there own opinion. The PF 48 and PF 63 can be used interchangably on the Avalanche 5.3 as long as space allows. On the 8.1 liters we have a much smaller choice ( a PF 454) and there is clearance issues so a longer filter is not available.

Avalon
 
Yes the 8.1L need to run the shorty...

Unless you have litfed it and then you can run a full size filter ACDelco PF35 or equivalent... I run the K & N HP 3002, it adds half a quart for a full seven quart oil change...


Randy
 
avalonandl said:
I myself use Wix filters  and Mobil 1. I think they are the 2 best products out there, everybody has there own opinion.
Avalon

I have had a hard time finding the WIX filters in my area, so I've been sticking with the Royal Purple 10-48
Do you happen to know the number for the WIX filter? I may try one after I chew thru my stock of R.P's.
The RP's I picked up for $13.50 in bulk, but they run about 15 bucks each.
 
DouglasOak said:
I have had a hard time finding the WIX filters in my area, so I've been sticking with the Royal Purple 10-48
Do you happen to know the number for the WIX filter? I may try one after I chew thru my stock of R.P's.
The RP's I picked up for $13.50 in bulk, but they run about 15 bucks each.

napa Gold filters are Wix- just boxed for them- go to wix website has everything you need.  http://www.wixfilters.com/Lookup/filterlookup.aspx

Most Wix filters are about 7$ and worth it.

Avalon
 
Yeah the pf63 was added to the traverse because the pf48 was too short to get a grip on it. I never in my life had as hard a time changing oil as i did pulling a pf48 off the wifes traverse. The small increase in size made a huge difference...
 
Hard to get a grip on the filter.. That's one of the reasons I like the K&N filters, they have a 1" nut on the bottom that makes it easy to remove/replace. I use a a long 1/2"extension with a 6 point socket and a ratchet (don't use a 12 point socket it will slip) and reach right up there with ease. I have a gallon milk jug cut in half that I put up under the filter as oil pours over the edge as you loosen it, I then just spin it the rest of the way off and let it fall into the jug, I rarely spill a drop.

I R&R the filter and grease it while the pan is draining, nice thing about having a lift on it, makes for easy maintenance..



Randy
 
Good idea on the milk jug!  I will try that.

I also use Napa Gold as they are Wix.  I refuse to use Fram.
 
Thomcat said:
Sure, and a PF46 or a PF 64 will fit also and probably a dozen other spin-ons with the same thread and approximate size gasket. If it came with a PF48 and it says PF 48 in the owners manual, it gets ONLY a PF48.....there's a lot more to a filter than fit.......the filter media pore size, surface area and the construction and cutoff pressure of the bypass valve to name a few.

The PF 48 IS the filter for the 5.3.; it has not been discountinued or superceeded. If they can't use the correct number filter, what makes you think that it's filled with the correct Dexos equivalent oil? That's why I never use the free changes from the dealer pr let a quickie lube place touch the vehicle. I spend a few bucks and do it myself so I know that I am always getting the correct filter and Mobil 1, not some mystery lubricant pumped from a 55 gal drum.


I wouldn't want to show up at a dealer for warranty work with burned bearings, worn cam or bad lifter and the incorrect number oil filter attached and be surprised when they blame it for the damage.

FURTHER INFO-

Just bought a '15 Traverse to replace the '12 Avy (the '13 will be the lifelong keeper) so I checked a few sources and ran across an interesting read in a GM Tech bulletin:

Correct Replacement Oil Filter
Beginning in 2012, the V6 engine (RPOs
LFW, LFX, LLT) available in 2012-2016
Enclave, LaCrosse; 2012 SRX; 2013-2016
SRX, XTS; 2012-2013 Captiva (VIN L),
Impala; 2012-2016 Equinox, Traverse;
2014-2016 Captiva (VIN L), Impala (VIN
W), Impala (VIN (1); and 2012-2016 Acadia
and Terrain (excluding police vehicles
with RPO 9C1, 9C3) was redesigned
with tighter engine tolerances. The oil
pressure was increased to accommodate
these tighter tolerances. As a result, the
oil filter specifications of the production
oil filter and the service oil filter were also
improved to meet the new engine requirements.
When servicing these V6 engines, it?s
important to use the recommended replacement
ACDelco PF63E oil filter (GM
#19330000) to ensure proper engine oil
filtration and engine performance.
These V6 engines are factory built with
an ACDelco PF64 oil filter, which may be
confused with the ACDelco PF48 oil filter
because both oil filters have the same
appearance and oil can size. However,
these two oil filters have different internal
specifications. The OEM PF64 oil filter
has a much higher bypass valve rating
that matches the service oil filter requirement
of the PF63E, which was specifically
chosen
to match the performance
demands
of these engines.
The ACDelco PF64 oil filter installed by
the factory meets the specifications of the
ACDelco PF63E ? but due to the length
of the ACDelco PF63E oil filter can, the
engine plant cannot build with it because
it currently interferes with the assembly
line process.



So according to this the article the PF63 (PF63E being the ecology version of the PF63) is not equivalent to the PF48, having different internal specs for use in newer high oil pressure V6 engines. As, above the PF64 (NOT THE PF4:cool: is the short version of the PF63 so obviously the PF63 is not the long version of the PF48. Combine this with the redesigned valve lifters and lower operating oil pressures in the later Avys (20 psi in my '12 and '13 when warm at idle as opposed to 35-40 psi on my '07)) and it might be even less advisable to substitute a different filter with a higher bypass setting on the later 5.3l.s  Avy's Owner's Manual specifies PF48......so a PF48 goes in!
 
  I have an 04 wbh, I changed to ph 61 from ph46 years ago. At that time it was listed as the "severe conditions" oil filter for my avy. I think around 14-16 thousand miles. About to hit 200,000, no issues ever.
 
Back
Top