20 micron battle: Bosch 3430 vs Fram FE3980

the Tough Guard TG3980 and Ultra XG3980 do have filter bypass valves. the endurance and titanium do not.
Look at the link I posted to the XG3980. Fram says it does not have a bypass valve. After looking at your other video, it looks like Fram's website info is wrong.
 
watch this video from here:

the only Fram with an actual seal at the bottom of the filter (vs metal to metal) is the Titanium.

On the Fram PH and TG filters with the fiber end caps, even though the leaf spring doesn't "fit tight" inside the center tube, it still seals because the leaf spring compresses it and seals it to the end cap. You can see the impression in the end cap.

And BTW, you think those filters would ISO efficiency test as good as they do if oil was actually leaking around the media at the end cap? They really don't "leak", if they did the ISO efficiency would really suffer. Same goes for the Endurance, it wouldn't ISO test at 99+% at 20μ if it was "leaking" at the metal to metal seal on the end cap.
 
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The 3980 shouldn't have a bypass valve it's for GM applications that have a bypass valve built in the filter adapter housing, someone at the factory must've screwed up.
yup. TG3980 and XG3980 have bypass valves and they should not.

i'm really glad i cut all of these open. the Titanium wasn't one of the ones i was considering initially because i was already testing three 20um Fram filters - but i'm glad i picked that one up and cut it open too.
 
The 3980 shouldn't have a bypass valve it's for GM applications that have a bypass valve built in the filter adapter housing, someone at the factory must've screwed up.
Yeah, I know all about the GM built-in filter bypass valve, my Z06 had one. Fram's website info doesn't jive with production.

You may be right about a factory production mess up. Fram spec on their website shows it shouldn't have one, so looks like the design and spec is correct.
 
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yup. TG3980 and XG3980 have bypass valves and they should not.

i'm really glad i cut all of these open. the Titanium wasn't one of the ones i was considering initially because i was already testing three 20um Fram filters - but i'm glad i picked that one up and cut it open too.
Can you see the wire backing on the Titanium? Some are not wire backed any more. Just because it says it on the box does not gaurentee it's wire backed. The Titaniums are going through the same media change as the Ultra did.
 
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Fram wins... :cool:

I appreciate you putting this together & showing us all of those filters. It's nice to see the internals & I'm sure this will help out those looking at different filters. With all that being said Fram's have proven they are more efficient & that is what I'm after. If I was looking at overall construction & didn't care about efficiency I'd buy the Boss in an instant.
 
Based on the testing from Ascent its hard to believe that any filter would outperform Fram on filtration efficiency.
They claim 99% at 20, but effectively were 99.9+% at 20micron.
And more important they could claim 99+% at 15 micron, which no other filter could touch.

The Delta P when new was comparable to the Boss and only beat by WiX XP, both of which have terrible efficiencies.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...ow-bubble-point-and-burst.334882/post-5651637

As it loaded up the results were similar, only Wix XP exceeded it on delta P.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...ow-bubble-point-and-burst.334882/post-5789087

Now having said that Bosch seems perfectly capable and is a good option for a filter.
But based on the fact that it has far more pleats/surface area that's an indication that the media is much more restrictive.
The examples in Ascent testing are all synthetic media and perform vastly differently. But the options that approach 99% at 20micron as far as efficiency performed WORSE on delta P.
So, bottom line Bosch is fine, but probably has worse efficiency AND worse Delta P.
 
Now having said that Bosch seems perfectly capable and is a good option for a filter.
But based on the fact that it has far more pleats/surface area that's an indication that the media is much more restrictive.
The examples in Ascent testing are all synthetic media and perform vastly differently. But the options that approach 99% at 20micron as far as efficiency performed WORSE on delta P.
So, bottom line Bosch is fine, but probably has worse efficiency AND worse Delta P.

The Bosch Premium and the PureOne were at one time basically the same filters in different cans - rated at the same efficiency. Not sure if that still holds true, but this dP vs flow curve shown below is from a PureOne years ago (the yellow can) when there was all kinds of claims that PureOne oil filters were "too restrictive because they were so efficient" mantra always surfacing.

Even then, Purolator and Bosch filters always had way more media area than other filters, and as you know, for the reason to keep the dP low. This graph was test data from Purolator, using a medium sized PureOne (with no bypass valve) and using oil that was basically the same viscosity as 5W-30 at 100C (212F). Delta-p of only 4 PSI at 10 GPM of flow is pretty low restriction in my book.

1688665357347.png
 
fwiw - 99% at 20um is equal to 99% at 20um. both companies are using the same ISO 4548-12 test. the ultra also has a bypass when it shouldn't in this application. the Titanium is the clear Fram winner
I take the ¨+¨ on the Fram to mean it performs better than 99.0%. Unless Bosch inserts a ¨+¨, I´m taking it to mean 99.0%. That´s certainlyi splitting hairs, but the hair´s diameter gets pretty wide when price and availability (to me) are factored in.

Btw, thanks for taking the time and making the effort to cut these open!
 
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I take the ¨+¨ on the Fram to mean it performs better than 99.0%. Unless Bosch inserts a ¨+¨, I´m taking it to mean 99.0%. That´s certainlyi splitting hairs, but the hair´s diameter gets pretty wide when price and availability (to me) are factored in.
+ refers you to a footnote.
 
Well, look at the Ascent testing. As @Davejam suggested, they could claim more than what they do. And no question the Bosch is outstanding. I´d be thrilled to run it in my engines. They just can´t be had for the price at which I can get the Frams. Even the Endurance.
The ascent testing happened more than two years ago and does not apply to any of these filters. This Bosch is a $6.99 filter.

Fram is a good choice too!

Bosch Automotive 3430 Premium Oil Filter With FILTECH Filtration Technology-Compatible With Select AM General,Buick,Cadillac,Chevrolet,GMC,Oldsmobile,Pontiac + More https://a.co/d/8XLCRfI
 
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