Is it ok to use Fram if it's free?

[MrBiglund]

Hey, guys, a little after joining this site, I got inspired to do my own oil changes. I have been doing them for a year and a half now, all by myself. Got a couple of used steel ramps which are very helpful in the process. Anyways, I have been using Pennzoil Yellow bottle 5w30 for my Dodge Caravan 3.0L mitsu, with Luberifiner PH253 oil filter, which I believe is made by champ labs, it has the ecore design. A few months ago I stocked up on Castrol GTX oil that was on sale here at Partsource and it came with a free Fram PH16 oil filter. Now, I have quiet a few of these oil filters laying around and I'm thinking if it's ok to go ahead and use it on my van next time I change oil? I do 5000km oil changes. Hearing alot of bad stuff about Fram, I'm just a bit concerned if it will do any harm to use them. Please advice, if they really are that bad, I can give them away for free to a friend of mine, i'm sure he'll have no problem with them, as that's the filter he uses on his Caravan.

 

[Bill in Utah]

My sister has well over 200k on her 93 Caravan using mostly Fram filters and 5w30 oil.

No worries. Use the filter!

Take care, Bill

 

[demarpaint]

I stopped using them when I joined BITOG, however I never had a problem with them. I'd use them up, then look for the deals which feature the Purolator or other filters. JMO

 

[MrBiglund]

Actually before joining bitog i used to think they are the best, lol, I used to buy my own filter and oil and get it changed by a local shop that only charged 10 bucks, and on many occasions i had bought the orange can.

 

[Steve S]

I would use it with out reservations. Yes there are better filters.

 

[VK56VD]

Use them with confidence. Once you use up your stash, you can move to another brand as most provide more bang for the buck on their lower line filters.

 

[ZZman]

There is a reason they have been around so long and are used so much. They work fine.

Are there better filters?....Yes. But Fram's work fine.

 

[StevieC]

FREE = GOOD. Just change more often than a regular filter so that you don't run the risk of the stuff inside falling apart like some cut-away's posted on the net. For the most part they are an OK filter...

 

[MrBiglund]

Thanks for the advice guys, i feel more confident using them now. Initially when I started reading about Fram filters here on this site, I got so paranoid that I actually went to my mechanic and had him remove the Fram that was on my van which was about 1000km into an oil change and had him put on a carquest branded wix filter in it's place withought changing the oil (as it was too early, I had synthetic oil in there). This was before I started doing oil changes myself. After doing alot of reading i ended up selling my synthetic oil stash and just went with good conventional oil like PYB, and used wix filters initially and then switched over to the ecore design lubrifiner ones, as they were really cheap. The cardboard type endcaps really turned me off on the Frams but recently I had read that even the champ made ecores used felt type material for endcaps. So, I guess it can't hurt to use Frams for such short ocis. A free Fram is a good Fram, just when you have to pay for it, it's better to spend your money somewhere else.

 

[StevieC]

 

[Boatowner]

Here you can buy a Fram for $ 4 or so or a Wix from Car Quest for about $ 3. To me that settles the Fram argument completely, without considering the fact that I have cut both open. Use the Frams up, on your OCI they will be fine (almost).

 

[StevieC]

Here's a jingle I just thought of...

A FRAM FOR FREE IS A GOOD CHOICE INDEED.

I'm available for hire...

 

[MrBiglund]

Guess, what i paid for the Lubrifiners? $2.50ea! And the Carquest branded wix before those were around $3.50ea. Cheapest Fram is over 5 bucks. LOL! So a free Fram is a good fram indeed. By the way these prices I'm quotig are for Waterloo, Ontario area shops.

 

[StevieC]

I would rather pay double for an Amsoil EAO filter and use it for 3-4 times as long with better filtration and better flow...

 

[peterdaniel]

1) people have [censored] about Fram for years.
2) they are supposedly the worst filter, made like junk etc...
3) Places like jiffy lube and most quick lube places use them or their exact duplicate Pennzoil/ Quaker state.

Given this societies insatiable appetite for lawsuits and witch hunting, I would figure that if they were so bad, they wouldn't still be around.

Use them and change them before 5K OCI's and be happy!

 

[StevieC]

They aren't bad, they just aren't the greatest for the money. I have used them in the past without issue. I think most people blow it out of proportion. If they were so bad they would be out of business like you said... The Tough-Gard is actually a pretty good filter but for the price I would buy a WIX or M1 instead.

 

[D Bone]

NO, DON"T USE IT!! According to most on BITOG, the use of a Fram filter will cause your car to melt.

 

[tropic]

Fram filters work fine. So do filters 1/2 the price. That's about it.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Yeah, I'd use it if it were free, or under $2.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Is it ok to use Fram if it's free?



ONLY if it's free. If you have to pay for it, and you're outside of Canada, just save money and buy a better filter for the money.