FRAM XG10955 - Pentastar 2011-2013

[RD_3]

Found a new XG filter for the older Pentastar motors (2011-2013) at my local WM. This must be a brand new offering, first time I've ever seen it. Priced at $14.47 though...

IMO, this has a better construction than the NP/WixXP counterpart that I've inspected.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Wait a sec, just because a filter filters better, is built well, at a good price, easy to get, doesn't make it "better" somehow...... OK maybe it does.

Can't see the wire backing in the photo. Its in the box's illustration. Is it there?

 

[RD_3]

Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Wait a sec, just because a filter filters better, is built well, at a good price, easy to get, doesn't make it "better" somehow...... OK maybe it does.

Can't see the wire backing in the photo. Its in the box's illustration. Is it there?


I've been wanting this for years for our van...they finally came through!

The backing material is not metal, must be a synthetic.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by RD_3
Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Wait a sec, just because a filter filters better, is built well, at a good price, easy to get, doesn't make it "better" somehow...... OK maybe it does.

Can't see the wire backing in the photo. Its in the box's illustration. Is it there?

The backing material is not metal, must be a synthetic.


Yep, looks like a nylon type mesh backing. Since this filter is subbed out and make in Korea it's not your typical Ultra construction (ie, metal wire backing).

Zoom in on one of the above photos.

 

[Pinoak]

Originally Posted by RD_3
Found a new XG filter for the older Pentastar motors (2011-2013) at my local WM. This must be a brand new offering, first time I've ever seen it. Priced at $14.47 though...

IMO, this has a better construction than the NP/WixXP counterpart that I've inspected.

It's only a fram in name not even built the same.
What is it that makes this "better constructed than the wix XP"?

 

[oil_film_movies]

It does not appear to be the famous 2-ply layered media we have seen in other Ultras.
The picture on the box doesn't match the filter itself. Now I wonder if its also 99.5% at 20 microns, and 80% at 5.
Still probably a good filter though. Plastic mesh probably is fine to back it with, kind of like Purolator Boss.

 

[RD_3]

Originally Posted by Pinoak
Originally Posted by RD_3
Found a new XG filter for the older Pentastar motors (2011-2013) at my local WM. This must be a brand new offering, first time I've ever seen it. Priced at $14.47 though...

IMO, this has a better construction than the NP/WixXP counterpart that I've inspected.


It's only a fram in name not even built the same.
What is it that makes this "better constructed than the wix XP"?


Have you held and inspected the NP/XP counterpart? The two I looked at had horrible gluing at the endcaps...one wasnt even fully sealed at one part. They also utilize the "updated" bypass valve that Wix started using in their filters. Personally, I don't care for the extra piece that sits ontop of my already working bypass valve.

Nothing against Wix...I use their XP on my Malibu and love those filters.

 

[RD_3]

Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
It does not appear to be the famous 2-ply layered media we have seen in other Ultras.
The picture on the box doesn't match the filter itself. Now I wonder if its also 99.5% at 20 microns, and 80% at 5.
Still probably a good filter though. Plastic mesh probably is fine to back it with, kind of like Purolator Boss.


Its the same filter media as the XG11665 for the 2014+ motors. It looks great and I'm looking forward to running this in the next month.

 

[IndyFan]

The backing in the 11665 looks very much like monofilament fishing line. I'm not saying it is, but that it looks and feels like it. It is VERY hard to tear apart. I tore apart one that had been in my Jeep for 4 or 5k miles and it was terribly hard to rip apart. The gluing on the end caps was also incredibly hard to tear apart. These filters are really well put together and are very strong.

 

[oil_film_movies]

It says on the box itself "dual layered synthetic media". That doesn't look like dual layer. False product marketing & labelling.

 

[IndyFan]

Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
It says on the box itself "dual layered synthetic media". That doesn't look like dual layer. False product marketing & labelling.


IT probably means one layer goes east/west and the other north/south, Lol. Who cares? It took a pair of pliars to rip it from the filtering media, and I had to pull hard. IMHO, it is far stronger than it needs to be. It really was impressive how hard it was to tear that filter apart. I've got one now that ran for 7100 miles. It looks great and exactly the same as the one I ran for 3k. I have no doubt these things would handle 20k in a healthy engine with good quality oil.

 

[ekpolk]

Just a guess, but the cartridges are way less standardized than the spin-ons. Perhaps this accounts for the unexpected construction. The cartridge elements for my wife's Avalon have nothing down the middle, metal, plastic or otherwise, but that's OK, since the mount includes the permanent metal centertube, over which the element is placed. This is obviously a different type design.

 

[RD_3]

Agreed with Indy.

IMO, the media could easily be "dual layered" but it simply looks single because there are two pieces of the same white media sandwiched together. It doesnt bother me that its not the typical synthetic media like in the spin-ons and other cartridges. That being said, it should easily handle my OCI's of around 7500 miles.

I would like to know who actually makes these for Fram...I guess we need Jay to weight in on this filter.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by RD_3
Agreed with Indy.

IMO, the media could easily be "dual layered" but it simply looks single because there are two pieces of the same white media sandwiched together. It doesnt bother me that its not the typical synthetic media like in the spin-ons and other cartridges. That being said, it should easily handle my OCI's of around 7500 miles.

I would like to know who actually makes these for Fram...I guess we need Jay to weight in on this filter.




https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...lo-and-goodbye-to-my-old-job#Post5050994

 

[RD_3]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by RD_3
Agreed with Indy.

IMO, the media could easily be "dual layered" but it simply looks single because there are two pieces of the same white media sandwiched together. It doesnt bother me that its not the typical synthetic media like in the spin-ons and other cartridges. That being said, it should easily handle my OCI's of around 7500 miles.

I would like to know who actually makes these for Fram...I guess we need Jay to weight in on this filter.




https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...lo-and-goodbye-to-my-old-job#Post5050994





Thanks for heads up PimTac!

 

[SnowmanCO]

Looks strikingly similar to the Wix XP version of this filter http://www.wixfilters.com/Lookup/PartDetails.aspx?Part=2091434. Note that many Wix cartridge filters are manufactured in Korea as well. Just saying....

Queue the ISO 4548-12 testing performance numbers, Wix's terrible performance with the XP, and Fram XG superiority discussions....

 

[RD_3]

Originally Posted by SnowmanCO
Looks strikingly similar to the Wix XP version of this filter http://www.wixfilters.com/Lookup/PartDetails.aspx?Part=2091434. Note that many Wix cartridge filters are manufactured in Korea as well. Just saying....

Queue the ISO 4548-12 testing performance numbers, Wix's terrible performance with the XP, and Fram XG superiority discussions....


The NP/XP is metal wire backed and made in the US, the XG is synthetic backed and made in Korea.

 

[JC1]

Thanks for the detailed pics IndyFan. I'm running the 11665 on my caravan and noticed that the oil stays cleaner longer.

Will be hard for me to stop using Ultras when I can tell the difference In quality.

 

[SnowmanCO]

Originally Posted by RD_3
Originally Posted by SnowmanCO
Looks strikingly similar to the Wix XP version of this filter http://www.wixfilters.com/Lookup/PartDetails.aspx?Part=2091434. Note that many Wix cartridge filters are manufactured in Korea as well. Just saying....

Queue the ISO 4548-12 testing performance numbers, Wix's terrible performance with the XP, and Fram XG superiority discussions....


The NP/XP is metal wire backed and made in the US, the XG is synthetic backed and made in Korea.


Not always. The Wix XP for my Mazda is made in Poland, and has black plastic (synthetic) wire mesh: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4772189/1. We know many Wix filters are also made in Korea, so my theory still stands.

It's also worth mentioning that the OEM filters for my Mercedes, made by MANN (Wix's parent company) use a white filter media with white plastic/synthetic backing. https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4764940/1. In fact, all filters I reviewed for my Mercedes had strikingly similar media appearance. The filters themselves varied, but the media did not appear to.

There is no reason that MANN (Wix) is not the supplier of the filter media on this model Fram filter, and possibly the manufacturer of the filter itself.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Napa Platinum is on sale this month for $4.99, even cartridge filters like this one

Most Napa Platinum/Wix XP cartridges are made in Poland. The only US-made XP cartridges I've seen are the Pentastar ones. And all the XP spin-on cans seem to be US-made