FRAM Ultra XG2 (old style) tear-down

[OVERKILL]

Had this dented Ultra that was in my purchase haul I bought from Amazon. Figured I'd C&P it with some specific attention paid to the media.

Observations:
- Can was very easy to cut, it isn't overly thick
- Strong smell to the potting material, which was still very pliable
- Media and metal mesh backing were well adhered to the potting but the potting was even better adhered to the end plates, you weren't getting those off (I tried)
- Very wide pleat spacing at the seam. I was able to slide the metal guard off the seam easily once the end cap was pried back and pull the media apart.
- The outer layer of synthetic material is noticeably thicker than the inner layer. Both layers also themselves contain layers, at least two.

Pics:

 

[OVERKILL]

Outer left, inner right:

 

[OVERKILL]

Just eyeballing the media, my takeaway is that both the outer and inner layers are themselves comprised of two layers, so there are four layers of media.

 

[bbhero]

Exactly Overkill...

The old filter media was much, much thicker than the "new" TG filter media.


If those idiots had just replaced the metal with the new backing and left the filter media alone.... That would have been just fine.

 

[ZeeOSix]

OVERKILL ... how easy is it to tear that old Ultra media when off the metal screen?

 

[OVERKILL]

OVERKILL ... how easy is it to tear that old Ultra media when off the metal screen?

Relatively easy, like tearing cardstock. Does that help with a visualization? It's not super easy like paper, but it doesn't require tremendous effort either.

 

[OVERKILL]

Exactly Overkill...

The old filter media was much, much thicker than the "new" TG filter media.


If those idiots had just replaced the metal with the new backing and left the filter media alone.... That would have been just fine.

Are you thinking the bonded backing that @ZeeOSix mentioned in the other thread, like what Purolator is using? It does seem like it would make the process more efficient, as this media isn't bonded to the metal at all, the metal is just there to provide support.

 

[RDY4WAR]

I think we should request @Ascent Filtration Testing test a new Fram Ultra to compare to the older style he tested earlier this year.

 

[OVERKILL]

I think we should request @Ascent Filtration Testing test a new Fram Ultra to compare to the older style he tested earlier this year.

Agreed.

 

[53' Stude]

Very nice photos. The new king of oil filter information and cutting

 

[bullwinkle]

Very nice photos. The new king of oil filter information and cutting

I have a bunch of these left, too. Long live the King (the OG Ultra)!

 

[bbhero]

Are you thinking the bonded backing that @ZeeOSix mentioned in the other thread, like what Purolator is using? It does seem like it would make the process more efficient, as this media isn't bonded to the metal at all, the metal is just there to provide support.

I see TG filter media. . With the new backing.

Doesn't mean it will not work at a high level of efficiency.

Just not the same quality media as before.

Cheapening the product and still selling at the premium price point.

Fram had raised the bar with the Ultra filters. And they added more filter media to some of the lower tier filters like the pH 8, pH 16s etc etc and made them look much better than before.

Question now is. .. what will FB do to possibly cheapen the lower tower filters?!

That's going to be interesting to see if that happens too.

 

[Krieg]

I already miss the original FU!

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

The FRAM TG2 oil filter, what is the media made from?
Just curious. I found one at my dads house while we were cleaning out one of his sheds. He bought it 11/14/2016.
My son wants to use it on his 2004 (new style) Lariat, 5.4 3V engine.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/fram-tg2.344776/

 

[JC1]

Thanks for the C&P.

 

[OVERKILL]

The FRAM TG2 oil filter, what is the media made from?
Just curious. I found one at my dads house while we were cleaning out one of his sheds. He bought it 11/14/2016.
My son wants to use it on his 2004 (new style) Lariat, 5.4 3V engine.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/fram-tg2.344776/

It's a blend media, likely the same or similar to the new "backer" media found in the revised Ultra.

 

[Deleted member 89374]

@OVERKILL - Thank you for posting this. We still have plenty of XG2 (old style) in the stores around here. Will you be using the new XG2 when you run out of the old stock, or will you move on to something else?

 

[OVERKILL]

@OVERKILL - Thank you for posting this. We still have plenty of XG2 (old style) in the stores around here. Will you be using the new XG2 when you run out of the old stock, or will you move on to something else?

I like the advantages that a synthetic media brings, so I'll be switching to the EaO most likely, unless @NashNative comes back with some efficiency data for the Fleetguard Stratapore that blows my socks off, in which case I'll run that.

 

[Blagoje]

While I appreciate your efforts, you MUST realize that every wire backed Fram Ultra cannot be wasted! You are effectively killing off one of the last remaining dodo birds when you do something like this

 

[OVERKILL]

While I appreciate your efforts, you MUST realize that every wire backed Fram Ultra cannot be wasted! You are effectively killing off one of the last remaining dodo birds when you do something like this

It had a large dent in the can, it arguably wasn't safe to run.