REPORT: Fram Ultra stock is spotty around here. NOS still around.

[Vern_in_IL]

Here in Central Illinois.
So in small town WalMart Super Centers, most of the Ultra stock has changed over, but when I go to larger stores in larger towns, there still is plenty of NOS sitting on the shelves still. Every other pn is new stock just about.

Since the early report of this improved design, it just seems to me that not many people buy these. I find it hard to believe that it has taken this long to cycle stock on shelves to the new design Ultras.

 

[Brian123]

Here in Central Illinois.
So in small town WalMart Super Centers, most of the Ultra stock has changed over, but when I go to larger stores in larger towns, there still is plenty of NOS sitting on the shelves still. Every other pn is new stock just about.

Since the early report of this improved design, it just seems to me that not many people buy these. I find it hard to believe that it has taken this long to cycle stock on shelves to the new design Ultras.

Before I joined Bitog, I would buy the cheapest oil filters, maybe its price or people think why do I want a 20K oil filter when I am doing 5K, 7,5K or 10K OCI's.

 

[tyman]

Must be nice. My WM pretty much turned over to the new stock in the matter of a day or two.

 

[hrv]

Plenty of oil and filter of all type here in Louisville... No shortage seen...

 

[Hall]

Thanks for putting your location in the post. Too often people think that their single WM location is indicative of the entire country. 🙄

 

[ZeeOSix]

Since the early report of this improved design, it just seems to me that not many people buy these. I find it hard to believe that it has taken this long to cycle stock on shelves to the new design Ultras.

Maybe they "bought them" by switching boxes, and there's a different filter in those boxes (a Walmart thing).

I don't think every Ultra model has been updated to the new design yet, and that might be why there are still some on the shelves with the wire backed media.

 

[Peted]

Plenty of stock near me. Just got back from Walmart.

 

[Hall]

Between our (4) cars, we use XX3614, XX6607, and XX7317 - all show in stock at the WM I drive by to/from work every day.

 

[OLEJOE]

You can’t just go by what is printed on the box. I bought 2 new XG2’s earlier today. Both in new boxes and both have metal screen backing.
And if I deciphered the date code right September 15, 2021.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Looks like Canadian Tire stock has the new box, but I didn’t check if an original version was in it. Still made in the USA.

 

[OLEJOE]

Looks like Canadian Tire stock has the new box, but I didn’t check if an original version was in it. Still made in the USA.

View attachment 78920

I always open them up and check.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Plenty Ultra TG ad OC at Epping WM, but I didnt look to see which version. I got an Orange Can for an "experiment"
They were out of Motorcraft FL-400S and FL-910S though

 

[bbhero]

Its not a improved design....

It's a cheaper one.

A TG in a gold can.

 

[ZeeOSix]

A TG in a gold can.

But with metal end caps (which could also go away in the next redesign - hopefully not).

The new Ultra is probably still more efficient at 20μ and below than the TG. Might flow better than the TG too, meaning less delta-p vs flow. Of course, an ISO 4548-12 test would be needed to verify.

 

[Krieg]

Are the UPC numbers the same?

 

[Chris142]

No fram #3614 in stock in Hesperia,Ca last night. Did have the 3600 as well as the ST3614 in stock.

 

[bbhero]

But with metal end caps (which could also go away in the next redesign - hopefully not).

The new Ultra is probably still more efficient at 20μ and below than the TG. Might flow better than the TG too, meaning less delta-p vs flow. Of course, an ISO 4548-12 test would be needed to verify.

You can put lipstick on a pig...

It still oinks like a pig.

That's basically a TG in a gold can.

Metal end caps... Whoopy Doo.

I don't care about that.

TG was at 99 percent at 20 microns too.
Unless that's now cheapened to. Now with different media.

And I'd bet darn good money it's either the same or darn close to the same percentage efficient at 10 microns as the " new" cheaper Ultra.

 

[ZeeOSix]

TG was at 99 percent at 20 microns too.
Unless that's now cheapened to. Now with different media.

And I'd bet darn good money it's either the same or darn close to the same percentage efficient at 10 microns as the " new" cheaper Ultra.

According to the Fram email info we saw earlier, the new Ultra is supposedly more efficient. Of course we can't prove it without an ISO 4548-12 test as you know. When you're at 99%+ at 20u any improvement in efficiency is basically splitting hairs IMO. The holding capacity of the Ultra (old or new media) is still better than the TG if that's something someone cares about because of long OCIs or using one filter for multiple OCIs.

The original Ultra Andrew tested came in about where Fram claimed (better than most filter makers do), so if Fram says the new Ultra media is more efficient then maybe it really is. Other question is the delta-p vs flow performance, which again the ISO 4548-12 test would be needed to verify/confirm.

 

[bbhero]

I doubt seriously what Fram says now....

Why ??

For starters...

Jay said og Fram ultra media was 80 percent efficient at 5 microns....

Last I checked.... That's better than 74 percent at 10 microns.

What Andrew tested aka og Fram ultra media was actually Better than what Fram claimed... .

They are full of it. Now they are.

And no...

I don't believe Jay was lying or making up his numbers. .

Andrew's testing proved that to be true.

99.8 percent at 15 microns per Andrew's test results... What's that extrapolated doesn't to 10 microns ? ?

Yeah... I'd bet the house it's well more than 74 percent.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I doubt seriously what Fram says now....
Why ??
For starters...
Jay said og Fram ultra media was 80 percent efficient at 5 microns....
Last I checked.... That's better than 74 percent at 10 microns.
What Andrew tested aka og Fram ultra media was actually Better than what Fram claimed... .
They are full of it. Now they are.
And no...
I don't believe Jay was lying or making up his numbers. .
Andrew's testing proved that to be true.
99.8 percent at 15 microns per Andrew's test results... What's that extrapolated doesn't to 10 microns ? ?
Yeah... I'd bet the house it's well more than 74 percent.

The XG10060 is smaller than the XG10575 that Andrew tested per ISO 4548-12 (see links below). That could have a factor on what we saw on the XG10575 test and why it did better than Fram claims. Remeber that Fram's efficiency is also based on 3 different filter models (probably the average of those 3 filters). The present (now old) Fram XG vs new XG is based on the same filter (XG10060) - Fram data below.

Not sure if Motorking mentioned which XG model the 80% @ 5u was based on. I could see the XG10575 might drop off rather quickly like the other filters (AC-Delco and WIX) in Andrew's test at some point near 15u, and then the old Ultra XG10575 tested by Andrew might have dropped to say 95% at 10u and 80% @ 5u.

To add, 99% @ 15u (old XG10575) vs 91% @ 15u (new XG10060) could very well be from the filter size difference which would impact the delta-p as it loads up, and therefore the sloughing off of captured particles which could very well make the smaller filter less efficient compared to the new under fully loaded conditions, which is what the overall ISO 4548-12 test efficiency is based on.

When you start comparing different size/model filters, then a difference of 10% or less in the lower particle sizes can be caused by the size difference. Like I've said many times, the only way to know what's going on with the new XG would be if a new XG10575 was tested by Andrew with the exact same test parameters.

Side note - notice that all the boxes shown on the Fram website are the new boxes that don't have the wire backed media blurb on the box like they use to. That line now says "Perfect Seal Gasket".

FRAM ULTRA® Spin-on Oil Filter XG10060 | FRAM

FRAM ULTRA® Spin-on Oil Filter XG10060

www.fram.com

FRAM ULTRA® Spin-on Oil Filter XG10575 | FRAM

FRAM ULTRA® Spin-on Oil Filter XG10575

www.fram.com