Originally Posted By: Cokeboy
The Champ lab representative said Fram Filter Co and the 26 private label filters manufactured at Champ labs to customer specifications are all owned by one individual located in New Zealand. When Fram was sold by Honeywell about two years ago to the New Zealand individual some of the Champ and Fram facilities were consolidated.
The fram Ultra is now actually manufactured at the Champ Lab plant, not the original Frame facility. The Fram Ultra incorporates steel filter media ends compared to Fram extra guard and tough guard labels which incorporates fiber ends.
Champ also manufactures the Mobil 1 extended filter.
Representative also indicated that Fram Ultra label and Mobil 1 extended were identical filters.
Still does not answer the question of which filter media has the most flow resistance
cellulose, (100% wood fiber paper),cellulose/glass blend, 100% micro glass, or even polyester filter media rated at 300F.
Would guess that micro glass fiber has the greatest flow resistance because the media must be thicker to tap the particles by intrapment method(particles traped through fiber nest) rather than impingment method used by cellulose(particles traped on surface.
Also folks that have changed to Royal Purple( RP) filter which is 100% micro glass indicated an increase in oil pressure at start up cold idle engine speed compared to previous cellulose paper type. This result would indicate the 100% micro glass has greater flow resistance than paper media.
Champ Labs also indicated the RP is the only 100% micro glass media filter manufactured by Champ Labs.
The TRD filters are also 100% synthetic micro glass media filters. The RP and TRD filters are virtually the same exact filter, except for the TRD's having the added nut on the top of the filter.
http://www.trdusa.com/filters.html