Stanadyne fuel filter, for a '97, not in a sealed bag???

[schiker]

I posted up the 6.5 section but it doesn't have to be a 6.5 exclusive thread.

I recently went to get a fuel filter from Carquest and it was loose in the box and had some lint? fiber dust? or something on the seal at the bottom. It disappointed me to see a 5 ish micron filter loose in a box.

So, I bought 2 Stanadyne filters No. 31712. When I go home I realized 1 was in a "tissue thin" sealed bag but the other one was just in an open plastic bag. The open bag had some paper trash inside the bag with the filter. Again, I was really disappointed that the filter could be contaminated from shipping/packaging.

Was this just a fluke; bad pkg'ed filter from Stanadyne or are they going to continue to be loosely pkg'ed?

Are other manufacturers bagging their filters or is it an industry trend to delete the bags for larger micron filters vs the newer common rail systems?

Are there any mfg's still bagging the filters for a '97 Chevy? Or is it just the really fine filters for the common rail.

Do most filters come loose or bagged?

Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill? Here is a pic of the paper trash. Its a sliver of white at the end of the ball point pen. It was the biggest piece but there was other paper "dust" clung to the bag from some static charge???

 

[schiker]

I emailed Stanadyne filter division and a product manager replied. ~ This instance was probaby a dealer or distributor error and filters are indeed sealed at the factory.

I am not that big of fan of the OE filter manager but the Stanadyne filter does feel like one of the better ones. The metal is not painted its clean and precisely stamped no burs or misalignment of internal stem seal etc. It feels like the proper weight. Some filters the media seems thickish and might produce restriction to flow. And I wonder about paint on the metal top of some brands. Paint makes me think cheaper metal.

I do trust Wix and other quality filter mfg's but for this appication I like the original Stanadyne filter.

When I called the Stanadyne shop last week to ask if they had a filter they said they had one and it was bagged but they would be ordering some more. I picked up the filters in a hurry and did not get to speak with the owner and assumed (and might have over reacted and made an a$$ outa me for assuming) the open bagged filter was from the latest shipment.

I still would like to know what all brands and applications are sealed in bags vs loose in box.