Fram PH6017A filter cut. . .

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I cut this filter a couple weeks ago after changing out the Rotella T 15w-40 from my '09 Kawasaki Concours 14.

I know Frams get bashed a lot on this site, but I really don't see anything wrong with this one after 3900 miles. Things to note:

--this is a "motorcycle" filter made by Fram in Canada
--it has a metal cylinder (oil return) in the center of the filter media
--it has fiber end caps on the filter media that are still impossible to pull off after 3900 miles of use (rugged enough for me)
--the ADBV was still quite pliable and held a lot of oil when I took the filter apart--it did it's job.
--the filter media was almost all straight and seemed to have enough pleats to do the job.
--the exterior filter "can" was adequate; the damage you see in the pics was from me using tools to remove it from the bike.
--the bypass valve was different than others I've seen on this website, but seemed well-designed.
--I paid about $7.00 for this filter at Walmart--I think it's a good value.

Pics:
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I agree with the Fram bashing, it gets out of hand. I have cut a couple open recently a TG and X-tended Guard they were perfectly fine. The X-T Guard was built like a tank, if I did extended OCI's (10k to 15k) that would be the filter I would trust the most. Thanks for posting the pics!
 
Well fram just had a recall and my filter blew apart . That's how I found out about the recall. I called them and explained the problem and they told me it was my cars fault even though the filter was recalled . After some heated words and arguing they are sending me some form to fill out and a thing to send the filter in. I am pretty dissapointed honestly all I wanted them to cover was a new 5 dollar filter not the oil I lost luckily it broke a mile from my house and the part store was only a half mile away. I walked to the part store and got.new oil and filter. I can except a part failure once stuff happens. But the customer service was awful and that is why I won't ever buy another honeywell product ever. Sorry to rant I hope you never have a problem with them.
 
for that price you could have a Pureone...

I run Pureone or the supertech at $3 each... no problems and half the money.
 
I used a Purolator ML16817 motorcycle filter on the first oil change. There was nothing wrong with it, but it was made in China and the price was about the same as the Fram, so I went with the Fram on the next change.

I'm hesitant to use anything other than "motorcycle" filters on my bikes because of concerns for bypass valve specs on car filters. I like that Fram publishes that info on their website. My bike is still under warranty, so I'm being careful--saving $3 on a $12,000 motorcycle and risking the warranty doesn't make sense to me.
 
Motorcycle filters come from the same spec as industrial filters, Ive run many of the Puralator Ml817, its half the price of an oem and atleast meets the oil bypass specs for the bike.
 
Those cycle manufacturers that also make autos use the same oil pressure settings, by-pass settings, etc... for both.

Kawasaki doesn't make autos that we in the U.S. are familiar with, but those auto filters that fit are very close on by-pass settings, etc...

You'll notice that the cycle filters are usually priced higher, even so.
 
Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
Well fram just had a recall and my filter blew apart . That's how I found out about the recall. I called them and explained the problem and they told me it was my cars fault even though the filter was recalled . After some heated words and arguing they are sending me some form to fill out and a thing to send the filter in. I am pretty dissapointed honestly all I wanted them to cover was a new 5 dollar filter not the oil I lost luckily it broke a mile from my house and the part store was only a half mile away. I walked to the part store and got.new oil and filter. I can except a part failure once stuff happens. But the customer service was awful and that is why I won't ever buy another honeywell product ever. Sorry to rant I hope you never have a problem with them.


I had a similar issue with a 2007 Kawi-ZX6R. They had a bad batch of top end parts but did not send out a service bulletin so I found out when it ate itself.

Getting is fixed was quite a battle.
 
Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
Well fram just had a recall and my filter blew apart . That's how I found out about the recall. I called them and explained the problem and they told me it was my cars fault even though the filter was recalled . After some heated words and arguing they are sending me some form to fill out and a thing to send the filter in. I am pretty dissapointed honestly all I wanted them to cover was a new 5 dollar filter not the oil I lost luckily it broke a mile from my house and the part store was only a half mile away. I walked to the part store and got.new oil and filter. I can except a part failure once stuff happens. But the customer service was awful and that is why I won't ever buy another honeywell product ever. Sorry to rant I hope you never have a problem with them.




Just curious. . .where exactly did the filter fail? Did the gasket fail or did the can literally blow apart? I was just wondering, because these types of failures seem really rare in my experience. If the gasket failed, I'd be interested in how well the filter was screwed on because it seems that the pressure of the filter sandwiching the gasket between itself and the filter housing would tend to prevent such a blowout. With a properly operating bypass valve, the greatest pressure within the filter shouldn't exceed the actual engine oil pressure, which at most would be 60 psi? Thanks!
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus
I've used numerous Fram filters in ATVs and motorcycles for decades. Never a problem.


Yep. . .I use a cartridge FRAM filter in my Hyundai and I've had it side-by-side with the OEM filter and it IS the same filter. . .it's even made in S. Korea like the OEM. I don't have a problem with 'em from a price / quality / availability standpoint. The Purolator version of the Hyundai cartridge filter isn't nearly as well-built, but other Purolators are better, so it entirely depends on the application. Do your homework and then go shopping. . ..
 
Originally Posted By: Robster
Yep. . .I use a cartridge FRAM filter in my Hyundai and I've had it side-by-side with the OEM filter and it IS the same filter. . .it's even made in S. Korea like the OEM. I don't have a problem with 'em from a price / quality / availability standpoint. The Purolator version of the Hyundai cartridge filter isn't nearly as well-built, but other Purolators are better, so it entirely depends on the application. Do your homework and then go shopping. . ..


Watch them now. They are starting to be made in China, and the difference in quality is VERY apparent.
 
Originally Posted By: Tim H.


Watch them now. They are starting to be made in China, and the difference in quality is VERY apparent.


I just bought one at my WalMart last weekend. . .the CH9999 is still made in S. Korea, but I did notice that the Xtended Guard ("better" one)is made in China. I compared them and the only thing I noticed was the filter media was a different material and a different color. The end caps still look like the same plastic material, with a sealing o-ring. The Xtended Guard cost about $3 more.
 
Soooooo, was there a drop in quality in the Chinese filter that was "VERY apparent"?

It's a little presumtuous to condemn everything built in China as inferior just because it says "made in China" on it.

I'm not a big fan of Chinese products, however, I've learned to accept the fact that a great deal of everything I buy/use is now manufactured in China. This message is being composed on a $2000.00+ laptop created and designed in the USA and claimed to be among the best built consumer computers available. It's made in China. Accordingly, if the Chinese are given manufacturing contracts to build some of the highest acclaimed products why do some people automatically assume or insinuate that "made in China" translates to "inferior".

Drawing the immediate conclusion that Chinese manufactured products are junk without performing due process to test the item(s) prior to casting judgment does not bode well for the reputation of those claiming inferiority of the product. After all, without proper testing, where are the necessary facts required to support their position.

It's time to accept the fact that Chinese manufacturers are now an integral part of global production. Our countries manufacturers have chosen to export, what was once our work, to countries that perform the same tasks at a fraction of the labour costs. Often, they disassemble the plants, ship them to China, redirect their supply chain to the new address and send managers to the plant to fire it up and ensure that the product remains up to previous standards.

It's not like Fram shut down their existing plants and completely changed the manufacturing process. The way some people talk, you'd think that the Chinese are now stuffing old soup cans with coconut fiber, painting them orange and calling it an oil filter.

If a product is "known" to be defective or of lesser quality, by all means, spread the word. However, if it's not been verified as such, let's not jump to that conclusion simply because it has a "Made in China" label on it.
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Soooooo, was there a drop in quality in the Chinese filter that was "VERY apparent"?

It's a little presumtuous to condemn everything built in China as inferior just because it says "made in China" on it.


For myself, Yes, it was very apparent. And No, I'm not a China basher...
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus
I've used numerous Fram filters in ATVs and motorcycles for decades. Never a problem.


Me too as well. Never any oil filter problem for that matter. I bought a case of Fram TG filters on closeout at Rock auto for $2 each several years ago....using the last one now.
 
Originally Posted By: Tim H.
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Soooooo, was there a drop in quality in the Chinese filter that was "VERY apparent"?

It's a little presumtuous to condemn everything built in China as inferior just because it says "made in China" on it.


For myself, Yes, it was very apparent. And No, I'm not a China basher...


Would you care to elaborate on how you came to the conclusion that the Chinese Fram filters are sub-standard? How did you test it/them, what quality failures did you find?

I'm certain that there are numerous participants who use Fram filters, myself included, who'd really appreciate the results of your tests.
 
I know this is an old thread, but after realizing that my local Kawi dealer did an oil and filter change against my will, dumped the Bosch 3323 that I had installed less than 500 miles prior and put on one of these FRAM filters, I decided to look it up and came up on this thread. After seeing these pics, it appears to be a well made filter. I'm still surprised that they used FRAM and not an OEM Kawasaki filter though.
 
Apparently the dealer isn't worried about using the Fram filters. On a personal note, I continue to use this filter on the Concours 14. . .I'll be changing the oil in a few weeks and I'll update this thread with new pics of the filter if anyone is interested. . . .
 
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