Wow, why do things always seem to get so heated? Remember guys, you can't change someone's personal opinion when they believe it like Gospel... They either have to LIVE it, or hear it from a more reliable source than themselves (that they trust) in order to change that opinion...

And on that note, I offer my own! lol

There was a fantastic site up a few years back that has since disappeared, apparently over a lawsuit from a major filter company (probably Fram, reason to come).

This fellow had taken it upon himself to collect one of every oil filter brand and model on the planet. (well, a whole bunch, anyway! haha). He cut each filter open on a lathe and disassembled all parts and made notes on everything, as well as documented with pictures.
He commented on things like case quality, filter media area, pleat count and depth of pleat; He also inspected bypass valve material and installation, end cap material/construction, and several other things involved in a working oil filter. He found a few brands that were identical in every way possible, and incidentally, turns out they were all made by Fram.
It was pointed out that the Fram variety had the least amount of filter media, had inferior end caps and bypass valve (some cardboard parts, vs. steel in other brands), and overall, the least quality. He was a guy that heard a lot of rumours and decided to prove things to himself, while at the same time becoming an internet legend at oil filter de-mystifying.
I do remember this: Purolator Pure One filters were among the best made, if not THE best. I wish I could still access the list of best to worst filters. Also near the top of the list was AC Delco filters. Motorcraft were given good ratings as well, and I will buy them from time to time.
Keep in mind, this was probably 5 or more years ago, and Fram may have changed since then, but there were many, more expensive filters from Fram that were essentially identical on the inside to their cheapest version. There was one that was only marginally better, if I remember right.
Anyway, maybe this needs to be revisited again, If anyone here is passionate about this topic, go ahead and try this for yourself. Take a real close look at the inside of several oil filters and decide for yourself which you would rather use.
Here-say does not count, but research does.
I use Purolater Pure One or Motorcraft, simple as that. If there is a one in a ten thousand chance that a Fram filter could explode in my car or fail to filter particles, I will buy a filter with a one in a BILLION chance of doing the same. I was a Fram believer for years until I studied that article. That was the moment it took for me to change my personal opinion on that matter.
Disclaimer:
And no, I do not work for, nor do any family members work for or associate with, any oil filter manufacturer.

 

I saw the inside of Fram oil filters way back in the 60's (That was probably before you were born.) and gee, I'm still using them. So once again you speak of something you have no knowledge of.

 

Never mind I found it. click on the link below

Engine Oil Filter Study

 

Interesting claim. I raced with Fram filters with 90 psi oil pressure and I still haven't had one explode. I never ever saw on that had exploded and thats with over 4 years in the business. If there is a billion in one chance for a Fram to explode then the others have the same chance. An article written means nothing and I can make the numbers form any research say what I want them to, by ignoring the parts that don't agree with what I want to say. It's done all the time. If it's printed in a car mag you better believe that it is biased to wards their advertisers.

 

Yes and since then (about 25yrs ago fram filters were outsourced and now are just selling on the name. The quality from the 60s is not even remotely the same and even at that the filters in the 60s just don't cut it today (and fram's has gone down since then, I can't find it right now but there was a comparison done between a NOS Fram filter from the early 70s and one from the early 90s and you wouldn't even recognize them as the same thing, first the metal was less then half as thick)

I am not sure what this even means bear, but for yoru information I have owned my own business actually, I owned a farm which is a business I owned a trucking company and at one time i owned a tree trimming service so now where exactly did this comment come from? and that was just the official ones i owned. The only thing I can rationalize as to why your comment on that particular post was to try and distract from the fact I was countering your claim about testing and that ANYONE has ever put fram filters on the top of any list. Nice try bud didn't work.
Actually now thinking about it, I could say hte same to you cause if you actually owned a business you would have done enough reserch on things as important as oil filters to realize that fram doesn't even meet min requirements for most cars. (do some checking the standard fram filter will NOT pass SAE tests)

And Bear, I actually saw a GM factory rep refuses to warranty an engine failure on a car with 35,000 miles on it because upon inspection he found a fram filter and made the claim that it didn't meet GM requirement (that BTW was the one I mentioned in the early post that we cut apart and found the filter element had disintegrated and wasnt actually filtering anything)
have I seen a lot of them fail? nope only 5 from personal experience, but you know how many other brands Ihave seen fail the same ways ummm that would be a big fat ZERO

 

Then that engineer violated the law. Because it is illegal to void a warrantee that way. Crap this oil filter elitism is insane. Spend your money any way you want but don't spread these BS urban myths as fact.

 

actually bear I believe that particular one DID go to court and I do know for a fact his decision stood up.

and face it bear the only urban myth being put out as fact is the one saying standard fram filters are even remotely close to the same as say a motorcraft, they are cheap for a reason. Oh the other MYTH is the one that ANYONE has ever tested them and put them on the top of the list for quality.

 

I quit using anything except K&N. 500 lb. burst pressure, highest filtration on the market, plus the handy nut on end for a wrench. Had 3 Fram's burst on my old VW's. They cost me $5 more, but to quote Frams old slogan "Pay me now, or pay me later"

 

I'll only use a Fram if I can't find anything else. Heard the Fram Slam from enough different sources over the years that I gotta think there is something to it.


Why do oil discussions always get so heated? Use what YOU like and be happy...

 

Wow! look what I started!







Or should that be FRAMWAR?

 

A lot of people seem to get hot-headed here. While it is ok to disagree in a discussion, it is not ok to slam someone or make derogatory statements or defamation, or to insinuate someone has lesser intelligence because they are younger, less experienced, etc. I see it too often. I can understand it when it's Ford vs. chebbie, but not when we are all Ford folk here... Wish I was a moderator sometimes...

 

Actually, to reinforce the Fram lack of quality statement, try taking a Dodge with a Cummins in it, to get some warranty work done. Seriously, they wont warranty them. They had issues with the internals coming apart, and plugging the piston cooling nozzles.

Mopar, or Fleetgaurd is all they want on there. I even got the letter in the mail a couple years back from Dodge about it.

 

the four auto parts stores around here don't carry fram, just walmart and a fleet supply store. I asked the manager of autovalue why they don't carry fram, he replied "We don't sell junk" At work I crush used oil filters, one at a time. Frams crush like an empty popcan, OEM filters and wix don't crush worth a crap.

 

I think Fram got a bad name because some of the filters didn't seat right and that lead to the "exploding" people talk about.

 

And that would violate Federal law and get them in major hot water if only one customer complains. So I doubt it.