Dented FRAM Ultras--What Would You Do?

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD

Originally Posted By: fdcg27

Well, you could just buy these filters locally for literally a few cents more. fleabay product is always caveat emptor.

Not exactly. 6 filters for $29.94 is $4.99 each to the door. Locally those filters are between $9 and $10 each. I only buy from reputable sellers so the risk is low, as I said the seller replaced these immediately.

Exactly. Like I said, I'd buy from him again w/o hesitation.

 

[L_Sludger]

I would run them without a second thought. But the car I'm running in now has pretty low oil pressure compared to other brands - I have an old Toyota V6.

 

[BrianF]

would the can be at risk of bursting under the oil pressure? Does the can have some sort of structural integrity that is crucial in the operation of the vehicle? My new truck has a bigger dent on its bumper, better trade it in because there is a chance that its next collision will be catastrophic because of it!

 

[CarbonSteel]

I cut open the one with the biggest dent (sort of hard to see in the photos below, but you can clearly see in the OP). I do not believe there would have been any issues running it. The can was not even close to the media and the dent pressed out with moderate effort (probably would not have under oil pressure). Enjoy!

 

[Merkava_4]

If they were replaced free and the store let you keep them, it would be your civic duty to cut them open and take pictures. We don't have very many pictures of fresh Fram Ultras on here.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4

If they were replaced free and the store let you keep them, you cut them open and take pictures. We don't have very many pictures on here of fresh Fram Ultras.

Look at one post above yours

 

[bbhero]

This is a valid point here. The cans of the Fram filters are thinner than say Wix, Nissan made Japanese filters, Bosch distance plus, Royal Purple,and Mobil 1. This does matter in some instances where a filter could be exposed to flying debris and hitting it.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD

Look at one post above yours

Lovely!

 

[blupupher]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

They are mild steel cans, and under pressure from the inside, so either nothing will happen with the dent, or the dent will be popped out by oil pressure and then nothing will happen. I would still use them, but just to be safe I'd inspect the filter after giving the engine a decent rev with cold oil to send the filter into bypass mode. If the filter can was under vacuum or pressure from the outside, then sure a dent would be a big deal.

Please know what you are talking about before responding. A dent is a big deal. It is called stress fatigue. A dent will cause a weak spot, and under pressure that spot can flex, and metal flexing thousands of times can and will crack. Baldwin has a specific web page regarding this, and Wix even has a video to help explain it.

 

[daves87rs]

Yay! They get opened...

 

[jongies3]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm

That's why I will no longer use Fram,the paper thin cans.

I don't think any filter's immune to denting. One drop and they're smashed pretty good. I've never handled a filter I couldn't compromise the canister with a good squeeze, regardless of brand, they're all made pretty cheaply. The inside construction is what you should be concerned with!

 

[demarpaint]

Thanks 2015 PSD for the pics.

 

[Panzerman]

I would run them. They are dents not creases. They will pop out as soon as they are pressurized. I seen alot worse and they popped out as soon as the engine started. If you cut them apart you will see the side dents really effect very little and it's not crushed enough to effect the actual filter media.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: blupupher

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

They are mild steel cans, and under pressure from the inside, so either nothing will happen with the dent, or the dent will be popped out by oil pressure and then nothing will happen. I would still use them, but just to be safe I'd inspect the filter after giving the engine a decent rev with cold oil to send the filter into bypass mode. If the filter can was under vacuum or pressure from the outside, then sure a dent would be a big deal.

Please know what you are talking about before responding. A dent is a big deal. It is called stress fatigue. A dent will cause a weak spot, and under pressure that spot can flex, and metal flexing thousands of times can and will crack. Baldwin has a specific web page regarding this, and Wix even has a video to help explain it.

I guess it could happen, but I doubt most smooth filters have such thin metal that a dent causes flexing at car engine oil pressures. Almost all the oil filters for sale are all pre-dented anyways with sharp cornered hex patterns so I don't think sheet metal knows which dents are supposed to be there and which ones aren't. Maybe the rule should be if the dent doesn't create sharper corners than the can comes with, its fine.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

I guess it could happen, but I doubt most smooth filters have such thin metal that a dent causes flexing at car engine oil pressures.

With the amount of force it required to push the dent out, it is not possible that oil pressure would be able to do this, much less cause flexing--the filter media would not allow that level of pressure to build up. Therefore, I tend to agree with this.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

I guess it could happen, but I doubt most smooth filters have such thin metal that a dent causes flexing at car engine oil pressures.

With the amount of force it required to push the dent out, it is not possible that oil pressure would be able to do this, much less cause flexing--the filter media would not allow that level of pressure to build up. Therefore, I tend to agree with this.

The pressure inside the filter's can will be what you see on the oil pressure gauge. The delta-p across the media is independent. So the can pressure would typically be around 70~100 PSI max on most vehicles.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix

Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

I guess it could happen, but I doubt most smooth filters have such thin metal that a dent causes flexing at car engine oil pressures.

With the amount of force it required to push the dent out, it is not possible that oil pressure would be able to do this, much less cause flexing--the filter media would not allow that level of pressure to build up. Therefore, I tend to agree with this.

The pressure inside the filter's can will be what you see on the oil pressure gauge. The delta-p across the media is independent. So the can pressure would typically be around 70~100 PSI max on most vehicles.

Fair enough, but I seriously doubt there is 100PSI oil pressure on a V-6 Ford Explorer, even 70PSI is probably pushing the upper limit. I had to press hard and I mean REALLY hard to force the dent back out. Obviously, I have no way to know how much PSI I applied to the dent area, but I do not think there would have been an issue with it.

 

[blupupher]

it is not the "pushing the dent out" that is the problem, it is the constant flexing around the dent that is not normally there that can cause the issue. Regardless, I would not use it and would not recommend anyone else to use a dented filter, and would say take one off it dented. No way to know if the filter would fail (it probably would not), but why risk it?

 

[LeakySeals]

I would wonder most about the bottom and the seal. Is it still perfectly flat? Could there be a high pressure leak, similar to a double gasket?

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: blupupher

it is not the "pushing the dent out" that is the problem, it is the constant flexing around the dent that is not normally there that can cause the issue. Regardless, I would not use it and would not recommend anyone else to use a dented filter, and would say take one off it dented. No way to know if the filter would fail (it probably would not), but why risk it?

I agree with not using (hence my cutting it open), but with the force it required to even "move the dent", I am pretty convinced there would not be any flexing on this particular filter. On a longer filter, all bets are off because there would be enough distance between the ends to allow for flexing. This filter not so much...