When did Fram go off the rails?

[Patman]

I posted a picture of the Fram Endurance that I have in another topic here but I thought it might be better having it on its own. Approximately when did the ruffled leaf spring start showing up in their filters? Could the Endurance that I have been made prior to that? I’m going to run it in the Corvette anyway since I hate to waste a $13 filter but it would be nice to know if it might be one of the better made ones

 

[BrendanC]

i have a couple C&P’s recently showing the date stamp with smooth leaf springs if you wanted to try and cross reference.

 

[Patman]

i have a couple C&P’s recently showing the date stamp with smooth leaf springs if you wanted to try and cross reference.

That helps me a lot because one of your c&p shows a smooth leaf spring with a 2024 production date and so mine is way earlier than that. Cool!

 

[BrendanC]

That helps me a lot because one of your c&p shows a smooth leaf spring with a 2024 production date and so mine is way earlier than that. Cool!

does your vette call for a pf64 or 63?

 

[Patman]

does your vette call for a pf64 or 63?

PF64

 

[Zee09]

Fram went off the rails decades ago as the sealed cans kept the dirty little secrets intact.

 

[GrumpyCat]

I think it was prior to 1978. About 1978 Fram issued a recall for oil filters fitting Mitsubishi 2.6L I4 engines being used in Chrysler products and Mitsubishis sold under Chrysler name plates. That engine ran full 60 PSI oil pressure on the oil filter, cans were bursting.

I say this is the start of things going wrong with Fram for them to provide a cross reference fitment but not know about how the engine actually used the oil filter.

 

[D1dad]

If they went off the rails my cars never knew it. Seems like not long ago this forum was raving over the ultra so I went out and bought enough for a few years only to find out they leaked. I just put a filter on and change it at every oil change and don't run my oil so long that it turns into tar and call it a day. Kind of like bosch and purolator. I ran those for years while this forum said they were garbage and I was none the wiser and my cars were no worse for the wear. One can find fault in anything if they look hard enough.

 

[Kira]

I think it was prior to 1978. About 1978 Fram issued a recall for oil filters fitting Mitsubishi 2.6L I4 engines being used in Chrysler products and Mitsubishis sold under Chrysler name plates. That engine ran full 60 PSI oil pressure on the oil filter, cans were bursting.

Was Fram filters the only ones bursting?

 

[GW.]

Started with First Brands and the consolidation between Fram and Champ. I started noticing bad threads first, then closed louvers and sloppy glue, eventually WCW and @Sayjac found the leaf spring problems. That’s when I decided to see if the leak was present in the can under pressure and things took off from there.

 

[Sayjac]

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when the seal area issues started showing up. But, afaik WhipCityWrencher did the first flashlight testing on several Champ Labs made filters seal areas. I was skeptical so I checked it out for myself on two different filters. One a used ST MP7317 with c&p, then following his flashlight test of the FE7317, checked his leakage finding on an unused one (made 06/24). Both filters showed light leakage, oil bypass issues. WCW FE7317 made 02/23.

Personally, I wouldn't bank on a certain production date as any demarcation point when it 'might have' started or ended, if at all. And for me, the only definitive way to tell is with flashlight testing. I see some FE c&p now with no flashlight testing but saying 'looks' smooth. 'To me' that is more subjective and allows for confirmation bias as opposed to doing a flashlight test which greatly reduces that.

As for when things at Fram generally started to change, using the OG XG Ultra as prime example, when Trico now First Brands acquired them from Rank Group.

 

[martinq]

How easy is it to see a 10u gap in metal / spring endcaps?

 

[Fair enough]

I think it was prior to 1978. About 1978 Fram issued a recall for oil filters fitting Mitsubishi 2.6L I4 engines being used in Chrysler products and Mitsubishis sold under Chrysler name plates. That engine ran full 60 PSI oil pressure on the oil filter, cans were bursting.

I say this is the start of things going wrong with Fram for them to provide a cross reference fitment but not know about how the engine actually used the oil filter.

Are there pictures of Fram cans bursting? The Fram gasket wasn’t all that tight, resulting in the gasket remaining on the engine, the new filter installed, and then complete burst of oil everywhere. I did this once myself being in a hurry. Not sure if this could be mixed up to mean burst can. What was the statement of fault after the recall, because the cans look the same. The folded seam should have been the same.

 

[GrumpyCat]

Are there pictures of Fram cans bursting? The Fram gasket wasn’t all that tight, resulting in the gasket remaining on the engine, the new filter installed, and then complete burst of oil everywhere. I did this once myself being in a hurry. Not sure if this could be mixed up to mean burst can. What was the statement of fault after the recall, because the cans look the same. The folded seam should have been the same.

New oil filters of all brands for that application started printing a message on the can that it was rated for high pressure.

 

[GrumpyCat]

Was Fram filters the only ones bursting?

I don't recall. OE filters were not. But we know even then there are fewer oil filter manufacturers than brands.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I think it was prior to 1978. About 1978 Fram issued a recall for oil filters fitting Mitsubishi 2.6L I4 engines being used in Chrysler products and Mitsubishis sold under Chrysler name plates. That engine ran full 60 PSI oil pressure on the oil filter, cans were bursting.

Filters bursting with only 60 PSI of oil pressure in them seems a bit of a stretch. Where the cans thin as tinfoil.

 

[ZeeOSix]

How easy is it to see a 10u gap in metal / spring endcaps?

Leaf spring gaps shown in many threads is way more than 10 microns.

 

[ZeeOSix]

New oil filters of all brands for that application started printing a message on the can that it was rated for high pressure.

60 PSI of oil pressure isn't what I'd call "high pressure".

 

[Kira]

Filters bursting with only 60 PSI of oil pressure in them seems a bit of a stretch.

That's part of the problem. They DIDN'T stretch, they burst!

 

[ZeeOSix]

That's part of the problem. They DIDN'T stretch, they burst!

Unless there was a serious flaw (including possible flaws in the oil pump pressure relief design & operation), no filter it going to "burst" at 60 PSI. Seems like an old internet story without some proof of the claims.