wow, im sorry your paying so much for filters... i buy 51515 wix filters for around 6.20 a peice and we run 5 ford trucks and one dodge that all take it. if you look at the fram filter you can see that there are also less pleates (folds in the paper) to filter, meaning less surface area. also, try wetting a peice of cardboard and tell me what happens to it.... thats what frams have on the ends

Matt

 

Don't take this the wrong way guys. I understand your standpoint on these filters, and like I said, I am not telling anyone to start using them, or sales pitching for Fram in any way shape or form. I have seen all the pics, read all the testimonials, yet no one has any failure data that using one of these filters has caused. People brand bash all the time, cause it is what they were raised on, or what they were told, or personal experiences. I am simply stating that after 6 years of usage, I have never had a single problem with any of the fram filters I have used. All I ask is for someone to show me proof that they are the cause of premature wear, or failure of an engines components. To date, no one has been able to provide me with that data.

Ryan

 

Ryan, consider this. If the internet has several documented cases / personal catastrophies, including "misery and woe"** using Fram Oil Filters, why take the chance? Each and every one of those people were like YOU. The installed a Fram oil filter, thinking it would work normal. Yet, as documented, engine problems developed. Why then, take the chance? Which brings me to this point, as mentioned by many people here. For the same amount of money, and even a little less, you can purchase a better oil filter than Fram. Maybe in the 70s, 80s, Fram was the top-tier aftermarket oil filter. However, other companies have stepped up, and are making a better oil filter than Fram, for the same $ as Fram. Hope this helps, Ryan. ED
** Lyric borrowed from an old Black Sabbath song, from 1971, on the cut - "Into The Void" Tony Iommi, lead guitar. Geezer Butler, laying down bass guitar, on said cut.

 

------------------------------------
OFF of the "Master Of Reality" (Warner Brothers Records #2562 c. 1971) for those who e-mailed me offlist for what ' Sabbath album it was! ED

 

I used to use Frams more than any other brand.

I never had any problems that I know of.

The car that I used them on went to around 164K+ miles and I think it still runs.

I havent used Frams in some time.

I think that the question being asked is this.

Can anyone show real proof that a Fram filter caused engine damage.

Some speculate and tell of a friends etc. motor being damaged by Fram but can they show proof of such?

We have heard that a Fram failed here and there but every filter maker has failed filters.

What we should be asking is this.

Do the Fram failures,if they exist,go above what is the acceptable failure rate for filters.

Fram sells how many millions of filters every year.

Of these filters,How many fail?

Are there better filters?

One would have to say yes and at a cheaper price.

Purolator is a better filter according to the opinion of others and they cost less.

Advance Auto Parts house brand of filter is made by Purolator and would most likely be as good if not a better filter than Fram at a cheaper price.

Some like the new E-Core filters that are made by Champion Lab but I dont know about them.

NAPA's Silver oil filter would probably be a better filter than Fram at a cheaper price.

 

Thank you motorguy, that is exactly what I was trying to say.


Ryan

 

Something else here.

It was stated that the endcaps of a Fram are cardboard.

That seems to be true to an extent but it most likely isnt normal box type cardboard.

Also,the filter element itself is made with paper and it doesnt fall a part when wet,why should the ends?

Before anyone says that I am a Fram salesman etc.,I am not and never have been.

I have not and do not work in the filter industry.

I am only pointing a few things out.

We also hear that this or that filter has this or than many pleats of filter material.

While a higher number of pleats sounds good,is it really?

If filter A has a high number of paper pleats and filter B has a lower number of pleats but the element in B is mixed with glass or some other type of additive,which of the two filters are better?

While most of us would like to see a lot of filtering element in a filter,does it really make a difference if it is only paper?

Does a filter that has glass etc. as an additive need more or less media to do the same job as paper only filter?

These are some of the questions that one may want to consider when bashing a filter based only on pleat count.

As I said,pleat count can be good but it isnt the only thing that one may want to consider.

The type and thickness of the filter element may mean more than the pleat count.

We also have those that think the new E-Core filters are good but their construction is similar to Fram.

The endcaps are made of a type of filtering material and are NOT glued but thermally bonded to the filter ends.

The picture of the Super Tech 8A filter in this thread is an E-Core.

Some have found it quite easy to pull the ends loose.

Some seem to have found the ends loose without touching them.

If these filters were made by Fram,I think that those that think they are good would be bashing them based only on the fact that they were made by Fram.

They would probably be saying that the filters are cheap and that people should not get them.

 

I'm sure you guys are going to have the last word, that's the beauty of the internet. But there have been many reports of; dry starts due to bad drainback, filter media disintegration leading to engine failure, burst filter cases, and more. Somebody did a comparison of filters and found that Fram's were the worst. He was harrassed by Allied Signal and was made to take his web site down. One of Allied Signal's engineers also disclosed unflattering information about filter quality. He was also forced to remain silent.

Do you want to buy a filter from a company with this type of record when you can buy truly excellent filters. You can get Purolator PurOne filters for a decent price. Wix/NAPA are available everywhere and they're truly excellent. Mobil1 filters could be the best available. Why would you scrimp on an oil filter? That's just crazy. Fram is cheap *****.

 

I'm with you guys - mrxlh and motorguy222 - nothing wrong with Fram filters. Don't get me wrong, I won't pay more for them, but I have used them for years and never had a problem.

Oh, and that guy that got harassed by Allied Signal for telling the "truth" - he's in witness protection along with the guy that invented synthetic oil that lasts 3 million miles and the guy that built the 300 mpg gas engine.

 

Not looking for the last word here at all. I just want everyone who bashes Fram filters to show me physical proof (mic readings and clearances) of a damaged or a life shortened engine caused by using a Fram filter. I have inspected my sportster motor more than should be allowed by law, and never saw anything to cause concern. FWIW a HD oil system runs a very low pressure pump, and deals with more volume, the first indication of a oiling problem is heard in the lifters instantly. Never has been an issue on either bike of mine.

 

If Fram filters were truly as bad as described here by some people, I think they would no longer be in busines, or at the very least, there were class action lawsuits pending against them. Having said that, their filters may not be of a particularly good quality or value, but I think in general they do meet the minimum required by engine manufacturers.

As for their usage of "cardboard" endcaps -- the filter material is very often paper, so I'm not exactly sure what's the big deal about cardboard endcaps. If someone got enough water in the oil to wet the filter, I think there are a lot more to worry about then just a wet cardboard. Personally, I use Purolator/Motorcraft most often, but haven't had any problem with Fram (actually, usually Pennzoil) filters in the past, and if nothing else were easily available, I would have no problem using Fram again.

 

i use hasting oil filters, have always had good luck. anybody ever had problems with them ?

 

mrxlh, you might want to stay tuned to the FTE Oil and Lube forum as I will be posting pics this weekend of a POS Fram filter off of MY truck. I'm still considering my legal position and if it is worth the grief. There is NO DOUBT there is damage and considering I am close to trading anyway, I may just post the pics and get rid of the truck. See ya this weekend.

 

I'm not going anywhere.


Ryan

 

mrxlh,

i am not sure what flash had happen. but i was a loyal fram user for many years. i was driving my old 71 truck with a 360 i was doing about 2200 rpms at about 40 mph. the truck started to lose power(no suprise this thing clogged fuel filters every 3k) so i figured oh ok just the filter again so i drove another 2 miles to kragen . on my way home i got stuck at a red light the truck went from 900 rpms to 850 and so on. so i feathered the pedal to bring it back up but then it just went from 900 to 300 then to zero. the engine locked up. oil level was fine. but oil was not super hot(which was odd) so i thought it blew the oil pump. upon further inspection the adbv in the oil filter moved and blocked the outlet port of the filter. this was because the srpring in the filter was fromed wrong and did not hold tension so the filter moved down enough in the can that the adbv movedd and blocked the flow of oil. thats my story.