Virgin Fram FS8A Titanium oil filter cut open vs Fram XG8A oil filter

[rollinpete]

Fram FS8A Titanium Oil Filter Cut Open on the left, compared to an XG8A Ultra on the right. A comparison to it's older brother the Fram XG Ultra What look's the same: Silicone Anti drain back valve Filter media Bypass valve Overall size What's not the same: Base plate has larger pear shaped holes Black rough coating over the entire filter To Me it's basically the same filter with larger base plate holes, and a black coating that probably retains more heat. $14.99 AAP vs $8.97 WM, By the way did Walmart go up on there filters recently? I thought the Ultras were closer to 8 bucks Enjoy the Pic's Below is also a video of the comparison. Video of the Fram Titanium and Ultra Click Here

 

[CT8]

Marketing fools the easy to fool. New and improved

 

[GMguy84]

XG's have always around for $9 at WM. SOMETIMES they do a temp price drop to match Amazon but those are rare Dave

 

[RazorsEdge]

Thank you for for cutting these apart. Just like I was thinking, not hardly a difference in how they are manufactured.

 

[shibby6600]

Thank you for taking the time and money to do this comparison!

 

[blufeb95]

Originally Posted by rollinpete

To Me it's basically the same filter with larger base plate holes, and a black coating that probably retains more heat.

Um, since when is it been an oil filters job to dissipate heat?

 

[LubricatusObsess]

Thanks for sharing with us, Pete. The pear shaped holes ain't doin' much for me. As has been much discussed recently, positive displacement engine oil pumps produce the same oil flow rate (at given rpm) regardless of system backpressure, up to the pressure relief valve setting. Providing a lower backpressure filter allows it to hold "x" more contaminants due to the lower flow restriction when new. That is all. The only possible advantage I see is engines so dirty they clog filters before OCI light comes on, thereby sending unfiltered oil through the engine. But filters can't filter out small soot particulates (<20 micron dia.) anyway, so what's the point, really, for nearly 2x the price? I usually get my Fram Ultra XG's from Rock Auto during seasonal large maintenance buys, for less than Wally World - including shipping cost.

 

[PimTac]

Thanks for the comparison cut and post. Those pear shaped holes are pretty ragged. We saw a similar example in another thread about the Titanium.

 

[bullwinkle]

Still no new gasket on the Titanium! Would it be possible to cut some media off both of them & see if there's any difference? Just watch your fingers, the steel mesh is pretty sharp.

 

[Gokhan]

Originally Posted by rollinpete

Fram FS8A Titanium Oil Filter Cut Open on the left, compared to an XG8A Ultra on the right. A comparison to it's older brother the Fram XG Ultra What look's the same: Silicone Anti drain back valve Filter media Bypass valve Overall size What's not the same: Base plate has larger pear shaped holes Black rough coating over the entire filter To Me it's basically the same filter with larger base plate holes, and a black coating that probably retains more heat. $14.99 AAP vs $8.97 WM, By the way did Walmart go up on there filters recently? I thought the Ultras were closer to 8 bucks Enjoy the Pic's Below is also a video of the comparison.

It's apparent that Fram Titanium and Fram Force are just rebranded Fram Ultra and Fram Tough Guard, respectively, for Advance Auto Parts. The holes have probably been updated on Fram Ultra as well. Note that matte black will dissipate (not retain) more heat than shiny light-colored metal. For that reason HVAC ducts are covered with reflective aluminum so that they retain heat. That's because the heat radiation is in invisible infrared and black to the human eye. If a surface is reflective, it's emitting more visible light and less heat (less infrared).

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by Gokhan

Originally Posted by rollinpete

Fram FS8A Titanium Oil Filter Cut Open on the left, compared to an XG8A Ultra on the right. A comparison to it's older brother the Fram XG Ultra What look's the same: Silicone Anti drain back valve Filter media Bypass valve Overall size What's not the same: Base plate has larger pear shaped holes Black rough coating over the entire filter To Me it's basically the same filter with larger base plate holes, and a black coating that probably retains more heat. $14.99 AAP vs $8.97 WM, By the way did Walmart go up on there filters recently? I thought the Ultras were closer to 8 bucks Enjoy the Pic's Below is also a video of the comparison.

It's apparent that Fram Titanium and Fram Force are just rebranded Fram Ultra and Fram Tough Guard, respectively, for Advance Auto Parts. The holes have probably been updated on Fram Ultra as well.

They are not just "rebadged" Frams, there are differences. And Fram is not going to make the same changes to the Fram brand line. Read the thread I started about Fram vs AAP, which has a chat discussion with Fram. rollinpete - thanks for sharing.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by LubricatusObsess

But filters can't filter out small soot particulates (<20 micron dia.) anyway, so what's the point, really, for nearly 2x the price?

A filter rated at 99% @ 20μ filters out more particles below 20μ than a filter rated at 50% @ 20μ. Motorking posted many times that the Ultra is 80% @ 5μ.

 

[Mr Nice]

Nice photos.

 

[DuckRyder]

Thanks for the C&P. Agreed - Nice photos. I've got a FS8A to use because XG8A has been out of stock for some time at WM. I was afraid i was going to have to put a shorty on it...

 

[walterjay]

Thanks for posting the pics. Good to see there really is no difference. Guess I will be sticking with the Ultra for top quality.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Do these new Frams still use their ultra thin cans?

 

[Ignatius]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle

Still no new gasket on the Titanium!

I am curious, how do you know that to the Titanium gasket IS NOT different from what is on say the Ultra? I think we have covered the notion as to the Titanium gasket not being orange in another thread or two.

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm

Do these new Frams still use their ultra thin cans?

Define "ultra thin" please. I have a theory I am working on about why other filter cans need to be thicker and it has much to do with pressure buildup due to things like bypass springs and/or flow restrictive filters/media.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Those louvers are gosh-darn small. I do like the larger base plate holes.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en

Those louvers are gosh-darn small. I do like the larger base plate holes.

Those are holes, not louvers.

 

[Linctex]

We were speculating the cost of retooling for a different line exclusive to ONE store brand. Nice to see the only real changes are merely cosmetic.