Fram XG9688 Cut Open - and a sneak peek at FE9688

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Was on my car for 5,000 miles.. in pure coincidence, to the mile. Fram Ultra. About 14,000 miles on the oil. 3rd filter change on the OCI.

Date code was A21642

Reason for removal was to get a peel at engine health (any evidence of bearing material? I want to get oil tested to see if there is coolant in it) and also a brand new Fram Endurance or FE9688 went on and.. wow, that's a BEAUTIFUL filter.

The FE9688. We are again doing away with the sealed container. Look how good this looks...

I'll cut open the FE9688 next week so we can see.

@Soft Cars

That one is wire backed; correct?

Oh, ABSOLUTELY it is! I just tried to cut the media and peeled up a wire...

I MIGHT do a virgin cut-open of the FE9688 tomorrow before it becomes an oily mess...
(Cuts were with a utility knife just under top and bottom of the metal piece then tried to go across before going to screwdriver to keep the knives perfect and not mess up the blade. Seems like I was cutting into metal here.)

 

[Soft Cars]

That one is wire backed; correct?

 

[ZeeOSix]

That base gasket looks super wide.

 

[fantastic]

^^Yeah, that is quite beefy gasket width. Good sign they don't want these leaking at all for 25k. "High Flow" Don't recall that ever being on any of the old Ultra's. But with all of those base inlet holes on the new one it won't be lacking oil flow that's for sure.

 

[ZeeOSix]

But with all of those base inlet holes on the new one it won't be lacking oil flow that's for sure.

More base plate holes doesn't increase oil flow, it only reduces the dP across the filter by a hair. A PD oil pump ensures same oil flow unless there is so much restriction that the PD pump goes into pressure relief. The engine oiling system is typically 15 times more restrictive to oil flow than the common oil filter.

 

[Kira]

The gasket seems real thick on the FE9688.
Am I seeing it right? The flutes look different too.

 

[bullwinkle]

Was on my car for 5,000 miles.. in pure coincidence, to the mile. Fram Ultra. About 14,000 miles on the oil. 3rd filter change on the OCI.

View attachment 162763View attachment 162764View attachment 162765View attachment 162766
Date code was A21642

Reason for removal was to get a peel at engine health (any evidence of bearing material? I want to get oil tested to see if there is coolant in it) and also a brand new Fram Endurance or FE9688 went on and.. wow, that's a BEAUTIFUL filter.

View attachment 162767

The FE9688. We are again doing away with the sealed container. Look how good this looks...
View attachment 162771View attachment 162772View attachment 162773

View attachment 162770


I'll cut open the FE9688 next week so we can see.

@Soft Cars


Oh, ABSOLUTELY it is! I just tried to cut the media and peeled up a wire...

View attachment 162784

I MIGHT do a virgin cut-open of the FE9688 tomorrow before it becomes an oily mess...
(Cuts were with a utility knife just under top and bottom of the metal piece then tried to go across before going to screwdriver to keep the knives perfect and not mess up the blade. Seems like I was cutting into metal here.)

The wire backed OG Ultra (also the Titanium if you can find older ones), still the indisputed champion! It'll be interesting to see how the wire backed Endurance holds up, they have somewhat thinner media than the old pink Ultra media was.

 

[fantastic]

More base plate holes doesn't increase oil flow, it only reduces the dP across the filter by a hair. A PD oil pump ensures same oil flow unless there is so much restriction that the PD pump goes into pressure relief. The engine oiling system is typically 15 times more restrictive to oil flow than the common oil filter.

Put just one hole on the base plate & then measure the oil flow. I do think it's important as the filter get's loaded up. One analogy is similar to the recent sunken sub (News). Just 5psi of water against the door on your car you will not be able to open it up. The more the filter loads up & the more holes could at least allow more even oil flow, keeping pressure down, to get through the dirty filter. Surely they've done it for reason outside of appearance.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Put just one hole on the base plate & then measure the oil flow.

If the PD (positive displacement) oil pump isn't in pressure relief, then the oil flow wouldn't change. Engine designers use PD oil pumps on engine oiling systems for this very reason, to ensure adequate oil flow, even when the flow resistance of the system changes. The engine oiling system doesn't work like the water system in your house.

I do think it's important as the filter get's loaded up. One analogy is similar to the recent sunken sub (News). Just 5psi of water against the door on your car you will not be able to open it up. The more the filter loads up & the more holes could at least allow more even oil flow, keeping pressure down, to get through the dirty filter. Surely they've done it for reason outside of appearance.

It doesn't work that way in an engine oiling system using a PD oil pump.

 

[fantastic]

If the PD (positive displacement) oil pump isn't in pressure relief, then the oil flow wouldn't change. Engine designers use PD oil pumps on engine oiling systems for this very reason, to ensure adequate oil flow, even when the flow resistance of the system changes. The engine oiling system doesn't work like the water system in your house.


It doesn't work that way in an engine oiling system using a PD oil pump.

What is PD? I know it's not Police Department... That's my SCHMOTNESS

EDIT: I just saw your edit come through.

In essence: PD keeps the oil flowing regardless. Even if the filter is clogged the PD pump will keep on pushing the oil & keep it flowing through bypass in the worst case scenario.

This makes me think of the Louvers vs Holes debate There would be a "Flow characteristic difference" IMO.

 

[ZeeOSix]

In essence: PD keeps the oil flowing regardless. Even if the filter is clogged the PD pump will keep on pushing the oil & keep it flowing through bypass in the worst case scenario.

Exactly. If a PD didn't have a pressure relief valve, it would literally try to keep forcing the same volume through the system, and if the resistance to flow keeps becoming higher, the pump would literally go to 100s of PSI and could blow something up. PD pumps that have the pressure relief valve fail can cause damage to the filter (bulge it and/or blow the base gasket) and oiling system (blow out oil seals that see pump pressure). You don't want an unregulated PD pump going wild, lol.

This makes me think of the Louvers vs Holes debate There would be a "Flow characteristic difference" IMO.

The bad thing about closed off louvers is that they could make the dP (delta-P) across the media/center tube too high and cause the bypass valve to open way too early and often. Closed off louvers could act like very clogged media, causing higher dP.

 

[fantastic]

Exactly. If a PD didn't have a pressure relief valve, it would literally try to keep forcing the same volume through the system, and if the resistance to flow keeps becoming higher, the pump would literally go to 100s of PSI and could blow something up. PD pumps that have the pressure relief valve fail can cause damage to the filter (bulge it and/or blow the base gasket) and oiling system (blow out oil seals that see pump pressure). You don't want an unregulated PD pump going wild, lol.


The bad thing about closed off louvers is that they could make the dP (delta-P) across the media/center tube too high and cause the bypass valve to open way too early and often. Closed off louvers could act like very clogged media, causing higher dP.

I just read the 6.0L bible & it was talking about the oil pump bypass & I also found out that the 6.0L has 20 PSI Oil filter bypass (Built in since it takes a cartridge style filter). How it uses the oil to power the HEUI injectors it's really a neat system but dated since they've all went to common rail.

 

[CR94]

... more holes could at least allow more even oil flow, keeping pressure down, to get through the dirty filter. Surely they've done it for reason outside of appearance.

The only reason is marketing. Functionally, it's irrelevant.

 

[ZeeOSix]

The only reason is marketing. Functionally, it's irrelevant.

Show 10 filters to 100 people, and ask them to visually compare the base plate holes and center tube holes, and 98 out of those 100 would say the filters with the most and biggest holes is "better". Most people judge things by looks, not functionality. And most people buying oil filters don't fully understand how an engine's oiling system and filter actually work ... including many YouTube so called "experts", lol.

 

[CR94]

... And most people buying oil filters don't fully understand how an engine's oiling system and filter actually work ... including many YouTube so called "experts", lol.

I betcha many, if not most, of those YouTube "experts" never even passed a high school Physics course.