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Do your filters have cellophane on them? https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...fb111ba2428aad1c0cd89fb10bd6R.jpg_300x300.jpg
Motorcraft Oil Filter Catastrophic Seam Failure
- Thread starter MaximumMini
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Chrysler Gen3 1999 3.3L V6 (Minivan engine)
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No. Just in the Motorcraft (looking?) box
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What is suspicious? That it might not be real Motorcraft?
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So is this more likely a result of a failure of the oil bypass inside the filter.....or the pressure relief valve in the engine block?
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The end of the canister looks a lot different than the FL1As I’ve seen over the years. It doesn’t have the million grooves like normal.
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The picture and what I received look different,
Amazon listing picture.....
Picture of the filter and box I received.....
Amazon listing picture.....
Picture of the filter and box I received.....
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It's well known that Motorcraft revised the FL-1A (and many other Motorcraft oil filters) not long ago. Few like the changes.
You can Google it.
It does look like an over pressure situation. But if the filter is fake, it could be that it couldn't even take maximum normal maximum oil pressure on that engine. The guts of the filter need to be inspected to look for more failure and to see if it's fake or not.
Is there a date code on the dome of the filter? Those fake alibaba Motorcraft filters don't have any date code on them from the ad photos.
More likely the pump pressure relief. But if the filter bypass valve failed to open it wouldn't blow the end off the filter, it would instead implode the center tube and media. The end cap blowing off like shown in your photos is from the can not able to withstand the pressure from the oil pump.
What new filter did you install after this one?
You mentioned earlier that the car's oil pressure gauge seems to read normally. What kind of oil pressure gauge is it ... one with actual numbers on the gauge or just a Low to High range type?
That sure as heck looks like an overpressurization failure like a relief valve on the pump stuck.
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Ahhhhh, makes sense. I haven’t followed anything FoMoCo related at all, I have never owned a ford until my boat. Makes sense.
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Ok, I'll try to get some internal photos and post them
That video was Motorcraft filters around 3 years ago. Who knows what exactly happened between then and now ... could be more cheapening moves have been made. We do know the black sloppy glue that comes loose in use has been around for not too long, so that probably happened after the Whip City video time frame.
Just my opinion. That is not the proper filter application for this engine.
It's a "well it fits, threads are the same, I can cross reference this enough to make it work in my mind.
It's bigger therefore a better filter so it should work" scenario. I'm not saying this is the issue but if a pro installed
this on you'd be on his a$$ like white on rice had this happened.
From the pic this an overpressurization issue or an extremely poor filter that would not survive on any
engine application.
OP made notes as he suspected (and others, too?) the filter was of lesser quality? Yet he rolled the dice on a road trip.
We have no idea as to when it was installed or mileage after install.
I say plausible but not probable that the filter was at fault.
Pic alone says overpressurization.
Use the proper filter application from a reputable source or your on your own.
Retired Quick Lube owner (25 years)
It's a "well it fits, threads are the same, I can cross reference this enough to make it work in my mind.
It's bigger therefore a better filter so it should work" scenario. I'm not saying this is the issue but if a pro installed
this on you'd be on his a$$ like white on rice had this happened.
From the pic this an overpressurization issue or an extremely poor filter that would not survive on any
engine application.
OP made notes as he suspected (and others, too?) the filter was of lesser quality? Yet he rolled the dice on a road trip.
We have no idea as to when it was installed or mileage after install.
I say plausible but not probable that the filter was at fault.
Pic alone says overpressurization.
Use the proper filter application from a reputable source or your on your own.
Retired Quick Lube owner (25 years)
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Good you found the video. The can is a little thinner but imo it was a defective base plate. The base plate is too thick to bend by oil pump pressure like the bad one you pictured. That the new filter works fine means the engine is ok. The new bypass valve is ok, been used for many years. Motorcraft is lucky.
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Some persons eyes should have seen the bent base plate somewhere on the production line. I wouldn’t be afraid to use the new design, the can thickness is about like Fram, thin, but adequate. As seen by the other filter bought, a correctly made base plate doesn’t pull off from the seam in use.
