Virgin Fram PH8A Cut open for Testing.

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Cut this open to test a little project I've been working on, more pics will follow when I get it finished. But it appears that it'll cut filters from 2 inch to 4 3/4 inch OD. In the meantime here are some pics of the filter I sacrificed.






 
Not a lot of media in there. Don't know if you can draw conclusions about that, since we don't know anything about the type of media, but it sure does look like it has a lot less pleats than competitive filters.
 
Might be part of the minority that likes less media but i feel it gives it more holding capabilities. Iv seen some with so many pleats you couldn't shove a dime in between them. What's the point of 100k pleats if its nearly a perfect circle?
 
Originally Posted By: 3800Series
Might be part of the minority that likes less media but i feel it gives it more holding capabilities. Iv seen some with so many pleats you couldn't shove a dime in between them. What's the point of 100k pleats if its nearly a perfect circle?

There is a considerable difference between a solid dime and a fluid containing a particle that is, say 20 or 25um. More pleats, more surface area to hold dirt. Like 2 kids in a kiddie pool... that thing will be filthy in a matter of hours. 2 kids in a Olympic size, no problemo. There is no replacement for displacement. Now, what is this magic tool the OP eludes to? That looks like a dang fine cut...
 
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Originally Posted By: 3800Series
Might be part of the minority that likes less media but i feel it gives it more holding capabilities. Iv seen some with so many pleats you couldn't shove a dime in between them. What's the point of 100k pleats if its nearly a perfect circle?


HUGE difference. The oil is flowing very slowly in the filter, and works its way between tightly packed pleats with no issue whatever. With as little media as the base model Fram has, the differential pressure across the media is higher because the flow rate per square inch is higher. Which is exactly what led to the Fram failures I've personally had in the past- the media was collapsed in on itself and packed around the center tube.

Granted- it IS better than having a hole. But not by much. I just can't for the life of me see why anyone who changes their own filter would use one. Or a Puro Classic. Or a Napa Silver. Or any of the other low-end filters.
 
I have no problem with the orange can but I don't care much for the PH8A or the PH16 for this exact reason, they look like a kindergarten craft project. It is hard to believe the PH3980's and PH3600's I prefer are the same line of filter they look so much better than those.

Thanks for cutting and posting!
 
You don't show the ends, and in all those I've cut, the cardboard was off-center, leaving the corrugated tube to "seal" with the spring or valve.
 
Originally Posted By: KCJeep
I have no problem with the orange can but I don't care much for the PH8A or the PH16 for this exact reason, they look like a kindergarten craft project. It is hard to believe the PH3980's and PH3600's I prefer are the same line of filter they look so much better than those.

Thanks for cutting and posting!


I think they are just fine. solid and open design. Very solid actually. my truck has had that design on it for 310000km and the engine might as well be brand new. I'll cut the exact filter up when my truck is due. around 5000km and about a year.
 
you got the fram orange can which i would not use on anything but with that amount of media im pretty sure it has good flow as long as it does not fall apart and clog anything. So far i have not heard of that happening. then you have the tearolater's which have issues. I switched to Napa Golds for my own vehicles because they are the same as Wix but Wix is nowhere to be found around here and i use the Napa Golds and the Wix Jobber filters for our customers engines we rebuild. No more purolaters in my shop.
Of course we pay a little more for the Wix but we cant take a chance its not worth the extra 88 cents.
I know someone who has an old Chevy van with well over 200,000 miles that buys the cheapest oil and filters he can find and it runs good so who knows>?
 
Remember even the cheapest Fram uses a blend of synthetic glass fibers mixed with cellulose while your cheapest entry level filters are cellulose only. That's why they can hit 95% efficiency at 20 microns and still meet oem or better holding capacity. Media square footage isn't everything.

I must say also the 3600/3980 are the most impressive extra guards.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I must say also the 3600/3980 are the most impressive extra guards.


Agreed. Not sure how they can look so good, and the 8A can consistently look so bad.
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
The oil is flowing very slowly in the filter, and works its way between tightly packed pleats with no issue whatever. With as little media as the base model Fram has, the differential pressure across the media is higher because the flow rate per square inch is higher.


The other variable in the equation is the flow characteristics of the media. Nobody really knows what kind of "Flow vs Delta-P" curve the filer has unless they run it on a calibrated bench tester designed for that purpose.

Maybe the OP can measure the media area just to see what it is. Most "medium" sized Purolator Classics and PureOnes (as a reference point) have around 100 sq-in of media area.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I must say also the 3600/3980 are the most impressive extra guards.


Agreed. Not sure how they can look so good, and the 8A can consistently look so bad.


It's okay, cuz the XG8A looks awesome.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3403131/%5BCut_Open%5D_Fram_ultra_XG8A_10,



nqr8g3.jpg
 
These scare me. I remember many years ago, the Fram orange can was a respectable filter on the market.Ownership changed and they went downhill from there.
 
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Remember even the cheapest Fram uses a blend of synthetic glass fibers mixed with cellulose while your cheapest entry level filters are cellulose only. That's why they can hit 95% efficiency at 20 microns and still meet oem or better holding capacity. Media square footage isn't everything.......

Reads like a paid promotion for Fram imo. Spin it as you will, but as similarly noted here by others, relatively speaking the orange can application shown certainly appears chintzy, especially when it comes to media area.

And while media area may not be everything, in similar non synthetic applications and promotional take on media composition aside, I'll take more of it as compared the alternative shown here.

As for OP's cutter, looks like I can see the guide wheels. Seems to have done a decent job. Guess the official unveiling is somewhere down the road?

Thanks for the pics.
 
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
The oil is flowing very slowly in the filter, and works its way between tightly packed pleats with no issue whatever. With as little media as the base model Fram has, the differential pressure across the media is higher because the flow rate per square inch is higher.


The other variable in the equation is the flow characteristics of the media. Nobody really knows what kind of "Flow vs Delta-P" curve the filer has unless they run it on a calibrated bench tester designed for that purpose.

Maybe the OP can measure the media area just to see what it is. Most "medium" sized Purolator Classics and PureOnes (as a reference point) have around 100 sq-in of media area.



The media out of the can is 4x49 inches long from my measurements and the calculator said 196 sq-in. I'm unsure of how you guys measure this, I just stretched the filter media out and measured it via tape measure. This filter media came apart relatively easy as well.

widman,

The cardboard was in the center on this filter.
 
Ran those same filters on my '73 Pinto Runabout for years with absolutely zero ill effects in its stout 2.0L powerplant.

Never totally grasp the OCOD mantra but utilize 'synthetic' filters these days. Just makes me feel better than running the cheap stuff.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: splinter
Ran those same filters on my '73 Pinto Runabout for years with absolutely zero ill effects in its stout 2.0L powerplant.

Never totally grasp the OCOD mantra but utilize 'synthetic' filters these days. Just makes me feel better than running the cheap stuff.
smile.gif



If I recall correctly, the 2 liter was German built just like the one in the first generation Mercury Capri.

In fact, Pinto and Capri shared the base British 1600 cc engine as well.

I always wanted one of those 2 liter Capris back then.
 
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