Stop using Fram oil filters!

[koda2000]

Yesterday I watched a YouTube video comparing several popular brands of engine oil filters. Wix, Napa Gold, Bosch, Purolator and Fram. The mechanic doing the comparison cut the tops of each filter and took them apart comparing the components, construction and filter media.

Wix and Napa Gold came out on top with Purolator and Bosch considered acceptable. The Fram (the orange variety) turned out to be absolute garbage. He cut open two brand new Fram filters and found significant rust inside of both cans, The filter media was held together with glued cardboard. The paper filter media was flimsy and once taken apart was considerably shorter than all the other filters. The anti drain back valve was cheap and glued to cardboard and the internal spring was of a poor design compared to real springs found in the Wix and Napa Gold filters. BTW, I think Wix and Napa Gold are both made by Wix).

What the mechanic liked about the Wix/Napa Gold filters was:
- Sturdy construction
- Real internal coil spring used (rather than a sheet metal spring)
- Quality material and attachment used for the anti drain back valve
- Significantly longer & better quality filter media
- A metal strip used to fasten the ends of the filter media together which prevents internal leaking on the ends and makes for overall sturdier construction

About the only thing the mechanic found acceptable about the Fram's construction was the sturdy top plate, but all the filters had this (good thing for STP one of their filters wasn't compared. Ever look at the top plate on an STP oil filter?)

My only complaints about this filter comparison was that it didn't include more popular oil filter brands and comparing the entry level Fram to more expensive higher quality filters perhaps wasn't fair, but I came away thinking I'd rather used no oil filter than ever use a Fram filter and have rust and dissolved paper floating around inside my engine.

For my Fords I used to use Motorcraft brand oil filters, but it appears Walmart no longer carries them, so now I use Wix or Purolator Extended Life oil filters. I would also use Mobil1 or K&N oil filters, though they tend to be more expensive.

Watch the YouTube video and see for yourself.

 

[410Fortune]

sad part is fram invented the oil filter
I have not run a fram in 10+ years now due to the cheapness of their filter media
Stick with Motocraft, Wix or napa gold

 

[shucker1]

Motorcraft for me too.

 

[poker4me007]

I wouldn't use the entry level Fram either, the Fram Ultra is there best filter.

 

[Exploring XLT]

I use wix or K&N, depending on how rich I am feeling.

 

[koda2000]

Link to the Video

 

[swshawaii]

https://www.ford-trucks.com/ford-manuals/Oil_Filter_Cutaway_Comparison.pdf

 

[Craigerz]

I agree that the orange filter are junk and that's the point he was trying to make, but he could have been a little more realistic comparing a Napa Gold to the cheapest Fram?? Come on. Use a Napa Silver, or a Fram Ultra Sythentic for a side by side comparison.

Even so MC for me too, but I have used the Fram TG before and they seemed to hold up just fine. Its just a case of you get what you pay for.

 

[fast_dave]

sad part is fram invented the oil filter

Just sayin' - from Purolator's Web Page:

Purolator Invented The Oil Filter

In 1923, Ernest Sweetland and George H. Greenhalgh patented the first automotive oil filtration system.

They called their invention “Purolator”, short for the words “pure oil later”, and they began a story of quality and innovation that continues to this day.

While the original Purolator filtered oil through twill-weave cloth, in 1946, Purolator introduced a pleated paper oil filter – a technology still being used today.

FWIW, after reading many Bob Is The Oil Guy oil filter reviews complete with pictures of cut-open filters;
Mobil 1, Purolator Pure One, Bosch Distance Plus & WIX are always on my look for a deal and stock up list.

BOB IS THE OIL GUY = Everything you wanted to know about Oil, Gear Lubes, Grease, Oil Filters (and much, much more).

Home Link: A Review of Mineral and Synthetic Base Oils - Bob is the Oil Guy

Forum Link: Bob Is The Oil Guy | The Internet's Number One Motor Oil Site

 

[Rick]

I ran a Fram air filter in our 2004 Mach 1. The end cap fell off some time during it's life and it allowed debris into the engine. I sent the filter to Fram per their request. They never sent me a replacement filter, the original filter, or my money back. All they did was tell me they were not responsible, and that my engine wasn't damaged so they were not going to do anything for me at all.

Friends don't let friends use Fram.

 

[masospaghetti]

Good filters are cheap and accessible enough that you'd have to be crazy to use a cheap Fram.

Denso, Wix, Motorcraft, Napa, or Purolator filters for me.

 

[J_C]

Been using a Motorcraft FL1A on my '98 since new and no reason to change except that I found a decent quality Denso on closeout at Rock Auto several months ago and tossed it in an order because it only added $2 or something, so will try that next time.

Ironically I do run a low end Fram on my 20-something year old riding mower, a popular model # for hundreds of automobiles (but was listed in a cross compatibility list). Fram Extra Guard PH3614, fits a 19HP B&S V-twin (Intek) engine... different risk level, used riding mowers are not all that valuable, and the oil is changed yearly rather than thousands of miles.

 

[Josh P]

Never put a fram on anything you care about.

 

[CDW6212R]

Fram came out with multiple filter levels long ago, their cheapest level probably became that really low quality back then. it's likely the same for any brand that has more than one level, I avoid all of those bottom level choices.

BTW, Walmart still carries Motorcraft in two of my local stores, I just bought a couple last week again, $3.99 each still.

 

[GLOCKer]

A good friend of mine from work is the fleet manager for the whole county I work for. He is not a Ford fanatic like I am, but he told me this one day;

Out of all of the filters on the market, the Motorcraft filters are probably at or near the top on quality. When it came to our (now almost all retired) fleet of Crown Vic patrol cars, they spent the money for Motorcraft filters.

Because of this, my 2014 Mustang GT gets a Motorcraft oil filter and Motorcraft synthetic-blend oil (just as it left the factory).

I'll probably start doing the same for my 1998 Explorer because I'd like to see this thing do another 100,000 miles!

 

[410Fortune]

Thanks for the history lesson!!
Okay so Purolator developed the first oil filtration device 10 years later it looks like Fram created the first easily replaceable oil filter.......

 

[BruceExploder]

Fram came out with multiple filter levels long ago, their cheapest level probably became that really low quality back then. it's likely the same for any brand that has more than one level, I avoid all of those bottom level choices.

BTW, Walmart still carries Motorcraft in two of my local stores, I just bought a couple last week again, $3.99 each still.

Yeah waWalmastill has motorcraft cheap

 

[koda2000]

Yeah waWalmastill has motorcraft cheap

I'll look again next time I'm at my Wallyworld, but the last time I looked they had removed them from my store. I only used Motorcarft filters on my ST, because I use Mobil 1 Extended Performance oil on my V8's (which only see around 5k-10k in 12 months) so I prefer to use Extended Life oil filters on them. I agree that Motorcraft filters are good quality, but IMO Wix and Napa Gold are an even better choice (at a higher price).

 

[Josh P]

When I was a truck driver, I noticed the items stocked at Walmart was regional, same with home depot and Lowes. I use Mobil 1 Extended Performance and Napa Gold filters on my cars.

 

[traveler]

Will an FL1A bolt onto a 5.0 Explorer? If so I'll stop using the listed size and use the bigger filter.
Ive always used Motorcraft since this topic was discussed on TCCoA.