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Horrible Fram Endurance Filter
- Thread starter Ronn
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I suspect this is exactly what Ronn the OP is hoping for. I’m out
Curious, how loose or tight is the fit of the leaf spring bypass poppet assy in the "throat" of the end cap?
I would prefer (actually want) no leaks here, but even a "tight" system/assembly will typically experience a major bypass in sub-freezing ambient warmup running (with the 9psid nominal)
valving) .
After warmup the majority of oil volume is constantly flowing through the media, so your sump should be as particulate free as the filter spec'd efficiency would suggest at any given moment. Not a tragedy, but a blatently sub-optimal condition one that should be a public embarrassment for the part manufacturer.
Anybody of import watching?! Knock, knock , knock ... hello?!
Tight fit.
I must be missing something. I have used the Fram Endurance and haven't noticed anything of concern. Granted I didn't cut my last one open but nothing out of the ordinary IME
More details in this thread.
Tested on a new Fram Endurance FE7317 purchased at Walmart.
The question was “Does the Fram Endrance still have a gap in the bypass spring while under pressure?”
The answer is yes on this one. Also has a gap outside of the canister as Whip City and Sayjac have already found. I also carefully put some drops of oil on the gap areas to check every 10 minutes. It only took seconds for the oil to leak through with gravity.
The question was “Does the Fram Endrance still have a gap in the bypass spring while under pressure?”
The answer is yes on this one. Also has a gap outside of the canister as Whip City and Sayjac have already found. I also carefully put some drops of oil on the gap areas to check every 10 minutes. It only took seconds for the oil to leak through with gravity.
Maybe this defect doesn't effect all part numbers. If someone has that defect with my PN I'd be more concerned. Still unacceptable but does prompt anything from me. Thank you for sharingMore details in this thread.
Tested on a new Fram Endurance FE7317 purchased at Walmart.
The question was “Does the Fram Endrance still have a gap in the bypass spring while under pressure?”
The answer is yes on this one. Also has a gap outside of the canister as Whip City and Sayjac have already found. I also carefully put some drops of oil on the gap areas to check every 10 minutes. It only took seconds for the oil to leak through with gravity.
Yes WCW and @Sayjac originally found the defect. Many others including myself continued testing. All on leaf spring style bypass valves Fram/Champ made filters.
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A 1mu hydraulic filter might help but eventually it will get dark.
Big air gap between the leaf spring and end cap isn't what I'd call "normal". Maybe normal when a company can't make or get someone to make leaf springs that are flat and smooth where they are suppose to make a metal-to-metal seal with no added gasket (like the OG Ultra had).
Doesn't matter, because the inside diameter where the leaf spring fits has "nubs" to make the fit tight, and there which results in gaps between the leaf spring and ID of the end cap hole where the leaf spring sits into.
With hot oil, the actual bypass valve should not be opening at all. So a big air gap between the leaf spring an end cap results in a continuous bypass flow of oil past the media. Calculation estimate (done in some other big thread about the leaf spring leakage) of a leak like that was around 10% to 15% of the total flow going through the filter.
Tight fit due to the "nubs" that don't result in a tight seal between the leaf spring around the ID of the hole in the end cap. The metal-to-meal seal is meant (designed) to be between the small raised ridge on the top of the end cap center hole and the small shelf on the leaf spring where the ruffled ridges show up from bad manufacturing.
I'd think they pretty much use the same leaf spring in all model numbers. And they are probably all made by the same supplier in the same factory, which seems to be indicating back stamping quality. The leaf springs made before the ruffles version showed up where flat and smooth without the ruffles ridges.
What are we supposed to take away from this information?
That the non-wire backed Ultras suck but now the Endurance sucks just as bad?
Or is it just the FE7317?
I purchased an FE4967 for the 2.5L Highlander hybrid a couple of weeks ago. The next oil change is still 5k miles away. And I’m afraid to go look at the Endurance sitting on the shelf!
What is available to use in place of the Endurance that can filter well up to 15-20k miles?
I’m not using a Fram ExtraGuard for 10k mile OCIs, especially with HPL oils.
That the non-wire backed Ultras suck but now the Endurance sucks just as bad?
Or is it just the FE7317?
I purchased an FE4967 for the 2.5L Highlander hybrid a couple of weeks ago. The next oil change is still 5k miles away. And I’m afraid to go look at the Endurance sitting on the shelf!
What is available to use in place of the Endurance that can filter well up to 15-20k miles?
I’m not using a Fram ExtraGuard for 10k mile OCIs, especially with HPL oils.
A Premium Guard made filter, or this
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=plxl4967&crid=UMBJDIDZZPJS&sprefix=plxl4967,aps,145&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
wemay
Site Donor 2023
None of my H/K vehicles ever consumed noticeable amounts of oil. But to the point of this thread, FRAM canister filters are not out for me. I'll still use Extra/Tough Guard...etc., with felt end caps.
An UOA would verify if this makes a significant differance. If the wear metals are greater than 3 ppm per 1000 miles of use on the oc than it may be something to be concerned about.
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