20k Fram Ultra Filter...

[WobblyElvis]

Here is a Fram Ultra run for 19,500 miles that accumulated carbon in the pleats. Used one year including winter in a cold climate. The engine uses 1 quat per 4,000 miles. I think driving conditions and engine condition has a lot to do with how long a filter should be used. 20,000 can be to much.

 

[Pinoak]

The fram ultra is invincible. It can do anything from filtering out 100% of all contaminants in your oil to making you breakfast every morning. It is a bright and shinning star. If you use it you will never need to buy another car because it will help it to last forever.
Fram ultra saved my marriage and cured my dog of terminal cancer.

 

[4WD]

They don't really shine … kinda dull gold …
Wix XP ? We be shiny N stuff …

 

[Linctex]

I've got 39,000 miles on a Fram Tough Guard.

It's located on a "dual filter mount", so it doesn't have to handle 100% of the flow.

HOWEVER, it does "still get warm" - so that proves it is still flowing - - which is the whole point of doing this.

It takes a little longer, but It's just a minute or two, not hours. STILL - - It is still flowing, even though oil will take the path of least resistance.

 

[AnthemBassMan]

Originally Posted by demarpaint
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Looks like that filter is beginning to sludge up to me.

Me too.


There was no sludge to be found. The only thing in between the pleats was some black silt like in the dome of the filter. No grit to it at all. The filter media looks dark because the sun was facing me the the overhead door. I'm back to my normal oil changes after this. I just wanted to push it to see how the filter looked.

L8R,
Matt

 

[AnthemBassMan]

Originally Posted by WobblyElvis
Here is a Fram Ultra run for 19,500 miles that accumulated carbon in the pleats. Used one year including winter in a cold climate. The engine uses 1 quat per 4,000 miles. I think driving conditions and engine condition has a lot to do with how long a filter should be used. 20,000 can be to much.

My filter had none of that around the pleats or endcaps. The stuff I found between the pleats felts as smooth as corn starch, just wet. I should also mention that when I checked the oil level right before pulling the drain plug, it was just a little more than halfway between the add and full lines. Not too bad for the mileage on my car.

L8R,
Matt

 

[Pinoak]

Originally Posted by AnthemBassMan
Originally Posted by WobblyElvis
Here is a Fram Ultra run for 19,500 miles that accumulated carbon in the pleats. Used one year including winter in a cold climate. The engine uses 1 quat per 4,000 miles. I think driving conditions and engine condition has a lot to do with how long a filter should be used. 20,000 can be to much.

My filter had none of that around the pleats or endcaps. The stuff I found between the pleats felts as smooth as corn starch, just wet. I should also mention that when I checked the oil level right before pulling the drain plug, it was just a little more than halfway between the add and full lines. Not too bad for the mileage on my car.

L8R,
Matt

Sounds like yours just had normal soot it is was catching. Yours looks fine.

 

[DGXR]

Originally Posted by WobblyElvis
Here is a Fram Ultra run for 19,500 miles that accumulated carbon in the pleats. Used one year including winter in a cold climate. The engine uses 1 quat per 4,000 miles. I think driving conditions and engine condition has a lot to do with how long a filter should be used. 20,000 can be to much.

I have seen this granular carbon in several oil filters cut & post which were used during cold weather operation. The assumption during those discussions was that the carbon is due to excessive open loop (warm up) cycles... lots of very cold cold starts. Makes sense to me but I am no expert. But I agree with your statement: under adverse conditions, 20k mile service interval can be too much for even the finest quality oil filter.

 

[bullwinkle]

When I ran an Ultra for two 10K OCIs with M1 EP 5W30, it had some carbon in the dome, but nothing like that (xB in my sig, lots of cold starts, but warms up quick). If this was on one OCI, it was too long-if multiple OCIs, the engine is making (or has) a lot of carbon that the filter is catching during operation. Are you sure it doesn't have a weak or stuck open thermostat that is stopping it from making operating temperature-or massive amounts of blowby?

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by Pinoak
The fram ultra is invincible. If you use it you will never need to buy another car FILTER because it will help it to last forever.
FIFY! Seriously, though, on a CLEAN engine, I don't see a need to buy 3-4 regular filters to do what one Ultra is capable of, as long as it doesn't catch an unlucky rock or start rusting.

 

[AnthemBassMan]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
When I ran an Ultra for two 10K OCIs with M1 EP 5W30, it had some carbon in the dome, but nothing like that (xB in my sig, lots of cold starts, but warms up quick). If this was on one OCI, it was too long-if multiple OCIs, the engine is making (or has) a lot of carbon that the filter is catching during operation. Are you sure it doesn't have a weak or stuck open thermostat that is stopping it from making operating temperature-or massive amounts of blowby?


Thermostat hasn't shown any signs of being stuck partially open. My car is blowing hot air within about 1 mile from my driveway and I don't let it sit idling to warm up. This was used for three oil changes over the span of 10 months totaling approximately 19,600 miles from last July to yesterday. Or are you talking about WobblyElvis' pic of his filter?

L8R,
Matt

 

[Flashlightboy]

Nice job on opening the can.

/s/
Jaws

 

[AnthemBassMan]

Originally Posted by Flashlightboy

Nice job on opening the can.

/s/
Jaws


I swear! I used tin snips! I didn't chew through it!

L8R,
Matt

 

[4WD]

On the safety side … those jagged cans will do lots of damage to the hands … getting a real cutter is worth a look … pretty much a lifetime tool …

 

[Pinoak]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
Originally Posted by Pinoak
The fram ultra is invincible. If you use it you will never need to buy another car FILTER because it will help it to last forever.
FIFY! Seriously, though, on a CLEAN engine, I don't see a need to buy 3-4 regular filters to do what one Ultra is capable of, as long as it doesn't catch an unlucky rock or start rusting.

Yeah I was just poking fun. I've used both the ultra and the Mobil 1 for 20,000.
on my cars without a worry.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by AnthemBassMan
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
When I ran an Ultra for two 10K OCIs with M1 EP 5W30, it had some carbon in the dome, but nothing like that (xB in my sig, lots of cold starts, but warms up quick). If this was on one OCI, it was too long-if multiple OCIs, the engine is making (or has) a lot of carbon that the filter is catching during operation. Are you sure it doesn't have a weak or stuck open thermostat that is stopping it from making operating temperature-or massive amounts of blowby?


Thermostat hasn't shown any signs of being stuck partially open. My car is blowing hot air within about 1 mile from my driveway and I don't let it sit idling to warm up. This was used for three oil changes over the span of 10 months totaling approximately 19,600 miles from last July to yesterday. Or are you talking about WobblyElvis' pic of his filter?

L8R,
Matt
Sorry, it was WobblyElvis' picture. Not sure how he's getting all that fine carbon in there, I don't think I would like the looks of his oil pan nor pickup-that's a LOT of carbon!

 

[OnTheRocks]

Fram may claim "up to 20,000 miles", but that doesn't mean that every car will be able to use the filter for 20,000 miles. Maybe in laboratory testing, 1 engine ran this up to 20,000 miles.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted by OnTheRocks
Fram may claim "up to 20,000 miles", but that doesn't mean that every car will be able to use the filter for 20,000 miles. Maybe in laboratory testing, 1 engine ran this up to 20,000 miles.


I disagree. If they say up to 20,000 miles, you can bet they tested it out to well beyond that so that in some perfect case scenarios it could probably do 30,000 miles, maybe more.

 

[blupupher]

Originally Posted by Patman
Originally Posted by OnTheRocks
Fram may claim "up to 20,000 miles", but that doesn't mean that every car will be able to use the filter for 20,000 miles. Maybe in laboratory testing, 1 engine ran this up to 20,000 miles.


I disagree. If they say up to 20,000 miles, you can bet they tested it out to well beyond that so that in some perfect case scenarios it could probably do 30,000 miles, maybe more.

Yup.
Jay said that is why they upped them from 15,000 miles with no changes.
The testing they had been doing (and I am sure it was real world) showed that 15,000 miles was not an issue, so 20,000 miles is the rated mileage, and you can bet there is a margin of safety built into that.

We have a few TG posted here with 20,000 miles with no visible issues (yes, I know, that is not scientific). Many XG with 20,000+ miles with no issues.

I have always said if I ever had any OPE that needed a filter, I would put a Fram XG on it and never change it again.