Bashing Fram oil filters.

[ExMachina]

Originally Posted By: 2civics
As a new member I am surprised this hasn't been established already.

Even I know the filtration % of their top filters (99% at 20 microns) and realize they lead the market.

Did they have junk before? Yes but it was well blown out of proportion in response.


I think you're right in sticking to the filtration % info. Many people come on this forum and say they like a particular brand of oil filter but have no real reason why. The orange can Frams may have tended to be poorly constructed though, very possible. Sticking with the Fram TG and XG (ultra) lines means the construction and ADBV material is better. Cartridges everybody pays attention to quality since its soooo visible, unlike cans where they know they can hide spread-out media pleats and other defects well.

 

[KCJeep]

Never an issue with a Fram in many decades of use and while now I use many different makes the Frams are still my favorite for the Lumina and the Concorde.

 

[Rat407]

To each their own. A good friend of mine ran nothing but Fram filters and Castrol GTX oil back in 1988 on his 88 Toyota Pickup. Changed oil and filter out every 3k miles and when he finally had to get rid of the truck do to rust, (lives in NJ) he had 340k on it with no issues.

 

[Merkava_4]

Those orange Frams always remind me of French donuts ....

 

[DoubleWasp]

Hate to bring this up again, but I think Toyota definitely proved that not only are metal endcaps unnecessary, but also end caps entirely.

 

[Bud_One]

Even though I know that the TG and the XG are superior.
I still like the Orange Extra Guards.
When I first started changing oil on our families old 90' Mitsubishi Mirage - I had no idea what I was doing and would purchase 20W50 Castrol and a Fram Extra Guard - for a 1.5L 4cyl Auto.
Car was sold around 1995 and last we heard ran past 300k miles and was finally totaled.

 

[David1]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
Never an issue with a Fram in many decades of use and while now I use many different makes the Frams are still my favorite for the Lumina and the Concorde.



I used to use FRAM Extra Guard when i was 16 years old all the way to my late 20s

All my cars.... My first care was a 82 Olds V8 5.7 Diesel and when I changed oil i used FRAM Extra Guard, My Grand Father used to tell me to use them.. just like he told me to use Marvel Mystery oil in the gas at each fill up and puts some in oil 500 miles at the end of my OCI.. he was always on top of me about that....

2nd car 85 Ford Bronco II and 90% of the time I used FRAM extra Guard.. sometimes I would use the Motorcraft and I think it was FL1A

3rd car 86 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 4 cylinder with Turbo and inter-cooler and I used
Castol GTX and Fram Extra Gaurd

4th Car forget the year but Merkur XR4Ti same engine as the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe but no Inter-cooler for Turbo and I used FRAM Extra Guard...

5th Car 89 Mustang GT 5.0 and I used Fram Extra Guard.

6th 87 Ford Probe LX and guess what??? Fram Extra Guard

7th Car Nissan 300 ZX V6 Turbo and I used Fram Extra Guard.

8TH car I lost my drivers license with the Nissan 300ZX I got so many Tickets so I had to get a 88 FORD ESCORT and I drove 1 year with no driver license and I did use Mobil 1 Syn Oil but I used FRAM Extra Guard and never got a ticket the whole time I had the Ford Escort also it was WHITE..


I can go on and on all my cars I have owned in my life b/c my family owns a used car lot and I was always getting used cars.. I would drive a car for 1 year and just trade it in and I always bought them wholesale and then sold them and always made $ back...

My point is for years I used FRAM Extra Guard and never had a problem..


NOWWWWWWWWW

I think when I used the FRAM Extra Guard or OCOD filter I think Bendix Corporation owned them and perhaps the oil filter was made differently... I do remember some did have a RED SICONE ADBV...

However when i got my Buick Lesabre V6 3800 Series 2 I remember and I have said this a few times I remember having some oil filter problems but I was not using FRAM I was using another brand I wont mention...

However thats when I started looking at oil filters cut open

Personally I think you can run a FRAM Extra Guard 3000 miles or 4000 miles with no problems if you change your oil each 3K miles or 4K miles and keep on top of it.

 

[Nate1979]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Those orange Frams always remind me of French donuts ....

But do they taste the same? I have heard of people smelling oil filters but how about tasting?

 

[BikeWhisperer]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
Hate to bring this up again, but I think Toyota definitely proved that not only are metal endcaps unnecessary, but also end caps entirely.


So has Honda (Fram made with cardboard end caps)...and both have also proven that filtration efficiency isn't as much important too surprisingly.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979
But do they taste the same? I have heard of people smelling oil filters but how about tasting?


I think if you were to put some glazed frosting on there it would taste the same.

 

[Bigdaddyeasy]

I'm hungry, anybody have a FRAM?

 

[Merkava_4]

 

[crazyoildude]

In My opinion the ocod is not a well made oil filter its just that simple, take one apart and see for yourself.. Fram makes one filter that i began using and that is the ultra.
The orange can is a good seller but in my opinion its not well made at all and i have found that depending on the application they increase start up noise..
Wix makes quality filters at the moment and the fram ultra seems to be ok also so far. When i get enough miles on the ones that i am using i will be cutting them open and posting pictures and also an oil report from blackstone.

 

[MrQuackers]

Nothing wrong with this filter. I bought mine for under $2 each.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3735562/1

I am not afeard of winding up the tach on this car.

 

[RAM_Designs]

My dad put over 600k combined on his last two gas powered RAM trucks using Fram orange filters and plain ol' QSGB oil...3k oil changes every time.

 

[robo339]

Originally Posted By: BikeWhisperer
Originally Posted By: robo339
Yeaaaa but you can get better for the same amount of money


Maybe for the Extra Guard (but that is debatable), but not for the Fram Ultra.

The Fram Ultra has been shown to easily go the 15k it is rated for. I spent $7.50 each for mine (package of 4 for $30 shipped in sealed boxes). If I choose to only go 10k then that is $3.75 per the 5k that most "cheap" oil filters are designed for. If I go 15k then it's only $2.50 per 5k...now which is the "better filter for the same price"?

But lets say the cheap filter can go 7.5k...then if I go 15k on the FU I am still paying the same price but getting a higher efficiency and better flowing filter (due to the full synthetic media).

Either way the better filter for the same price or less is the Fram Ultra.


I'm not sold on leaving a dirty filter on and changing to clean oil it feels like taking a poop and not wiping after...... butt to each his own I'll stick with changing/wiping every time I've used fram ultra and it's cool and all and no doubt is a good filter but not my cup of tea

 

[BikeWhisperer]

Originally Posted By: robo339
Originally Posted By: BikeWhisperer
Originally Posted By: robo339
Yeaaaa but you can get better for the same amount of money


Maybe for the Extra Guard (but that is debatable), but not for the Fram Ultra.

The Fram Ultra has been shown to easily go the 15k it is rated for. I spent $7.50 each for mine (package of 4 for $30 shipped in sealed boxes). If I choose to only go 10k then that is $3.75 per the 5k that most "cheap" oil filters are designed for. If I go 15k then it's only $2.50 per 5k...now which is the "better filter for the same price"?

But lets say the cheap filter can go 7.5k...then if I go 15k on the FU I am still paying the same price but getting a higher efficiency and better flowing filter (due to the full synthetic media).

Either way the better filter for the same price or less is the Fram Ultra.


I'm not sold on leaving a dirty filter on and changing to clean oil it feels like taking a poop and not wiping after...... butt to each his own I'll stick with changing/wiping every time I've used fram ultra and it's cool and all and no doubt is a good filter but not my cup of tea


If you think that a filter that is designed to trap contaminants can somehow contaminate clean oil than you should probably study up on how they actually work...

 

[bbhero]

I have had my Fram Ultra on for 11k miles. I changed my oil in my Altima 1200 miles ago. My oil color is looking really good. I've learned on here that oil filters pick up more contaminants with time\usage. Key part is how much volume they can hold. Fram Ultra I believe it's 29 grams. That's pretty doggone good

 

[robo339]

Lol now you're putting words in my mouth nice try I don't see a reason to leave a filter in place when I can replace it with a new one in just a few minutes how much money do you really save over the life of a vehicle leaving your used filter in place when I spend xx,xxx on a vehicle a hundred bucks over the life or whatever it works out to is not a big deal

 

[bbhero]

If its rated for 15,000 miles and many people have had great results doing so.... Then why not try it??

It just makes me the job much easier to not to have mess with the filter every time. I do see what you are saying about the money aspect. But I think it does justify spending $9 on a Ultra. It is actually cheaper than running the extra guard for three times for $12. But, yeah you are right. It really doesn't equal a whole lot of money at the end of the day.
But again, the ability of the filter to pick up containiments increases over time. This does make sense to keep them on longer than say 5k miles because it will filter out more contaminants after this point.
But hey, it is a somewhat free country at the end if the day