VIrgin Autopsy- Fram XG2 Ultra

[Jim Allen]

Here is a cut open Fram XG2 Ultra... the size that fits Ford Modular engines and replaces the MC FL820S. It is 99 percent efficient @ 20 um per ISO 4548-12. I have temporarily misplaced the capacity spec, but it will carry a lot and is rated for 15K miles. Bypass setting is the same as stock, 12 psi. I have a closeup of the bp valve as well, which is located at the dome end. I have included a pic of a section of the wire backed media. It was about 9 bucks at my local WalMart. This is now my filter of choice until something better comes along.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Nice. Thanks for sacrificing it.

 

[Kruse]

I like the metal end caps that they badmouth on their pro-OCOD videos. The filter is overkill on some of my vehicles, but I'd use it if given to me.

 

[440Magnum]

I've really come to believe that these are very nice filters, pretty much competitive with things like Purolator P1 and Purolator "synthetic," as well as specialty filters like Royal Purple and Amsoil EAO (both made to each company's spec by Champion, IIRC, and priced a lot higher than the Fram XG series).

I only have two lingering doubts: 1) is that plastic bypass valve going to hold up for extended drains without hardening to the point of getting brittle, and whether or not Fram quality control is where it should be. There've been an awful lot of pictures of Fram "orange cans of death" (Fram Extra Guard) with gaping holes in the media, end-caps not well glued, etc. Those aren't so much design issues as they are implementation problems. The Fram Ultra design is definitely up there with the best, but it remains to be seen if the Ultra has better QA/QC and manufacturing implementation than the base orange can does. All that high quality media, screen backing, etc. does no good if there's a gap in the end-cap to media seal. Some people are going to worry about the dome-end bypass, but frankly I trust dome-end valves more than base-end valves. Yes, base-end is theoretically safer, but the small space available makes it harder to actually build a good quality valve for the base-end. A precise dome-end valve can (obviously from the picture) be very simple and inexpensive. I do like the way Purolator builds their dome-end valves better, but that's down to nit-picking.

 

[sciphi]

Looks good to me! Thanks for sacrificing one!

 

[johnachak]

Ford specifies thread end bypass. As per previous postings by BITOG'ers, the 820s has a bypass pressure of 16psi. (Posted, 1/28/12).

 

[LeakySeals]

Looks good. I'm going back to them after using the purolator classic for a while and having installation and removal issues. Miss that Sure grip and sturdy shell.

Did you try to pull the media apart? On the xtended guard there's actually 2 layers + the screen. The dirt holding capacity is likely = to or in excess of the 26g 10k rated extended guard.

Very annoying when the OCOD is dragged into nearly every Fram Xtended guard or Ultra post. To begin with there is no proof the OCOD has a problem, just young kids tearing at and commenting on YouTube. Secondly, Fram has different levels of filters, this filter has NOTHING to do with the other filters.

The plastic bypass is a myth perpetuated by fram haters. No proven failures, no complaints about it. the Ultra should not be compared to filters with paper media.

 

[TallPaul]

Looks really good, but I still can't bear to move away from the Ford spec threaded end bypass, so will continue running Motorcraft on the Mountaineer.

 

[dnewton3]

I would run that with no hesitation for 15k miles whatsoever.

Very well made with good components.

To me, the location of the BP valve is interesting, but often too much concern is placed on it. Yes - I understand that it's not desirable to wash the fluid over the media surface should the BP valve relieve, and having a base-end bypass valve is more desirable. But, since I believe that the filters will bypass on a very limited basis under only certain conditions, the point becomes a bit moot. I don't believe that filters will bypass with any regularity whatsoever, so the operation of the bypass valve relative to it's position is minimal to me. Only if there were massive neglect in an OCI interval would the filter be in constant bypass, and by then, that's probably a fault of the poor maintenance plan, and not the filter.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Thanks for taking one for the team! I love the media and hate the bypass. With the seemingly good quality that exists in the remainder of the components, it is a little "cheap" they adopted the BPV from the lower quality Frams and its clones. As 440 stated, I would be a little concerned with the plastic becoming brittle from the heat and breaking. A deal breaker? Nah, just something to consider.

 

[mgm13]

Doesn't look like enough media to me.

 

[Jim Allen]

They are right at the top as far as efficiency goes. I think only the Amsoil beats its by a few microns. The RP, M1, Amsoil are all 40-50 percent more money (at least for this part number).

"Plastic" covers a lot of ground as far as materials go. If the mfr. rates it for 15K miles, and you know there's a generous safety factor there, logic dictates it's gotta be better than recycled milk jugs.

Quality control is hard to judge. I really don't think Fram, as a filter mfr., is any worse than anything else if you compare the various filters in their lineup with competitors in that price range. I was disappointed in the paint quality of the first Ultra I bought but my other purchases are acceptable.

I am no longer locked into the idea that only metal endcaps are "good." Any method can be bad. Any method can be good. It all depends on how they are implemented. I have a cut-open Fram "OCOD" and, with effort (I have fairly strong hands), I was able to tear a corner of the fiber endcap away from the potting glue. I also have a cut open P1 with metal endcaps and I was able to pop an endcap off by hand this weekend without major effort. Thing is, neither is a valid test in terms of filter durability because the stress a filter endures will be completely different and the endcaps are held down with spring pressure.

Anyway, I'm all about efficiency now and this filter matches the high dollar units for 50% less money and I don't see a whole lot of difference inside. The P1 is another good bargain from the efficiency standpoint (basically absolute @ 20um like the rest), but because it's a blended media (cellulose & synthetic), it doesn't have the capacity (per square inch of media) as the full synthetic media, unless you were to run an oversized filter (not an option for my F150).

 

[Jim Allen]

Thank you for accolades but since I got the filter for free, I can't take credit for taking the bullet... but I would have.

Dome end- threaded end? No difference. I have been interviewing filter engineers and "washing" just doesn't happen to any important degree during a bypass event. First off, the dirty side of the media is under pressure, so the particles on the surface of the media are being pressed there in the direction of flow. Secondly, they are embedded into the media. With depth media, like full synthetic, with some loft and varying density, a lot of the dirt is deep inside... it ain't gonna wash off. Possibly more likely on a pure cellulose media, which is more a surface loaded media.

During a bypass, dirt that's flowing in the oil that bypasses will be all the "dirt" that bypasses. If the oil is fairly clean to start with (a high efficiency oil filter keeps the oil pretty clean anyway) it's a non issue 99.9999 % of the time. Add to that, my interviews are yielding the fact that bypass events are not common outside of cold starts. I have been trying to get averages for these folks, but there really aren't any because there are so many variables. I will say that if you are one of those "thicker is better" guys, you are more likely to be bypassing more often than if using the spec'ed oil viscosity.

Not enough media mgm13? It's synthetic so it's depth media.. meaning it doesn't have to carry everything on the surface, as with cellulose. I have a FL820s and a P1, so I will shoot the three media together. They are similar size. I still can't find the capacity info but I'll get it. It has at least a 26g capacity, as the Xtended Guard did. That's big.

I'll repeat... "plastic" is a pretty generic term. Unless you know the material specs, you don't really know anything about it. How it "looks" is immaterial. After a while, I'll beat on this one a little and see how it holds up. If you are intellectually honest, comments on looks don't really cut it.

 

[johnachak]

In any colder climate, a cold start in the 20-30 degree range could cause a filter to go into bypass mode for a short period of time even if it is new. (IIRC)

 

[RF Overlord]

Jim, not to start an argument or to hijack this thread (thanks for the disassemble and pics, BTW), but I have to ask: if the bypass valve location is not important, why then does Ford continue to specify thread-end when it's likely more expensive to manufacture?

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Thank you for accolades but since I got the filter for free, I can't take credit for taking the bullet... but I would have.

Dome end- threaded end? No difference. I have been interviewing filter engineers and "washing" just doesn't happen to any important degree during a bypass event. First off, the dirty side of the media is under pressure, so the particles on the surface of the media are being pressed there in the direction of flow. Secondly, they are embedded into the media. With depth media, like full synthetic, with some loft and varying density, a lot of the dirt is deep inside... it ain't gonna wash off. Possibly more likely on a pure cellulose media, which is more a surface loaded media.

During a bypass, dirt that's flowing in the oil that bypasses will be all the "dirt" that bypasses. If the oil is fairly clean to start with (a high efficiency oil filter keeps the oil pretty clean anyway) it's a non issue 99.9999 % of the time. Add to that, my interviews are yielding the fact that bypass events are not common outside of cold starts. I have been trying to get averages for these folks, but there really aren't any because there are so many variables. I will say that if you are one of those "thicker is better" guys, you are more likely to be bypassing more often than if using the spec'ed oil viscosity.

Not enough media mgm13? It's synthetic so it's depth media.. meaning it doesn't have to carry everything on the surface, as with cellulose. I have a FL820s and a P1, so I will shoot the three media together. They are similar size. I still can't find the capacity info but I'll get it. It has at least a 26g capacity, as the Xtended Guard did. That's big.

I'll repeat... "plastic" is a pretty generic term. Unless you know the material specs, you don't really know anything about it. How it "looks" is immaterial. After a while, I'll beat on this one a little and see how it holds up. If you are intellectually honest, comments on looks don't really cut it.

I have one ready to go. The plan is to use it twice (2X7k OCI total of 14k). Take it off, let it drain, put it back. Anything wrong with that?

 

[Sayjac]

Everday price, cost for construction, the only Fram I'd consider. At ~$9, especially for 12-15k ocis, a good choice.

I don't run oci's that long, so more than I would need at this point unless I ran it two oci's. But, it is a well made filter and a relative value compared to it's competitors. Like to see some promos though, and have it included in oil and filter combo promos.

Thanks for the pics.

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
Jim, not to start an argument or to hijack this thread (thanks for the disassemble and pics, BTW), but I have to ask: if the bypass valve location is not important, why then does Ford continue to specify thread-end when it's likely more expensive to manufacture?


Good question. No hijack, since I mentioned it. The only immediate answer I can offer is,"That's the way they want it. That's the way they've done it for the past 40 years."

In and of itself, Ford wanting it that way doesn't mean it's the best thing. Among the three filter engineers I've spoken with, it's a non-issue. None would give me any insight as to why Ford specs this feature. It's been that way a very long time over a wide variety of engine types. Being a "Ford guy" more or less, I once gave this feature a good deal of weight in my filter evaluations but I've been moving away from it the past few years because my research shows it's a non-critical choice for the most part... and my recent discussions have cemented it. I'm open to being convinced otherwise, but I have banished the specter of "washed" media as a worthwhile reason. That's the only reason that ever comes up. Would like to hear a better one... if it exists.

 

[KCJeep]

I really like these. I'm running a predecessor right now, an early Extended Guard, but once my filter stash runs out I'm seriously considering using an Ultra with an annual filter change, regardless of the oil OCI's. I am right at 15-17k a year on the Jeep and I'm confident the Ultra could handle it.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen


"Plastic" covers a lot of ground as far as materials go. If the mfr. rates it for 15K miles, and you know there's a generous safety factor there, logic dictates it's gotta be better than recycled milk jugs.






Very true. That "plastic" might very well stand up to 3x engine operating temperature without deforming or embrittling on 100 cycles. And it might last 20 years at room temperature without embrittling. My only concern (and mind you its a SLIGHT one) is that running it to high mileage AND high time might weaken it a bit. Its one of those things where you gotta wonder why they saved a few cents THERE when they put so much into the rest of the package.

But like I say- definitely not a deal breaker.