Fram once again

[widman]

This morning my oil change guy called me downstairs to ask if I wanted him to cut a Fram PH8A he had just taken off a Land Cruiser and noticed that it rattled. Of course I said sure.
Other than a retention valve that is hard as a rock, the most noticeable fault is a paper that is either torn or missing from before fabricating, but it is funny there is no hole below it like I normally see when one tears through.

This filter was NOT marked "not for sale in the US" as the last one.

 

[DieselTech]

Where is the fram guy? We have questions

 

[daves87rs]

Hmmm....

 

[TurboLuver]

Looks great to me

 

[5sfe91]

it can't be frams fault it must be because its a Toyota

 

[widman]

Forgot to mention. This filter only has 1800 miles on it.

 

[bluestream]

Not another [censored] Fram post; are you shorting the stock??

 

[addyguy]

You really have a thing against Frams, don't you?

You NEVER seem to see other filters that have problems...strange.

I don't see anything wrong with that filter...

 

[mrkdk]

this filter may have on 1800 miles on it!but it was made in 2008 on the 270 day on three shift!

 

[labman]

If I read the date code on the last STP I ran, it was a couple of years old too. Of course, it looked very good when I cut it open.

Do you ever cut anything but Frams open? Or only filters that rattle or something? It might be interesting to see how other brands stand up there.

 

[widman]

These are the ones I've cut lately.
I have something against trash, not Fram in particular

used filters

 

[mrkdk]

i just wanted to piont out the age of the fram filter.

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
You really have a thing against Frams, don't you?


I do- its called "repeated observation of substandard products over a 30-year period of time."

I know you weren't addressing me, but I'll join any chorus shouting the shortcomings of Fram oil filters from the highest rooftops. For the record- I've had at least one bad filter from almost every manufacturer- usually just a leaky ADB valve. But Fram is the only brand I've ever had collapse internally and drop my engine's oil pressure to ~10 PSI at highway speed. Its the only brand I've ever seen cut open to reveal media with tears, holes, or incomplete glue joints on multiple occasions.

Yes, I've gotten Frams that seem to work. But its just not worth the risk, IMO. And the fact that Fram haven't cleaned up their act in THIRTY years and under several different corporate ownership changes is just amazing.

 

[heypete]

It's hard to see, but is that a gap in the filter media between at the very top of the center "Y", right where the paper meets the end cap in the second picture?

 

[daman]

These fram-o-deaths are every where,if people only knew the trash they were buying.

looks like a hole up top?

 

[Hitzy]

Buying Fram is like paying $30 for a Big Mac.
Huge ripoff for what you get.

 

[sunfire]

Originally Posted By: Hitzy
Buying Fram is like paying $30 for a Big Mac.
Huge ripoff for what you get.


+1 So true. But some people just don't want to know the facts or don't care.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: sunfire
Originally Posted By: Hitzy
Buying Fram is like paying $30 for a Big Mac.
Huge ripoff for what you get.


+1 So true. But some people just don't want to know the facts or don't care.

As much publicity on the web about these trash filters you would think the world would be wiser by now.

 

[addyguy]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: addyguy
You really have a thing against Frams, don't you?


I do- its called "repeated observation of substandard products over a 30-year period of time."

I know you weren't addressing me, but I'll join any chorus shouting the shortcomings of Fram oil filters from the highest rooftops. For the record- I've had at least one bad filter from almost every manufacturer- usually just a leaky ADB valve. But Fram is the only brand I've ever had collapse internally and drop my engine's oil pressure to ~10 PSI at highway speed. Its the only brand I've ever seen cut open to reveal media with tears, holes, or incomplete glue joints on multiple occasions.

Yes, I've gotten Frams that seem to work. But its just not worth the risk, IMO. And the fact that Fram haven't cleaned up their act in THIRTY years and under several different corporate ownership changes is just amazing.


Alright, since you addressed me.....

Could you please explain how MILLIONS of cars over the years have run fram filters, and our roads are not littered with dead cars b/c the Fram filter failed?

IF Frams were as bad as you say, and cause oil pressure reasdings to go to zero, probability would say that evey few minutes, a car should seize up on the highway from a failed filter...I drive a lot, and I don't see that happen. And there are more Frams used up here than down there - most filters availiable are OC's.

Seriously, are you telling me that all those people are experiencing 'dumb luck'?

I'd really like to hear this.

 

[widman]

Originally Posted By: heypete
It's hard to see, but is that a gap in the filter media between at the very top of the center "Y", right where the paper meets the end cap in the second picture?


Good point. So I went down and cut it up a little. It appears that the pleats were somehow glued together and stretched to fit. Those three pleats were pretty well stuck to each other. It also has a number of dimples where it was partially sucked into the tube.

I also asked why he came in at only 1800 miles (3000 km). He had not used the vehicle much since getting a company vehicle, and it had been almost a year.

BTW: Filters rarely cause immediate catastrophic engine failure. As in this case, it just let some of the dirt circulate. Will shorten the life, not end it.