Been pondering Fram new Endurance Oil Filter
Prominent on the marketing literature is "Low Restriction". What does that tell us? It tells us the Fram Ultra Oil Filter is not low restriction.
This was proven by test on a You Tube video one of you linked to. Fram Ultra was the highest restriction filter of those tested. Ultra is also the highest efficiency of filters tested in a Project Farm video test.
What does this mean? Is a high efficiency, high restriction oil filter "bad"? Not necessarily. An engine with a good oil pump and well-designed lubrication system would benefit by keeping oil cleaner, producing less engine wear for maximum engine life - way out into the hundreds of thousands of miles. That benefits those that keep their trucks as long as they can.
Engines have historically used gearotor oil pumps. These are constant flow, variable pressure pumps. They have a high pressure relief valve to protect the pump. The oil filter also has a high pressure relief valve to protect the filter media from collapsing, the canister from bursting, and the gasket from leaking.
The oil filter maker balances the high pressure relief valve setting against the strength of the media, canister, and gasket. If designed correctly, the engine will always get the same oil flow rate regardless of oil viscosity and temperature. That's hydraulic design theory.
Now for reality.
@Burla has real world usage that shows filter design matters to Hemi engine lifter tick. Which means oil flow rate. Different center tube holes and patterns affected lifter ticking - one pattern ticked, the other didn't. Hydraulic flow theory says it should not matter.
So, now what? Looking at the you tube video inspection of new Fram Endurance (no testing involved), this filter goes back to a single media type - recall Fram changed Ultra design from single element to dual element with progressive increased efficiency. Fram said new dual layer Ultra had higher efficiency than old single layer Ultra (I have their response to me). That makes sense. They didn't mention it likely has higher flow restriction. That SHOULDN'T matter, but clearly it does, somehow, because they are clearly marketing new Endurance Oil Filter for lowered flow restriction.
We don't know the dirt filtering efficiency, dirt capacity, nor flow restriction of the new filter - at least not yet until some a*n*a*l type tests it. The media element appears a single fiber, could be wound, could be random, but it is layered and matted. Could be fiberglass, could be polypropylene plastic fiber. We don't know.
Finally, new Fram Endurance Filter is ONLY sold through Walmart. Why, who knows. The price is higher than Ultra by $3-$4, pricing it near identical to Royal Purple. None of this is a random accident - this was purposely done, that I am sure of having been in the biz for years.
Is it "safe" for Hemi engine owners to use? Sure! But is it better for Hemi engines than Royal Purple or Fram Ultra? Nobody knows. Yet.
*end rant*
