Latest Fram Ultra Synthetic oil filter as of 2023 January - Is it still a good choice?

[ZeeOSix]

So, what would make a larger filter perform more poorly than a small filter, given the same media? I have seen this (size matters) posted before, but why would it make a difference? Larger surface area of the media? Higher delta p for a small filter? I realize the size Andrew tested was an XG10575, which is not really that small, in fact I use it as an oversize for GM PF48.

It's the other way around. A smaller filter size will test worse than a larger sized filter of the same media in the same ISO efficiency due to the dP increasing more on the smaller filter, which causes already captured to debris to slough off the media more and go down stream. That phenomena was actually seen in all the oil filters that Ascent tested ... it's discussed in that big Ascent testing thread towards the end - see link below. This is why Purolator references their gigantic model 30001 filter in their ISO 4548-12 efficiency statement. At least Fram tests 3 different sized filters and averages their efficiency to represent that model line of filters.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...ow-bubble-point-and-burst.334882/post-5789242

 

[Bellavita]

I think their cheapening of the Ultra just made the Tough Guard and Extra Guard a better value, and pushed their top tier filters to a new price level. The Endurance is a good filter, but unless you are doing extended drains at 10k+ miles it doesn't make sense. This seems to be the theme with many of the manufacturers, Purolator as one example. Is the higher cost of the Purolator One/Boss filters worth it for what you get over the basic filters? Probably not for most applications.

The Purolator Boss is pushing $14 for my application on Amazon, and the Endurance is $13 at WalMart. Hard to say those are worth it when a Fram PH16 is $4 with 95% at 20 microns and the TG16 is under $7 for 99% at 20 microns both with silicone ADBV.

Hi jeepman3071,

I agree with you. It is difficult to understand business and product strategy for the high end filters. As you stated the PH and TG have the performance numbers of the very high priced filters. A consumer could you use the PH's for the 5K OCIs and the TG's for the 10K OCIs and have plenty of safety factor and very good filtration at really great prices. The essence of value.

 

[garageman402]

It's the other way around. A smaller filter size will test worse than a larger sized filter of the same media in the same ISO efficiency due to the dP increasing more on the smaller filter, which causes already captured to debris to slough off the media more and go down stream. That phenomena was actually seen in all the oil filters that Ascent tested ... it's discussed in that big Ascent testing thread towards the end - see link below. This is why Purolator references their gigantic model 30001 filter in their ISO 4548-12 efficiency statement. At least Fram tests 3 different sized filters and averages their efficiency to represent that model line of filters.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...ow-bubble-point-and-burst.334882/post-5789242

Got it, thanks!!

 

[AuthorEditor]

A consumer could you use the PH's for the 5K OCIs and the TG's for the 10K OCIs and have plenty of safety factor and very good filtration at really great prices.

I basically agree, but I like to have a 2:1 safety factor just in case I can't change the filter for some reason at the planned OCI. And, that has happened to me more than once. For example, I do oil changes in my driveway and if we have a bad winter I would like to have plenty of leeway to put an oil change off until the weather improves.

 

[garageman402]

The bottomline is why after having it proven how superior your product is would you decide to discontinue it. If the name was old, they could have downgraded the Ultra and made the Endurance the old Ultra thereby keeping the best product from a filtering efficiency perspective going.

Late reply I know but I just re-read this. I think that’s what they actually did.

 

[OVERKILL]

Late reply I know but I just re-read this. I think that’s what they actually did.

No, the Endurance is a different filter, looks like the EaO/Royal Purple inside, doesn't have the pink media that was in the OG Ultra.

 

[garageman402]

No, the Endurance is a different filter, looks like the EaO/Royal Purple inside, doesn't have the pink media that was in the OG Ultra.

So........ The pink media is no longer available? No one offers the exceptional media that the OG Ultra had?

 

[OVERKILL]

So........ The pink media is no longer available? No one offers the exceptional media that the OG Ultra had?

That seems to be what has transpired, though it's apparently still showing up in the big XG filters which didn't get transitioned yet, or there was a lot of old stock.

 

[ZeeOSix]

So........ The pink media is no longer available? No one offers the exceptional media that the OG Ultra had?

The Fram Endurance is shown as 99%+ at 20μ efficiency on Fram's website (which is what the OG Ultra was), and is rated for higher miles than the OG Ultra was. So I'd call that exceptional media regardless of the color. And it's wire backed too.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

The Fram Endurance is shown as 99%+ at 20μ efficiency on Fram's website (which is what the OG Ultra was), and is rated for higher miles than the OG Ultra was. So I'd call that exceptional media regardless of the color. And it's wire backed too.

Yes and after all that 25 cents of wire has to make that filter worth twice as much as a Tough Guard right?

 

[blufeb95]

Yes and after all that 25 cents of wire has to make that filter worth twice as much as a Tough Guard right?

For anyone that lives in a cold climate and has a GM car that uses the 10575 or 12060 I'd take the wirebacked filter over any other Fram.

 

[garageman402]

Yes and after all that 25 cents of wire has to make that filter worth twice as much as a Tough Guard right?

Not just the wire, it's the media, too. Full synthetic media needs the wire backing to support it, the Ultra now relies on the cellulose blend backing to support it. There are pics showing they have media tearing issues, as well as wavy pleats that probably lead to the tearing.

The wire they now use in the Endurance is not the heavier expanded metal screen the OG Ultra had, it seems to be a thinner square mesh. Whip City Wrencher took apart two filters each with the different mesh, I wish he had weighed the screen. He did weigh the media assembly, the older filter with the expanded metal screen was heavier, would like to have narrowed it down as to what caused the weight difference.

 

[ZeeOSix]

The wire they now use in the Endurance is not the heavier expanded metal screen the OG Ultra had, it seems to be a thinner square mesh.

It should still be plenty stiff and strong enough to keep the pleats in place.

 

[Plawan]

I want to like the latest Fram Ultra Synthetic oil filter as of the time of this post (2023 January).

I want to use Fram Ultra Synthetic XG7317 filters for all my vehicles since it still has a rating of 99%+ efficiency @ 20 microns, and one of the highest filtration efficiencies of any filter at 15 microns and 10 microns.

But, I've read so many posts on this forum about how Fram was bought out by a company called "First Brands", who is repeatedly
cheapening the Fram Ultra synthetic oil filter to increase their profit.

Cost cutting resulted in:

[1] Removal of the wire backing, which is causing the filter pleats to be wavy instead of straight after only a few thousand miles of use.

[2] Moving from Synthetic Microglass filter media to a synthetic blend media with only a thin layer of synthetic media bonded to a Cellulose media?
Please correct me if I am wrong on this point.

[3] People finding fuzzy hairs all on the filter media (possibly from the Fram Ultra Synthetic filters made in Brazil).
The fear is that these fuzzy hairs could detach from the filter and mix with the engine oil, causing engine wear.

So, is Fram Ultra Synthetic oil filters still a 1st choice despite all the cost cutting, or should it be avoided due to the reductions in quality by "First Brands"?

Would I be better off using a lower efficiency OEM filter than to use a Fram Ultra filter if the Fram Ultra is infested with hairy fuzz or possibly harmful due to other cost cutting in the internals of the filter or filter media.

Thanks in advance for your insight and advise.

Fuzzy wuzzy was a FU lol!
Probably none of that is important enough to really worry about. Fram has just made the ultra not really worth it to me.
I did use them for multiple ocis before but now I just change. my most excellent looking acdelcos, every time I Change the oil.
Cost about the same as if I used an ultra for 20k miles or 2 delcos for 10k.

 

[cb474]

The Fram Endurance is shown as 99%+ at 20μ efficiency on Fram's website (which is what the OG Ultra was), and is rated for higher miles than the OG Ultra was. So I'd call that exceptional media regardless of the color. And it's wire backed too.

I went down a deep rabbit hole on this forum, trying to decide what filter to use in my 2006 Mazda 3 2.3L, and based on the limitations of what is available locally. I learned about Framgate and the change in the media, about microns, wire backing, flow rates, end caps. I think it was good (or maybe bad?) for me spiritually.

Anyway, although I was extremely tempted to just go ahead and use the 15ish year old actual Mazda filter I found in my closet (I haven't changed the oil on my car myself in a long time), I decided not to take a chance, based on the opinion of a couple people here on the forum. Instead, I got the Fram Titanium filter at Advanced Auto Parts (which I guess took over a Pep Boys in my area, which had gone out of business, and I had not realized something else went in there).

Since my car uses a cartridge filter, I don't have to cut it open to examine the construction of the filter. So I figured I'd post some photos to for those interested in these sorts of things. You can see that it actually has the coveted pink (pink!) media and is made in the U.S. It also definitely has wire backing (which I guess is the new style? I don't know). And it uses a piece of metal to hold together the two ends of the media where they come together (picture 5).

One noticeable difference from the original Mazda filter is that the felt on the end cap, which I assume is there to create a seal, is quite minimal. Photo of Mazda filter attached to show the difference. Also the hole in the center of the Titanium filter is wider in diameter, so that it wobbles around more on the post it slides over to fit into the cap/housing for the oil filter on my car. Don't know if either of those things matter.

Anyhoo, given that this thing cost $18 (with tax), would I be safe leaving it on for 10,000 miles? I do oil changes at 5,000. Or should I be shaking in my boots that it's going to tear and replace it anyway on the next oil change?

[Edit: Accidentally wrote I got Endurance filter, when I had gotten the Titanium filter. Edited post to correct this.]

 

[ZeeOSix]

The "FS" series (as in FS9641) of Fram filters is the Titanium, not the Endurance. Does the box actually say Endurance? If so, then looks like Fram is putting Titanium filters in Endurance boxes. It has the pink media, which is what the Titanium and OG Ultra used. The chaos never ends, lol.

Anyhoo, given that this thing cost $18 (with tax), would I be safe leaving it on for 10,000 miles? I do oil changes at 5,000. Or should I be shaking in my boots that it's going to tear and replace it anyway on the next oil change?

The media in that filter will never tear. It's rated for 20K, so if you're only doing 5K OCIs you can go 10K easy, even 15K if your engine is clean inside.

 

[cb474]

The "FS" series (as in FS9641) of Fram filters is the Titanium, not the Endurance. Does the box actually say Endurance? If so, then looks like Fram is putting Titanium filters in Endurance boxes. It has the pink media, which is what the Titanium and OG Ultra used. The chaos never ends, lol.



The media in that filter will never tear. It's rated for 20K, so if you're only doing 5K OCIs you can go 10K easy, even 15K if your engine is clean inside.

Oops, you are 100% correct. It's the Titanium filter. I don't know why I wrote Endurance. It must be the confusion in my mind from reading so many threads about oil filters today. You can't even get the Endurance filter for my car. I will edit the post to correct it.

 

[michael007]

It took a few months but I heard back from Fram about the FS7317 @53' Stude cut for us which was missing the metal backing for the media.

Good to know the titanium isn’t going the same way as the ultra.

 

[ZeeOSix]

It took a few months but I heard back from Fram about the FS7317 @53' Stude cut for us which was missing the metal backing for the media.

Good to know the titanium isn’t going the same way as the ultra.

View attachment 166301

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

It took a few months but I heard back from Fram about the FS7317 @53' Stude cut for us which was missing the metal backing for the media.

Good to know the titanium isn’t going the same way as the ultra.

View attachment 166301

Well maybe it isn't but it price just went up $4 like the Endurance!