Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Yep, good filter. Only Fram I'd consider (now Ultra Guard), and reasonable price for construction especially for extended oci's. You've got the older improved design tapping plate as opposed to the newer plate.
Has the name changed to ultra guard (I bought this one probably 9 months ago)? Is the newer plate worse/not worth buying?
Fram/Rank is in the process of changing it to the Ultra (no 'Guard' as I wrote) It advertises improved media to 99% efficient, increased the recommended up to oci to 15k, and "improved nitrile and silicone gaskets". The increased oci is based on an improved holding capacity to 32 grams in the XG8A size, according to a Fram tech rep, though afaik that spec hasn't been published yet. So yes, Fram has made some improvements in the XG with the Ultra.
As for the Fram non advertised recent change to the new (old)tapping plate design, you can see pics of it here courtesy of iExcel
posted here, scroll. Other than saving money on manufacture, there is no good reason to change the long time improved design shown in your pics and afaik still on all the boxes. If you scroll to the bottom of the linked thread page and read river_rat's comments regarding the new thread boss, they are as usual, spot on imo. And to prove his point, even the lowly Champ/Rank ecore thought that plate design so poor, they advertised an added secondary tapping plate flush/level with the ends of the thread boss to improve ease of installation. That's my .02 on it.
I thought perhaps Fram would at least leave the older plate design on it's top of the line XG/Ultra, but according to members here that doesn't appear to be the case. All that said, once installed properly it would/will have no effect on functionality.
Originally Posted By: ltslimjim
The Ultra Guard is an 'all synthetic' media, right? ...
Not according to
this spec sheet. Dual-layered synthetic and cellulose filter media. I thought so too though.
