is fram's extra guard 95% efficiency worrysome? or is it fine for low OCI?

[apollo18]

hey all i usually buy top of line filters but after being educated more from the forum, i started spending less on filters. for example i would also go fram ultra back in the day but now i will always settle for a tough guard and be happy with me 5k mile oci. however today i saw the fram extra guard on sale. its a cartridge one for my engine.

for oil i always go full synthetic, whatever i can find on sale. if its a 0w20 or a 5w20

its the ch9641

its a cellulose/synthetic blend and fram its proven protection up to 10k miles however it is only good for 95% of filter particles while the better frams are all 99%

what does this mean exactly and is it fine? or is it always better to spend a few extra and get a 99%?

thx

 

[BrendanC]

hey all i usually buy top of line filters but after being educated more from the forum, i started spending less on filters. for example i would also go fram ultra back in the day but now i will always settle for a tough guard and be happy with me 5k mile oci. however today i saw the fram extra guard on sale. its a cartridge one for my engine.
its the ch9641

its a cellulose/synthetic blend and fram its proven protection up to 10k miles however it is only good for 95% of filter particles while the better frams are all 99%

what does this mean exactly and is it fine? or is it always better to spend a few extra and get a 99%?

thx

while cleaner lube is better lube, i don’t think you can go wrong with a xtra guard cartridge. just check the seam well before purchasing.

 

[ZeeOSix]

For an OCI of 5K or less, a filter with 95% @ 20u efficiency is fine. If doing higher OCI miles, a more efficient filter will help keep the sump cleaner as the miles increase on the oil than a less efficient filter. Some people like to use a higher efficiency filter regardless of OCI miles, because they can.

 

[dnewton3]

I've done 10k miles on EGs and the UOAs were fine and the dissection of the filter showed no problems.
95% is fairly good efficiency; no issue there.
Being a cartridge in your application, it'll be easy to review the build quality prior to intall.

I'd say use it with no issues.

 

[JeffKeryk]

They sell a lotta those orange cans... Can't be that bad!

 

[KCJeep]

The 95% at 20 microns is better than virtually all entry level filters and many that cost quite a bit more. Don’t be fooled by 99 percent efficiency or vague “dirt holding” marketing elsewhere until you know the micron rating.

That said the Frams have been going the wrong direction quality wise so look it over first.

 

[Chris142]

Just how much dirt and metal contamination do you think is in a healthy engine?

 

[Lubener]

95% or 99% is not going to make a difference in the long haul. Regular oil and filter changes is what matters the most.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

Use with confidence

 

[RyanY]

The 95% at 20 microns is better than virtually all entry level filters and many that cost quite a bit more. Don’t be fooled by 99 percent efficiency or vague “dirt holding” marketing elsewhere until you know the micron rating.

That said the Frams have been going the wrong direction quality wise so look it over first.

^this
Check @Bellavita spreadsheet for the efficiency ratings of various filters. 95% at 20 um is pretty good, and better than many other solid performers (ACDelco, Purolator Boss, etc). 95 is also probably better than OE Honda and Toyota, but their efficiency is not reported.

 

[Bellavita]

Here it is!

 

[camrydriver111]

One of the most restrictive and worst filtering filter.

Combined with defects where unfiltered oil can flow past the filter element.

You're literally better off buying almost anything else.

Your car will be fine, but why use an inferior product?

 

[BrendanC]

One of the most restrictive and worst filtering filter.

Combined with defects where unfiltered oil can flow past the filter element.

You're literally better off buying almost anything else.

Your car will be fine, but why use an inferior product?

95% at 20um is bad? i hope you haven’t looked at most other manufacturers.

 

[kschachn]

One of the most restrictive and worst filtering filter.

Combined with defects where unfiltered oil can flow past the filter element.

You're literally better off buying almost anything else.

Your car will be fine, but why use an inferior product?

What on earth are you talking about?

 

[jeepman3071]

The Fram extra guard is a pretty decent filter especially for the price. I know there might be some recent changes, but the last one I bought has a silicone ADBV and 95% efficient at 20 microns. Pretty good since a lot of filters claim 99% efficient but at 30 microns.

 

[subyski]

The ACDelco and Motorcraft oil filters are probably the best indicator of what a typical OEM filter would perform at (see Bellavita's spreadsheet), since most OEM's don't disclose their OEM filter efficiency . So, generally speaking, 95% at 20 micron is likely at or above the OEM bar.

 

[fantastic]

Fine for lower oil drain intervals & if that is their actual efficiency, for that product, then that would be good. Quality wise there may be better options like Microgard's at Oreilly's or Purolator Classic/One w/spec sheet so you'll know exactly what that filter's tested performance is. Check & compare price's if you'd like.

 

[PandaBear]

1) As your filter load up it will be more restrictive and pick up finer particles
2) Your oil get through the engine in multiple passes. You will be able to pick up those particles after many passes.

I wouldn't worry about 5k OCI. Most cars haven't blown up with a lower quality filters as long as the filter didn't fall apart inside the engine. I would be more careful if I have corner cases like in Artic circle or towing with a small turbo engine, but that's usually wearing out the additives of the oil rather than filter problem.

 

[ZeeOSix]

1) As your filter load up it will be more restrictive and pick up finer particles

Not really, because it's been shown many times that as oil filters load up and the dP increases, they can lose filtering efficiency. That also includes any dP spikes, or high dP caused during driving conditions even if the filter isn't loaded up ... like higher dP caused across the filter if someone revs the engine high before the oil is warmed up causing higher dP across the filter. That can send some debris off the filter and into the oiling system. Oil filters and air filters do not behave the same as they load up and the dP increases due to debris loading. The dP across an oil filter is much higher than the dP across an air filter. That higher dP can cause already captured debris to come loose and go into the engine. A higher ISO 4548-12 rated oil filter will retain better efficiency as it loads up.

2) Your oil get through the engine in multiple passes. You will be able to pick up those particles after many passes.

ISO 4548-12 is a multi-pass test, so an oil filter with a lower rated ISO efficiency will basically never catch those particles and they will continue to circulate through the oiling system.

 

[twX]

One of the most restrictive and worst filtering filter.

Yeah, the Extraguard and Toughguard were by far the most restrictive of 16 filters tested by Brand Ranks. The PH and TG3614 were twice as restrictive as the best flowing filters (Wix XP, NAPA Platinum, Purolator BOSS), and hit the 12 psi bypass pressure at ~9.5 GPM with warm oil. That may be enough flow for many engines, but in some applications they'll be bypassing often, especially when the oil's a bit cooler.

Combined with defects where unfiltered oil can flow past the filter element.

This might be the reason they rate them at 95% instead of the more standard 99% absolute efficiency. They might not actually hit 99% efficiency for any particle size.