Imploding oil filter?

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gtx510

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What do you guys think of this?
Shouldn't the filter be under pressure? And that would make it explode, not implode?

http://www.ls2gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230377
Quote:
The last time i ran at the track i noticed at the end of my run(at the top of 4th) my check oil warning came on. i pulled over and checked the oil, it was full. at that time i assumed that the "check oil" warning meant that level was low (not low pressure). i figured the the oil had just not had time to drain back to the pan to the level of the "LOW OIL LEVEL SENSOR".
Yesterday i was taking my car from where i work, to the shop directly next door to have tires put on it. on my way i proceeded to do a burnout, and around 4500rpm the warning came on. I pushed the clutch in, came to a stop, and the motor went BANG. it is locked up tight.
I could not figure out what could have happend. pulled the fram filter down, and it was imploded. then i realised that i changed the oil the day before i last went to the track and put a fram on for the firs time.
 
Fram is a no-no. No one I know will use one. I've seen 2 30k engines bite the dust with the same scenario as you describe.
 
This scenario sounds like a ridiculous smear campaign against Fram, unless there are pictures or other backup evidence. Not that Frams aren't overhyped marginal junk, but still.

MrCritical, what specifically happened to the Frams you saw?
 
Exactly what he said. The filter's imploded/collapsed. 1 was a small block Chevy, and one a Ford. I don't have pictures. Both car owners told me over $30k was invested in each of their engines. These were not street driven cars.

I haven't looked, but I imagine you'll find the same info on a NHRA board. The word at the tracks is don't use them.

I don't have anything against Fram except that I used to be a drag racer in the mid seventies and I know how passionate these guys are about racing. I also know they don't have an extra $30k lying around for new engines.
 
How does an "implosion" cause an engine failure? Inside of can collaspes sounds like it goes into permanent bypass but the engine would still get oil just not after or through the filter.
 
Not if the media blows through the plastic cage they have in the cartridge types. The media becomes a sail that covers the outlet. The bypass mechanism was clearly not functional for this to occur. Either that, or the normal max PSID crushed the thing = ie: defective
 
It appears this guy has done a number of engine mods. I wonder what sort of engineering he did to ensure the filter could handle those mods? Reminds me of an old thread where an E-Core filter was blamed for engine failure after somebody foolishly closed off the bypass, causing the filter internals to collapse. I couldn't find the thread though.

Originally Posted By: MrCritical
Exactly what he said. The filter's imploded/collapsed. 1 was a small block Chevy, and one a Ford. I don't have pictures. Both car owners told me over $30k was invested in each of their engines. These were not street driven cars.


So, in other words, there was absolutely no engineering involved in choosing a proper filter for their specific engines.

I laugh when people blow up engines because of their own modifications. That's just part of the hobby!
 
What Gary said. It's funny Wix, AC/Delco, Motorcraft, Mopar, don't have the same problem. There's probably 10 times as many of their filters at the track, yet look who's fails.
 
Not saying Frams are good; I'm just saying that Fram probably can't be easily blamed for this one. I won't buy Fram because I've seen a Fram fail - internals loosened up, no problem other than some unfiltered oil getting through - in its intended application (unmodified '98 Tercel). But this guy was doing a bunch of engine mods without even knowing what an oil pressure light is! He obviously didn't do any research on what sort of filter he should be using to handle his mods.
 
A modified race engine and they use a stock filter?
They should be using race/high performance filters.
Race engines can have over 80 psi oil pressure. Not typical
in street autos. AND they often use heavy oil-60 weight.
 
Then why don't Wix, AC/Delco, Motorcraft, and Mopar filter do the same thing?

If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck....
 
Sounds like the center tube failed and it, along with the media and end cap piled up at the outlet and starved the motor for oil. That has always been my biggest fear with cheaper oil filters. Wix uses spiraled metal (Purolator does as well on some filters) that is very very hard to crush in your hand.
 
I can only speak from my experience but I run an AC Delco 52 on the GN and see 90psi cold oil temps and continuous 70psi cruising down the freeway with no problems. I would not want to try a Fram on this car.
 
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
I've heard recently that there are a bunch of FAKE Fram filters circulating around the country.
Wonder if these guys got one of those.


I thought Fram WERE the fake oil filters.
 
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
I've heard recently that there are a bunch of FAKE Fram filters circulating around the country.
Wonder if these guys got one of those.


Who knows, they might be better filters.
 
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