I use the Motorcraft FL1A on my wife's 1997 Concorde with good results. It is twice as long as the original filter and eliminates the startup clatter it always had with other filters.
Part of the reason are the large oval shaped holes in the backplate. I mark the filter so I can line up one of the holes with the oil pump output as I tighten it. Works great. Almost instant oil pressure buildup.
This last oil run I had some clatter problems. I was on an AutoRX rinse, so I just ignored it. But when I changed the oil Saturday, I noticed that the backplate was not the typical FL1A backplate, it was a backplate from a Purolator Premium Plus filter. 8 medium holes evenly spaced. Opened the filter up and everything else was the normal FL1A stuff, just the backplate was different.
The replacement FL1A had the normal backplate. Installed that one and no more startup clatter since then. So now I know what caused it this run. I just missed the difference when I put it on the last time.
These filters were all bought from Walmart in the official Motorcraft box and everything else about the filters was correct. I just wanted to post this in case someone else noticed the same thing. It makes a big difference in this particular instance with this engine.
Part of the reason are the large oval shaped holes in the backplate. I mark the filter so I can line up one of the holes with the oil pump output as I tighten it. Works great. Almost instant oil pressure buildup.
This last oil run I had some clatter problems. I was on an AutoRX rinse, so I just ignored it. But when I changed the oil Saturday, I noticed that the backplate was not the typical FL1A backplate, it was a backplate from a Purolator Premium Plus filter. 8 medium holes evenly spaced. Opened the filter up and everything else was the normal FL1A stuff, just the backplate was different.
The replacement FL1A had the normal backplate. Installed that one and no more startup clatter since then. So now I know what caused it this run. I just missed the difference when I put it on the last time.
These filters were all bought from Walmart in the official Motorcraft box and everything else about the filters was correct. I just wanted to post this in case someone else noticed the same thing. It makes a big difference in this particular instance with this engine.
