Fram Ultra for Pentastar 3.6L available yet?

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Originally Posted By: racer12306
Thanks for the information. Unfortunate, but that's business I guess.

Is it reasonable to assume that, except for the PureOne which is obviously different, the "standard" filters currently on the market are re-branded Mopar filters?

I understand if that might be a little out of your comfort level to answer that officially.

That's been stated before. The Fram, AA Promotive, Mopar(ts),NAPA and Wix offerings are all the same. I've been buying the Promotive at AA for less than 5 dollars, and doing 5k changes.
 
In the case of the 2014+ Pentastar 3.6 filter, they're not same. These are the Pentastar filters I could find in the Detroit area (in April.)



The Wix and Mopar are nearly identical (differing only in the color of the adhesives.) The Wix is marked Made in South Korea and the Mopar is marked Made in the USA.

The Fram looks 'designed around' the other two. The Fram media looks tighter, the Wix and Mopar look similarly 'fuzzier.' Can't remember where the Fram was made.

Not judging, just data points...

I, too, hope that Fram is able to expand to an Ultra level in their version of this filter.

Comments?

Commo
 
Was there any other markings on the Mopar or Wix?

The Mopars I get are actually marked Hengst.

I am curious though that the pic seems to contradict Jay's post above.
 
cp3 -- I'll have to look next week as I am away from my garage..there are dot matrix labelings on them but I can't recall Hengst being mentioned.

Worth noting that this part of the thread is all about the 2014+ filters.. I've never looked at the previous versions without the drain-back feature built in.

(Note to prior users -- that little superstructure on the 2014 filters is actually the bottom of the filter, I think we're all assuming it holds oil in the filter so there'll be some there on startup..)

Commo
 
The MO-744 is definitely made by Hengst. I picked up a Hengst filter from Napa a couple days back to compare and they are identical minus the different batch numbers etched into the endcap. The part is an Altrom brand if you look it up on their website. Price was $7.83 ( on sale) currently right now. Made in the USA. Not many people are probably aware of this filter so I'm sure they just sit for months/years. The particular one I bought had two tiny tears on the "outer" media layer so returned it back to Napa. After that I drove over to my dealer and picked up the MO-744 for $9 and called it a day.

The markings are just like the Wix/Napa models all probably made by Hengst.
 
Ya I was referring to the MO-744, I just assumed based on Jay's posts that the new filters were likely the same situation.

Wow, my son's price (apprenticing at a Dodge dealer) is $11+. I forget what he said it would cost if I walked in a bought one.

That little superstructure must mean that the center post in the housing is no longer there. I've read a couple theories as to why the change, from parts simplification (the diesel uses the same filter now too apparently) to anti-drain back to a post talking about bypass. I'm guessing the bypass and ADB function in the early design are in that center post.
 
Just speculating here...

In the 2014 version you have the new filter with small o-ring at the bottom, and the screw-on top of the oil filter housing has a spring in it...so it seems like spring-loaded top either puts pressure on the filter to take up any little tolerance problems, or perhaps it would (under enough pressure) let the filter move to act as a bypass.

Whatya think?

Commo
 
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^^^ Looks good ... just how an ecore type center tube should look; pleats all nice and packed along the circumference of the center tube.
 
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
^^^ Looks good ... just how an ecore type center tube should look; pleats all nice and packed along the circumference of the center tube.


Absolutely!

The box is also identical to the Mopar...which makes sense too. Not sure if anyone knew that this was out there, just made a random find on the Napa website.
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
The only above-base-model filter I've found for my Gen-1 Pentastar is a PureOne. Very nice filter, but I really would prefer a wire-backed synthetic like a PSL or Ultra. I've posted pictures of the P1 cartridge here before....

Before:

IMG_2056_zpsce96b3d1.jpg


After:

E34CEAB2-7591-4194-A318-CB3CD9C19B42_zpsueqmovdn.jpg


Similar to the Napa Gold/Wix cartridges I've used looks well made. And yet another example it seems of a cartridge manufacturer that has the bonding of the media ends to the composite type end cap figured out. As I've said, currently the composite type end cap cartridge appears to be the most common so really nothing new.

Seems odd to me that Fram can make and sell the EG as a cartridge but patent issues are an obstacle to an Ultra version. But considering the bonding issues they are apparently having with this type cartridge construction as posted on this board several times, I wouldn't be chasing them anyway. Just me.
 
Originally Posted By: Commo
Just speculating here...

In the 2014 version you have the new filter with small o-ring at the bottom, and the screw-on top of the oil filter housing has a spring in it...so it seems like spring-loaded top either puts pressure on the filter to take up any little tolerance problems, or perhaps it would (under enough pressure) let the filter move to act as a bypass.

Whatya think?

Commo


My understanding of the Ecotec filter, which has a similar piece with an o-ring, is that it is just to locate the filter. It fits tightly into the cap and there is no movement. The spring in the cap is the bypass but is simply a valve that opens and allows bypass to the center of the filter. The original Pentastar design has a post in the housing that filter goes over providing location of the filter, like so...

Jeep-Grand-Cherokee-Pentastar-V6-Engine-Oil-Change-Guide-015.JPG
 
Originally Posted By: AKA
Absolutely!

The box is also identical to the Mopar...which makes sense too. Not sure if anyone knew that this was out there, just made a random find on the Napa website.


I pulled a Hengst out of mine but it would have been in a Mopar box. All of my filters have come from the dealer, including the one my son put in when he did the change before I picked it up. I have my next one here in my hand and it is stamped Mopar and is the AC revision. I have a feeling the one in there now is also marked Mopar, I should have snapped a pick of the Hengst.
 
Jay,

Has there been any forward progress in the last year?
 
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