Just curious: has anyone cut open any of the newer Fram oil filters lately? I know someone did a comparison study of a bunch of different filters, a couple of years ago, & Fram was rated as crap. I was wondering if Allied Signal saw the study, & got the hint. At Wal-Mart & Pep Boys, Fram is pretty much the only big name filter taking up shelf space, at least in my neck of the woods. I found out through a jobber, that a lot of those pretty blue AC Delco filters are now made in Tiawan, Korea, & China. There goes another bastion of American quality down the toilet .

Ken :flag

 

I don't think I would trust a Fram filter until another study is done. The last study is still on the ZR-1 Net at http://www.zr1.net/ but is dated 1999.

The last AC Delco filter I bought had no "Made in ..." anywhere on the label nor did the box. I wouldn't be suprised that at some point all oil filters will be made offshore. Hopefully quality won't suffer as long as the manufacturer's standards are still used.

My filter choices are still Purolator, AC Delco, Wix, and Mobil-1. What irks me is I just found out that the AC Delco PF25 for my 87 is no longer available and a lot of filter companies are dropping their equal. I used a larger filter for my last oil change and it took a half-quart more for the oil change but fortunately, the bottom of the filter didn't stick below the bottom of the oil pan.

 

I would rather order a K&N filter online and wait a few days rather than buy a fram locally.

 

This (semi-bi-annual) topic just came up on the vn....If you've got a NAPA near you, their brand filters are built by Wix, IIRC.

 

Pick up a Wix in one hand and in the other a Fram.
You will feel the difference.
It will feel like the Fram is hollow.

 

I'll never use a Fram again after reading a few of those write-ups.. At least not in my Vette .. The wife's Mustang on the other hand

 

Mobil 1 makes a great filter if you want to pay the $10 for it.If not the Pure 1 oil filters are really good.

 

I try to avoid Fram and stick with Hastings. AC Delco is used too. But honestly, in a pinch, I'll use Fram. If Fram filters are actually as bad as we all seem to think, given their use, I think there would be a lot more problems.

The minor amount of drainback that can happen in some cars, while I'm sure not the best of all possibilities, is not an engine killer. Not in my book. And I don't believe it is if studied over two hundred thousand miles, either.

My humble opinion has appeared above. Flame away.

 

AMSOIL makes an excellent filter as well. Made by Hastings to AMSOIL specifications with a special filter media.
AMSOIL SDF Oil Filter

I believe the SDF23 is the correct oil filter for the C4, but you can check your specific year make and model here:
AMSOIL Online Product Application Guide

 

Yeah; I just thought that if Fram is so lousey, woulden`t they have been sued into oblivion by now?

Ken

 

Ask your local napa if they carry K&N. The one by me actually carries K&N on the shelf. IMHO $12 is more than worth it for the protection you are getting.

 

Most of the people that actually use a Fram filter wouldn't know a Fram from a Ford Motorcraft if it bit them. They go into PepBoys or JiffiLube and get their oil changed every 15,000miles or whenever they remember to. If the car starts using a little oil at 45,000miles, its because it's getting miles on it.

 

K & N has been the filter of choice. Easy to install and good results.

 

For some reason I always pay about $11 bucks for the Mobil 1 filter. I'm sure its worth it

 

I always use either a K&N or a Mobil 1. Mobil 1 actually has a synthetic filter element rather than paper. K&N I believe is still paper but that little nut on the bottom sure is handy.

 

I did my own independent study last summer. I had a Fram in my Corvette and when hot the oil pressure would drop down to 14-15 lbs. at idle. Swapped to a purolator, same oil, never dropped below 20 lbs while hot at idle - usually held around 23lbs. So thats almost a lb gain in oil pressure reading. After reading the filter evaluations mentioned earlier and seeing this first hand I was sold -er, unsold on Fram. Purolator ranked high in the test I read. I put the off-brand Fram filter sold at Wal-Mart on my truck and lost oil pressure too - this is with a mechanical Auto Meter guage - lost almost 10 lbs there as well. Plan on switching it BACK to Purolator. I'm not saying go with Purolator, just that Fram seems sub-par.

 

Ok, other that Fram, what's the least expensive but decent oil filter readily available out there? TIA...

 

Are Valvoline filters the same as Fram?

 

Purolator. Cost about the same.

 

Not meaning to flame you, because I agree that if I had a daily driver I didn't much care about I wouldn't stay up nights if it had a Fram on it. Not changing the oil for 2 years like a couple of people I've known is a lot worse.

However, I intend to keep my Vette past the 200K mark and my personal experience with Fram oil filters says if you want to get 200k stay away from Fram.

I have a Nissan pickup which would always rattle a bit at start-up. In it I used Fram, a "good quality filter". The rattle wasn't a big deal, but it kinda bothered me. After I read the oil filter study a couple years ago I made plans to switch all my cars to Purolator. Right after switching to Purolator I noticed the start-up rattle was gone. Even after sitting a couple weeks between starts, the Nissan fires up with no rattle at all. Did the Fram cause engine failure? No. Over the long haul though, it seems to me the additional potential wear at start-up (one of the highset wear periods of engine operation) "probably" caused by the Frams is just not worth the couple of bucks difference if any.

As for not hearing about Fram getting sued; short of total engine and filter failure it is really hard for the average owner to prove that the filter isn't doing its job or that other owner affected factors didn't cause the failure. Even in clear-cut product failure, corporations that get sued usually just settle the suit with a binding non-disclosure agreement. Some companies have hidden behind significant product defects for years using non-disclosure. I hate contributing to corporations that are bottom-line bottom feeders like Allied-Signal. They buy a quality company, gut the quality by moving R&D and QA money into marketing, then ship the jobs overseas.

Pep Boys has Purolator filters on sale now and I can actually get them for the same or less than a Fram at Wal-Mart.