Oil Filter Thread

[danielmid]

I went to the local Wal-"mark" yesterday, while there, I took a look at the oil filter section to see if they restocked the oil filter(s)that I purchased about ~ a little over a month ago.

Indeed, the filter I'm going to start using(FRAM FE 7317 SYNTHETIC Endurance)for my rubber band powered GDI 3.8L V-6, was restocked and I bought all of them(3) except for one leaving it on the shelf for, whomever.

Eventually got home and inspected them to notice that there was something different ... so, I cut one open and took a look see ...

I'll let you folks spot the difference. Interesting.

In the pic, the one on the left is of one I purchased ~ a little over a month ago and the one on the right is of one I purchased yesterday.

That's the same filter I use for my Accord, all 3 I ordered are all the plastic core variety.

The end springs look really good, nothing like the wavy lays version on BITOG they've been hunting.

 

[HEMIMANN]

The one with the "cage"(filter on the left) is dated, rather the numbers/letters on the bottom read 061025AB 22:20, compared to the one(filter on the right) with the normal looking center tube reads 080625AB 11:33.

JFC Fram had advertised their FE as made in USA, with XG's relegated out of USA when they were cheapened and superseded by FE.

 

[JHoward]

JFC Fram had advertised their FE as made in USA, with XG's relegated out of USA when they were cheapened and superseded by FE.

Much due respect, I'm not for sure or certain where the FRAM FE SYNTHETIC Endurance oil filters are manufactured. I did some internet investigation and came up with three country's that manufacture the "FRAM" brand ... the USA, MEXICO, CHINA ... Idk, it still looks of good quality and is "supposedly" to have a micro glass filtration, as stated on the side of the " box" ...

I've no issues with using it ...

 

[HEMIMANN]

Much due respect, I'm not for sure or certain where the FRAM FE SYNTHETIC Endurance oil filters are manufactured. I did some internet investigation and came up with three country's that manufacture the "FRAM" brand ... the USA, MEXICO, CHINA ... Idk, it still looks of good quality and is "supposedly" to have a micro glass filtration, as stated on the side of the " box" ...

I've no issues with using it ...

I'm using them too. For now, anyway. Travis has me thinking about Fleetguard as well.

 

[Yardbird]

Much due respect, I'm not for sure or certain where the FRAM FE SYNTHETIC Endurance oil filters are manufactured. I did some internet investigation and came up with three country's that manufacture the "FRAM" brand ... the USA, MEXICO, CHINA ... Idk, it still looks of good quality and is "supposedly" to have a micro glass filtration, as stated on the side of the " box" ...

I've no issues with using it ...

The Pentastar FE filters are made in China, at least the three I bought were.

This was last year, so it may have changed since, but I doubt it.

 

[danielmid]

That's the same filter I use for my Accord, all 3 I ordered are all the plastic core variety.

The end springs look really good, nothing like the wavy lays version on BITOG they've been hunting.

Grabbed a filter cutter and opened up the most recent FE7317 from my Accord, spring looks great to me. It's a plastic core version.

 

[JHoward]

Grabbed a filter cutter and opened up the most recent FE7317 from my Accord, spring looks great to me. It's a plastic core version.

View attachment 572945

View attachment 572946

Yeh, it is in same(identical) comparison to the Royal Purple oil filters.

Curious, did the FRAM FE 7317 SYNTHETIC Endurance oil filter you cut open have the normal looking center tube with the perforated slits or the opened plastic cage styled center tube?

I very recently and posted a pic of the two filters I cut opened at ~ a month and a half of purchase of each other to discover two different types of the center tubes.

 

[danielmid]

Yeh, it is in same(identical) comparison to the Royal Purple oil filters.

Curious, did the FRAM FE 7317 SYNTHETIC Endurance oil filter you cut open have the normal looking center tube with the perforated slits or the opened plastic cage styled center tube?

I very recently and posted a pic of the two filters I cut opened at ~ a month and a half of purchase of each other to discover two different types of the center tubes.

Plastic core, all 3 I've ordered from Walmart have been plastic core.

 

[06 Dodge]

Some of you make me laugh an no disrespect, but some are willing to spend $10 or more for a Qt of oil yet see some want to cheap out on oil filters with some of them imo having questionable rating & filtering media, off an on I take a look see at gas engine oil filters an see / notice they say our XYZ filter is rated at XX micron but are quite about many of the other filters they make an are selling, so what is the micron rating of the filter your using, does anyone really know for sure it has not changed because to who is now making it, of course this info could have slipped past me, but most manufactures don't an I don't see them listing the rating for even for 1/4 of the filters they sell so I have to wonder /ask my self why..

 

[Yardbird]

Another problem is the ratings you find online accurate? The brands change media and production locations, companies get sold out (WIX for instance). You never know where or who is making Fram.

I use one filter per year on my pickup, and one every two to three years on our car. If I find a filter that meets my requirements, I try to buy about three years worth at once, and the same with the oil I use, as it changes formulas with each moon phase also.

When I called WIX, the person I talked to didn't have any real knowledge of the micron ratings. From what I learned from her, the 99% rating is at 30 to 35 microns, where the advertised micron ratings of 18 to 21 microns is usually at 30 plus percentage rating.

Not knowing everything I should, and would like to know, does having a very efficient filter with small micron sized particles really make any difference in wear, when it seems most all filters will filter most 30 plus micron particles out with 99 percent efficiency.

Does filtering out those very fine particles really improve engine longevity, or are they too small to matter? Is having improved oil flow with a less efficient filter in the very small micron particle size actually better for an engine in the long haul?

This is all above my knowledge level at this time, and am I wasting my time pouring over filter ratings and micron sizes every time I run out of filters?

Each time I need to buy a new stash of filters I stress out and research for weeks on end.

Maybe I should just go with the upper end STP filter I can get at Autozone a mile from home.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Another problem is the ratings you find online accurate? The brands change media and production locations, companies get sold out (WIX for instance). You never know where or who is making Fram.

I use one filter per year on my pickup, and one every two to three years on our car. If I find a filter that meets my requirements, I try to buy about three years worth at once, and the same with the oil I use, as it changes formulas with each moon phase also.

When I called WIX, the person I talked to didn't have any real knowledge of the micron ratings. From what I learned from her, the 99% rating is at 30 to 35 microns, where the advertised micron ratings of 18 to 21 microns is usually at 30 plus percentage rating.

Not knowing everything I should, and would like to know, does having a very efficient filter with small micron sized particles really make any difference in wear, when it seems most all filters will filter most 30 plus micron particles out with 99 percent efficiency.

Does filtering out those very fine particles really improve engine longevity, or are they too small to matter? Is having improved oil flow with a less efficient filter in the very small micron particle size actually better for an engine in the long haul?

This is all above my knowledge level at this time, and am I wasting my time pouring over filter ratings and micron sizes every time I run out of filters?

Each time I need to buy a new stash of filters I stress out and research for weeks on end.

Maybe I should just go with the upper end STP filter I can get at Autozone a mile from home.

The short answer is yes, the smaller micron particles cause most of the wear because they get into the lubricated interstitial space. Larger particles can not.

There have been a number of studies on this, I don't don't archive them but surely you find them by searching. This only makes the difference for those who want maximum life AND power from their engines...high wear surfaces such as cylinder liners, rockers, and cams mean faster wear an increased blowby with corresponding loss of power and sludge buildup.

 

[Yardbird]

Thanks for your response. I will continue to stress and research year after next when I run out of Fram FEs, unless something better comes out in the meantime. lol

I appreciate your knowledge and experience in the oil and filter industry.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Thanks for your response. I will continue to stress and research year after next when I run out of Fram FEs, unless something better comes out in the meantime. lol

I appreciate your knowledge and experience in the oil and filter industry.

It's really unfortunate we live in a period of corporate consolidations and constant cost reductions.

That's why there's forums. We constantly have to look out for each other as we find out what these a$$es are doing to us in real time.

 

[Travis8352]

Auto Parts Maker First Brands Prepares for Bankruptcy Filing - TT

First Brands Group is preparing to file for bankruptcy as soon as next week and is looking to secure a loan of at least $1 billion to keep the business running, according to sources.

www.ttnews.com

@HEMIMANN

 

[HEMIMANN]

Auto Parts Maker First Brands Prepares for Bankruptcy Filing - TT

First Brands Group is preparing to file for bankruptcy as soon as next week and is looking to secure a loan of at least $1 billion to keep the business running, according to sources.

www.ttnews.com

@HEMIMANN

Rollerball ain't makin' it anymore, huh? Tariff backfire?

Just another vulture capitalist overpaying by buying up companies into some ginormous conglomerate with other people's (banks) money, and running them into the ground so we (taxpayers) can bail out these too-big-to-fail places while the vulture makes off with his loot. Wash, rinse, cycle, repeat.

From the article:
"First Brands is owned by Patrick James, a businessman with a limited public profile. The company has grown through debt-funded acquisitions of products"

 

[Yardbird]

Auto Parts Maker First Brands Prepares for Bankruptcy Filing - TT

First Brands Group is preparing to file for bankruptcy as soon as next week and is looking to secure a loan of at least $1 billion to keep the business running, according to sources.

www.ttnews.com

@HEMIMANN

Mmmmmmm.

Private equity it appears. Buy it out, borrow to the hilt, cheapen the product, ream every cent out of it, then bankrupt it.

Sorry HEMIMANN. I didn't see your response before I answered.

It does appear we both have the same opinion of what happened though.....

 

[06 Dodge]

Be on the look out "The firm, whose brands range from Anco and Trico wiper blades to Fram filters," for lower quality Fram filters

 

[HEMIMANN]

Be on the look out "The firm, whose brands range from Anco and Trico wiper blades to Fram filters," for lower quality Fram filters

You mean, "again".

 

[Travis8352]

Be on the look out "The firm, whose brands range from Anco and Trico wiper blades to Fram filters," for lower quality Fram filters

I loved trico blades to

 

[HEMIMANN]

I loved trico blades to

Same. And was heading down the Fram Endurance FE road. jfc