Is Fram Extra Guard the best oil filter to run atm?

C

camrydriver111

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After coming back to bitog after a couple of years people are complaining about premium filter quality declining.

Meanwhile the Extra Guard no longer has a rubber anti-drainback valve, it's been improved with a silicone one. The used oil fitler pics some of the members posted look quite good.

Regarding the efficiency, if I am now mistaken, the Extra Guard is similar to most OEM filters?

The Extra Guard is still make in USA, while some of the other brands like WIX are outsourcing to China.

If I am not running an extreme OCI is Extra Guard the best value filter right now?
 
I was a wix user, and in my search for a new supplier I looked at a bunch of different Fram builds and felt the build quality was sub par - poorly cut threads and visible glue inside the can, switching to Nitril ADBV when the spec says silicon, etc.

Since you may not know - Fram and Champion labs are now the same company - both aquired by First Brands - and a lot of the filters they made seem to be mixing components from both brands - for better or worse.
 
camrydriver111 said:
After coming back to bitog after a couple of years people are complaining about premium filter quality declining.

Meanwhile the Extra Guard no longer has a rubber anti-drainback valve, it's been improved with a silicone one. The used oil fitler pics some of the members posted look quite good.

Regarding the efficiency, if I am now mistaken, the Extra Guard is similar to most OEM filters?

The Extra Guard is still make in USA, while some of the other brands like WIX are outsourcing to China.

If I am not running an extreme OCI is Extra Guard the best value filter right now?
Click to expand...
Regarding efficiency, the Extra Guard is atleast as good if not better compared to most OEM filters.
 
No! Try something made by Champion Labs. AC/Delco, Super Tech, Champ, Luberfiner.
FRAM and Champion Labs are owned by the same parent company. You will see similar base plates and bypass valves between the two. However, the E-Core center tube is found in the Champion Labs filters and some models will have metal end caps. We have seen more consistent pleat spacing on the dissected Champion Labs filters.
 
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I used them all the time in the past, but they've become too expensive and too sloppily built imo. I always source out Asian made filters. From the many filter threads here they appear to me the best made.
 
wpod said:
An oil filter isn't going to make a noticable difference in the passenger car or pickups engines life despite what marketing or white papers will say. My only concern about an oil filter is that it doesn't fail.
Click to expand...

There is a lot of truth in this. Many aircraft engines are operated without any filters at all. 25 hour oil changes and 2000+ hours lifespan. The addition of a filter does nothing to extend engine life. Until you wipe out a cam journal, (a common Lycoming problem) and they the particulates circulate, taking out everything. But by that time, an overhaul is necessary anyway. So the most we can say is that the filter protects the crank journals from needing to be turned when a camshaft fails.
 
The answer depends to an extent on what sort of car we are tailing about.

With a name like Camrydriver - OE Toyota Denso.

By and large I've migrated to either OE or Amsoil/Royal Purple. I do have some OG Ultras and Titaniums, but likely won't buy more.
 
Cujet said:
There is a lot of truth in this. Many aircraft engines are operated without any filters at all. 25 hour oil changes and 2000+ hours lifespan. The addition of a filter does nothing to extend engine life. Until you wipe out a cam journal, (a common Lycoming problem) and they the particulates circulate, taking out everything. But by that time, an overhaul is necessary anyway. So the most we can say is that the filter protects the crank journals from needing to be turned when a camshaft fails.
Click to expand...
What are the overhaul intervals for those engines?
 
wpod said:
An oil filter isn't going to make a noticable difference in the passenger car or pickups engines life despite what marketing or white papers will say. My only concern about an oil filter is that it doesn't fail.
Click to expand...
Cleaner oil will always result in longer engine life, all other things being identical. IMO you can even have really successful results and a long lifetime with $2 MIC filters @ 95%-20u level if you follow severe service on even just the oil filter, and change the oil at standard recommendation.

It all goes back to the old adage that the frequency of maintenance is usually more beneficial than the cost of maintenance. You’d likely be able to use Rural King Dexos oil and PrimeGuard filters for about a $17 oil change every 3-4k miles and easily make it past 200k miles.
 
I'm not an expert but there are factors that IMO are relevant that you didn't mention. OP does not mention the engine or the OCI. "I am not running an extreme OCI" does little to convey what any filter used is expected to endure. I'm using a Fram Extra Guard in my kids 12 RAV4 4cty in excellent shape. With that engine and that OCI no filter used should suffer even wavy pleats, never mind anything more serious. Some engines are rougher on a filter and oil than others.

I'm using Ultra's still after the "new and improved" version came out. I have one to cut from my 17 Subaru on a 7500k run that IIRC is the new version. I'll get that cut and posted this week. I'm guessing it will be a-ok as this OCI is not anything I'd call "extended" and just as important my 3.6 engine is well taken care of and not an engine that is rough on oil or filters. Same parameters could result in a different performance of the filter with a different engine.
 
wpod said:
An oil filter isn't going to make a noticable difference in the passenger car or pickups engines life despite what marketing or white papers will say. My only concern about an oil filter is that it doesn't fail.
Click to expand...
Still waiting for some scientific proof of that claim. Nobody has ever proven that cleaner oil doesn't result in less wear between moving and rubbing parts ... and as said many times, the longer the OCI the more important the filter efficiency becomes. Keeping the contamination level of the sump as low as possible, for as long as possible is the key to preventing wear from dirty oil circulating over and over through the engine.
 
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camrydriver111 said:
After coming back to bitog after a couple of years people are complaining about premium filter quality declining.

Meanwhile the Extra Guard no longer has a rubber anti-drainback valve, it's been improved with a silicone one. The used oil fitler pics some of the members posted look quite good.

Regarding the efficiency, if I am now mistaken, the Extra Guard is similar to most OEM filters?

The Extra Guard is still make in USA, while some of the other brands like WIX are outsourcing to China.

If I am not running an extreme OCI is Extra Guard the best value filter right now?
Click to expand...
Best value? Maybe or maybe not but should be just fine for any normal OCI.
Go for it if that’s what you suits your fancy.
 
SubieRubyRoo said:
Cleaner oil will always result in longer engine life, all other things being identical. IMO you can even have really successful results and a long lifetime with $2 MIC filters @ 95%-20u level if you follow severe service on even just the oil filter, and change the oil at standard recommendation.

It all goes back to the old adage that the frequency of maintenance is usually more beneficial than the cost of maintenance. You’d likely be able to use Rural King Dexos oil and PrimeGuard filters for about a $17 oil change every 3-4k miles and easily make it past 200k miles.
Click to expand...
Ha ha - I did this almost. 3-4K OCI with for a while OEM Nissan, then Wix's basic black can, with valvoline conventional for a long time until they stopped making it and now whatever semi syn I can get cheap - 384,000 miles on my Xterra and counting!
 
A good air filter is more important then a good oil filter...that being said it seems the supertech/champ stuff is the better bargain filter for normal OCIs.

I plan on switching to Champ XLs over FUGs/FTGs on all my vehicles
 
camrydriver111 said:
Is Fram Extra Guard the best oil filter to run atm?
Click to expand...

Well - that depends upon how you define "best" ....

This has been discussed a bazillion times here; pretty much since the website started umpteen years ago.

Poorly worded questions that are not well defined are likely to incur the wrath of just about everyone here (including me) for a host of reasonable complaints. Context really helps if you are serious about trying to find the "best" filter for YOUR application.

Choosing ANY product (oil filter, sports shoe, stereo speaker, etc ...) is going to be either a really well-reasoned choice or hap-hazard guess because of the effort (or lack thereof) in the process of selection. That in mind ...

Is the Fram EG a good fit for your application? Dunno. Not until you can add some more info ...
- what's the application? (what car/engine combo)
- what is the history of that car/engine combo? ( are they clean running? known sludger? any known design flaw(s) that no oil or filter can solve?)
- what's the intended OCI?
- what's the intended FCI?
- what are the operational considerations? (environment, uncontrollables, etc)
- what is the condition of the equipment currently? (well maintained; abused; neglected)
- what is the intended ownership plan? (new vehicle, lease vehicle, beater you only need to last another year, etc)
- what are the cost considerations? (do you have a threshold on what you're willing to spend)

Fram EGs are a great fit for some uses, but not all uses. Just as Fram XGs are a great fit for some uses, but not all uses. And the same is true for most other brands. They pretty much all offer a "good/better/best" marketing line-up. You gotta consider those criteria above to know which is the best fit for your specific need.

Caveat Emptor and YMMV.
 
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The nitrile ADBV's on the Fram Extra and Tough Guards may be a supply chain issue. I just peeked at a few filters (PH3600, PH7317) last night with date code A23xx (300+ days of 2022) and they had silicone ADBV's.

If you can get an extra guard with a silicone ADBV, I think that is the best value for a 5,000 mile filter, but regular red Purolators also come with a silicone ADBV and don't seem to be affected by supply chain disruptions.

If you're fine with a nitrile ADBV, the Supertech ST-series seems fine, I've never personally used one.
 
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