AC Delco PF63 vs Pf63E: What is the Difference

Most of the time when engine corrosion and failure occur, the main culprit is contaminated oil. Hence, it is vital that you use a robust and reliable oil filter. This will save you plenty of time and money. AC Delco is one brand that focuses on the manufacture of oil filters that will shield your engine from impurities. 

Among their top bestsellers are PF63 and PF63e. Many questions have arisen on the differences between these two products. Basically, the PF63e is an upgraded version of the PF63 oil filter. That being said, there were modifications made in terms of weight, base plate, pleats, thickness, and number of inlet holes. 

This article gives a comparative review of these two products to give you a broader insight into the same. This will help you if you are in the market for a new oil filter. 

AC Delco PF63 VS PF63E

The AC Delco PF63 and AC Delco PF63E oil filters perform a superb job of protecting your engine from impurities. The filters are often designed in such a way as to ensure greater capacity, consistent performance, and efficiency.

AC Delco made the upgrade from PF63 to PF63e. Hence, there are some dissimilarities that arose between these two oil filters. If you need to make a choice between the two, below are some aspects in which these oil filters vary. 

Inlet Holes

The PF63e oil filter comes with eight inlet holes and a bypass valve on the bottom. Moreover, it comes with a nylon plastic inner cage with many grooves. There are also many threads and a nitro rubber gasket that can be removed. 

Meanwhile, the PF63 features six inlet holes as well as a bypass valve with holes below the metal core. However, it does not have so many threads—there are approximately three threads. Similar to its counterpart, there is a nitro gasket that can be removed. 

Base Plates 

In the PF63E oil filter, its base plates have more holes compared to PF63. There are 13 holes distributed across the filter and two more of the same size. Moreover, the PF63e features more threads and grooves than the PF63.

However, when it comes to aesthetics, the PF63’s base plate is more appealing compared to PF63e’s base plate. It looks to be more robust with the nitro rubber drain back valves.

Thickness 

When it comes to thickness, both these oil filters appear to have a similar thickness of 0.41mm. however, they differ in width where the PF63e measures 3.44 inches wide, while the PF63 measures 3.03 inches wide.

When cut open and spread out, they appear to balance out since the PF63e has larger pleats. When extended out, they appear almost identical—the PF63e being 45 inches long and PF63 being 45 and a quarter inches long. At the seams, the PF63e and PF63 are 0.83mm and 0.87mm thick respectively.  

Pleats

Being a glued seam, the PF63e features about 65 pleats and comes with felt and caps. Also, there is adequate room. It is basically a cellulose filter medium with a micron rating of 98, between 25 and 30 microns. 

On the other hand, in the inside seam of PF63, there are 51 pleats. The filter media is similar to that of PF63e with similar filtering numbers. It only has fewer pleats which are designed to be deeper since the metal end caps bypass valve is located down there. 

Weight 

When it comes to weight, the PF63e measures 228 grams, while the PF63 weighs 273 grams. The base plates in PF63e weigh around 108 grams, while those in PF63 weigh 100 grams.

The filter elements of the PF63e and PF63 oil filters weigh 35 grams and 893 grams respectively and the media of PF63e and PF63 weigh 22 grams and 19 grams respectively. 

FAQs

What are the similarities between the AC Delco PF63 and PF63e?

Despite their differences, the PF63 and PF63e are similar in some aspects. The company has availed a new torque standard for installing its AC Delco oil filters for gasoline-powered GM cars, including PF63e and PF63. 

What vehicles does an AC Delco PF63 fit?

The AC Delco company is a subsidiary of General Motors and the OEM supplier of all GM cars. This includes Chevrolet, Cadillac, Hummer, Saturn, Opel, and GMC. Over 90% of all automobiles, SUVs and light trucks can use AC Delco filters. 

Can the PF63 and PF63e oil filters be used interchangeably?

It is not advisable to use PF63e to replace your PF63 oil filter due to its higher bypass valve pressure. 

Conclusion 

The upgraded version, PF63e, is a better oil filter compared to its counterpart. According to AC Delco, the better performance of this new oil filter is thanks to its revamped bypass valve design. Thus, the filters fulfill the performance requirements of any GM powertrain. All in all, an AC Delco professional oil filter will help you get the most out of your car.