Originally Posted by bismic

Early on there were Frams that were aftermarket. Even recently, some folks have said they have seen an aftermarket in a Fram box. The general consensus is that they are now the same. Check for the felt on the bottom and the patent numbers. Frams should be just fine.

How to tell a Racor oil filter:

1. One piece top (NO plastic cap adaptor)
2.Top is glued to the filter media
3. Patent numbers (below)
4. Felt gasket on bottom
5. Diameter - exactly 1.5"
6. Length - exactly 6.5" (excluding the 4 snap tabs on top)
7. Filters are stiff and resist any twisting motion
8. 52 or 53 pleats
9. Pleats are 11/16" wide and 6 3/8" tall

U.S. Patent 6.554.139 describes the filter components (the good stuff, made by the Parker-Hannifin Corporation).
U.S. Patent 6.086.763 refers to the front disk assembly (not quite as important - made by Ing. Walter Hengst GmbH & Co.).

Also - I contacted Racor a while back about their filter design. They stated to me it was rated for 20 gpm which matches the LPOP design. It is designed to filter at least 95% of all particles 20 microns and larger.

Originally Posted by da-bees

When I picked it up the service manager told me it was corrected and should never reoccure. The issue is not with filters whatsoever and not all that uncommon nor difficult to remedy according to him.

Originally Posted by bismic

You really need to eloborate here. Unless I am missing something, what you have posted seems cryptic to me and not of much help as it is written.

Hi bismic. You are spot on about the omissions and it is reasonable to ask so out of respect for you and your seemingly unbiased dedication to helping PS owners I will attempt to explain why I am uncomfortable offering more detail. I searched and didn't find where anyone had an experience simerlar to mine(indication that oil was not beeing sufficently filtered by a filter which was outperforming others in majarioty of reports). At the onset I posted what to me was a preplexing observation(intermiton visual clues that something was not right with the oil)and followed with two ouestions(#1why dependable filters are not offered by companies who the general public has trusted for years)and#2(why in contrast,caps made by much newer and inexperinced sources gained overnight trust). Patent consurns were overwhemingly sited with filters and not much regarding caps which would face the very same fittment challange and patent requirment. Not one suggestion was offered outside of improper filter without regard for the fact that what most consider correct filter was in place when I noticed the issue. It is important to understand that looking back now,if I had not switched filter brands twice,it would have been somewhat simpler to look at. While it was beeing made more than abundently clear to use the right filter,I continued scratching my head and researching and found what was new to me that there are two destintivly different filters sold interchangably at parts stores. I reposted with this thinking it was a step in solving the thing. Still nothing at FTE other than "use the right filter". All true but it might have been incourging if only one had broke lockstep to try something different. I heard "expert" "diesel tech" "helpful" tossed around but not once what even a novice like my self would/will ask in a simialer situation. Hey da-bees,if someone tossed your factory cap and you are now useing the replacement,that could cause this. Have a close look at the egr to make sure it isn't putting extra quainity of sut in the system. Has your fuel milage nosedived ? If so,maybe something wore out in the turbo causing eccess junk to go thru intake,my babysitter's soccer coach said that's what happened to his. Or something!


1. What was the issue?

I heared it for the first time in my life from a SM who's validaty has already been called into question here today. How recptive might I expect people to be to secondhand information I don't understand my self.

2. What was the fix?

If people read into my brief statments all those things I didn't know I said,there is about a snowballs chance I could write it up clearly enough to be any help. Besides,not much attention is payed to anything without a vedio and I don't know how to make one. I reccomend Bill Hewitt,lots of folks like his stuff.

3. First you say something about being smug, then you say follow the owners manual (which I believe almost everyone was saying this).

Something about smug=adj too self-satisfied , Has nothing to do with owners manual.

Please explain. I really don't think that anyone posting in this thread is naive enough to believe or say that breakdowns can not occur w/ OEM trucks.

This falls under inference same as where posters read what I did not say.

Also, I just have to add (about oil color), when you pull the dipstick or drain the pan, it is UNFILTERED oil you are looking at. It will be dark in most engines. Many peoples "dark oil" comes back w/ good oil analysis results. People can get paranoid about too many things. If it appears differently or smells differently, then BY ALL MEANS - take it in ......... or better yet, get an oil sample and send it in for analysis (and then take it in).

Something that could have gone a long way had I been wise about it.

No one has said that problems can not occur with these engines if you are OEM. We all recognize that certain mechanical breakdowns can affect oil color, smell, and chemical properties of the oil - and we are not irresponsibly saying that it MUST be the filter either. We are saying "stay OEM" so you do not have an extra thing to have to consider in your troubleshooting and you do not have to worry about the warranty (if you are still covered). All of the "posters" in this thread are being conservative - so I do not believe anyone is saying to ignore a problem because you are OEM.

Adressing another point - look back on ALL the posts by folks recommending OEM filters. Most of the time, they are specifically saying you should NOT buy Ford filters. Buy the Racor or the International (all made by Racor). The price is very reasonable and not much more than ANY aftermarket filter. It amazes me that so many people read into the posts that the message is "to buy only from Ford".

Your original post is about WIX filters. WIX (and Luberfiner for that matter) have both been documented to have fiitment and quality issues (at least in the past). Lots of experienced and knowledgeable folks have presented information about why you should only use OEM style fiilters (which is what is recommended in the manual). If you still contend that WIX is as good or better, then that is certainly your choice.

Where I invoked inference above,case of point,where did I contend anything much less that Wix is good bad or otherwise.

There is no smugness here. It is all about being conservative and not taking a risk with an expensive engine or voiding your warranty. By all means, do the research and make your own decision. Look at the reputation and the accuracy of the information people post. I believe this is an even better "picture" of a person's trustworthieness than just going to a dealership and believing what they say. After all, they are not all 100% capable AND they do not necessarily represent Ford. Ford can deny a warranty even if a dealership was the one that installed an aftermarket product. In this forum (and a dozen others if you have the time and energy), look for the Techs and see what they are all saying. There are even a few forums where the majority of responses are from Techs. Then look for the folks that seem to be consistent w/ the Techs in their recommendation.

Originally Posted by Maxium4x4

Care to explain?

Originally Posted by da-bees

I'm not confident of my ability to explain, considering how difficult it was trying to convey my problem from the onset. If you have a similar issue,I would suggest suscribing and someone knowledgable usualy shows up shortly and offers guidance.

Originally Posted by janton01

Thanks that is what I thought and is what is in the box. $18 at Walmart
jerry

Originally Posted by homeschoolin

I remember buying 4 of the Fram filters for about $4 each using a coupon for Checker Auto that I read about here in this forum. I still have one left. Now I am reading $18 a pop at Walmart for the proper filter. Are the days of the coupon specials for the correct filter for our trucks long gone?

Originally Posted by zhilton

There was a time when they were $7 for two of them at Pep Boys. Those days appear to be long gone. It's a crying shame, but we all knew it wouldn't last.

Maybe it's because I don't like Wal-Mart...but this is where I buy my filters:

Ford 6.0 and 6.4 Liter Turbo Diesel Racor Filtration PFL2016 Oil Filter(FPL-2016)

At $13 a pop, to me it's worth the shipping. Though I usually by a case of them (9 in a case) so the savings are there for me.

Originally Posted by homeschoolin

Thanks for the site. I knew I should have stocked up more fully when they were so cheap.