For a while, finding certain AMSOIL oil filters wasn’t as easy as it should have been. Manufacturing disruptions across the filter industry affected availability, leaving dealers and customers waiting for products they were accustomed to being able to get.
The shortage was frustrating, but it also created an opportunity to move forward. As AMSOIL worked to address its filter supply challenges, a new generation of oil filters began making its way into the lineup—with updates to the design and construction intended to deliver improved performance.
What happened to AMSOIL oil filters?
The filter industry experienced manufacturing disruptions that affected more than one brand. AMSOIL was among those affected, and the resulting supply problems meant that some filters were difficult to obtain while many were indefinitely on back order. To compensate, WIX, another filter available through AMSOIL, stepped up and filled in the gaps with their XP line of filters.
Dealer stock updates eventually began showing more products returning to availability. Restoring supply was an important step, but the story didn’t end there. The filters seemed different. AMSOIL’s November 2026 Dealer magazine introduces a new filter platform and explains several of the improvements behind it.
Introducing the new AMSOIL oil-filter design
The new filters incorporate changes to their construction and components. These include synthetic filter media, stronger construction, updated gasket and baseplate designs, silicone anti-drainback valves, and improvements to bypass-valve design. Cartridge-filter technology also includes glass-filled polymer components.
These details matter because an oil filter has to do more than trap contaminants. It must maintain effective filtration while allowing oil to flow, withstand operating conditions, and continue performing throughout its intended service life.
For a more detailed explanation of filtration principles and the evolution of filter technology in my article, Oil Filtration History and Fundamentals. That article covers the background; here, the focus is on what’s new.
What do the test results show?
AMSOIL’s November magazine highlights testing of the EA15K51 filter. According to the report, the tested filter demonstrated 53% greater contaminant-holding capacity than the previous design while maintaining 99% filtration efficiency at 20 microns.
Contaminant-holding capacity and filtration efficiency measure different aspects of performance. The first concerns how much material a filter can retain; the second describes how effectively it captures particles of a specified size. The reported result is therefore a useful indication of the improvement achieved in that test.
In an interview, Alex Thompson, Director, Product Marketing, is quoted as saying: “We moved away from a wire-backed media to allow for more synthetic media. On our previous filter, wire backing helped the filter maintain structure, but the thickness limited the amount of material we could put inside the can. With the advancement of materials since our last refresh, we can move away from the wire-backed media, which improves the filter’s capacity.”
AMSOIL’s published comparison of the EAO17 oil filter with five
competitors, showing filtration efficiency at different particle sizes.
Source: AMSOIL Dealer magazine, November 2026.
Moving forward
The recent filter shortages were a reminder that even established products depend on a reliable manufacturing and supply chain. The disruption came around the same time oil supplies and additive availability were also becoming less predictable. I explored the broader reasons behind rising motor-oil costs in Part 1 of my series, “Why Is Motor Oil Getting So Expensive in 2026?”.
Over the summer, I worked with Alex Thompson at the Racer and Creator Expo (RACE). I also spoke with him about the filter situation. At that time, production was ramping up, and he told me the supply issue had been addressed and the new filters were being produced.
While broader oil supply challenges remain, the AMSOIL filter interruption appears to be becoming a thing of the past as warehouses continue receiving stock—and customers begin seeing the new, improved filter designs.
Source: AMSOIL Dealer magazine, November 2026, “Evolution in Protection: Inside the New AMSOIL Oil Filters.”
