Don't use Fram Oil filters?

I've seen a few people in a few threads saying to never use them on blazers? Any particular reason? I've always used them, and never had any trouble, whereas I have had trouble with others in the past. I was about to do the first oil change on mine, and use a tough guard, since I don't know for sure how sloppy the engine is. About 150k, very strong, no apparent leasks, it doesn't smoke or anything, I just wanna start off with the cleanest possible slate and make sure I get as much of what's hanging out in there out of it asap.

I believe the general consensus is that they are not built as well as other filters, and the extra few bucks for a quality filter is cheap insurance. If you want to do some further research this is a good place to start: http://people.msoe.edu/~yoderw/oilfilterstudy/oilfilterstudy.html

I believe the general consensus is that they are not built as well as other filters, and the extra few bucks for a quality filter is cheap insurance. If you want to do some further research this is a good place to start: http://people.msoe.edu/~yoderw/oilfilterstudy/oilfilterstudy.html

That link is to the old study done at the beginning of this decade. It has since been updated, and this is the link to the new study: http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html. Both study provide very interesting info. The A C Delcos are no longer a recommended filter for GM. Their production has outsourced and the quality has decreased quite a bit. Strange thing is the two top rated filters, the Mobil One and K&N are made by the same company (Champion Labs). The difference between the filters and their placement on the list is their production process.

I personally have attended several filtration seminars and was quite amazed at the difference between filter manufacturers. Fram was rated lowest in quality over all in these seminars.
Fleetguard, a major player in the filtration business makes filters for AC, Mopar, motorcraft and cummins to name a few. These were top quality filters, good materials used, Media paper, Non corrosive coated metals and heavier ga. Wix was another winner. They too make a decent product and are the sole maker for NAPA.
Fram uses crappy media paper and their Idea of an internal bypass valve was just an open hole. No filtration there.
Its been a while since going to these filt/ sem, but I was convinced to stay with high quality filters. Using a Fram flunker, is like spraying a garden hose through a house screen. The power grip was done by mistake because the filters were rusting through, they undercoated them! That's my impression, no facts on this one!
Enough said!

Fram filters will take out race engines too and I guy I know told me this.He knows a this person very well and told him not to use Fram oil filters.They are not good for racing engines.Wix also makes Carquest's oil and air filters

How does the parent Corporation stay in bussiness?

(Allied Signal- Honeywell)

How does the parent Corporation stay in bussiness?

(Allied Signal- Honeywell)

They stay in business because as a business they have diversified their product line. Fram is only a small portion of what they produce or carry. This corporation came about over the years through many acquisitions and mergers. It is basically made up of smaller companies under one "umbrella". Here is a link to some of the businesses that Honeywell has:http://www51.honeywell.com/honeywell/industry-and-technology.html

I never use Fram filters. I use Napa or AC Delco. Frams are cheappppp crappy filters IMO. I'm a retired mechanic.

I never use Fram filters. I use Napa or AC Delco. Frams are cheappppp crappy filters IMO. I'm a retired mechanic.

I have used A C Delcos for 25 years until I read that study I linked to in my first post. Here is an excerpt from that article that made me change. You might want to conider going over to the NAPA filters you mentioned as they made the "Recommended Filters" list:

Filters To Avoid

The following list of filters have known problems. You will see well-known names here and will probably be disappointed. This is because many of these brands have stopped making their own filters and buy from a common manufacturer.

AC Delco Duraguard

AC Delco no longer seems to manufacture oil filters. They are now made by Champion Labs using their new "Ecore" design. See that section below for the details.

Champ (Ecore)

Champion Labs touts their new "Ecore" design as a major advancement in oil filter technology. In my humble opinion, they are a major advancement in cost savings for Champion. I have no data to back this up, but that's what fiber end caps and plastic core tubes say to me. I particularly don't like their "patent pending" bypass valve design, which depends on the stamped leaf spring at the back of the filter to regulate the bypass pressure. One unlucky dent in the back of the can knocks it out of whack, assuming it was correct to begin with.

Fram Extra Guard

Years ago Fram was a quality filter manufacturer. Now their standard filter (the radioactive-orange cans) is one of the worst out there. It features cardboard end caps for the filter element that are glued in place. The rubber anti-drainback valve seals against the cardboard and frequently leaks, causing dirty oil to drain back into the pan. The bypass valves are plastic and are sometimes not molded correctly, which allows them to leak all the time. The stamped-metal threaded end is weakly constructed and it has smaller and fewer oil inlet holes, which may restrict flow. I had one of these filters fail in my previous car. The filter element collapsed and bits of filter and glue were circulating through my system. The oil passage to the head became blocked and the head got so hot from oil starvation that it actually melted the vacuum lines connected to it as well as the wires near it.

Fram Double Guard

Another bad filter idea brought to you by your friends at Fram. The filter itself is a slightly improved design over the Fram Extra Guard, but still uses the same filter element. It has a silicone anti-drainback valve, a quality pressure relief valve, and enough inlet holes for good flow. The big problem is that they are trying to cash in on the Slick 50 craze. They impregnate the filter element with bits of Teflon like that found in Slick 50. As with Slick 50, Teflon is a solid and does not belong in an engine. It cannot get into the parts of the engine that oil can and therefore does nothing. Also, as the filter gets dirty, it ends up filtering the Teflon right out. DuPont (the manufacturer of Teflon) does not recommend Teflon for use in internal combustion engines. Please do not waste your money on this filter.

Fram High Mileage

Yet another bad filter idea brought to you by your friends at Fram! Gotta love these guys. It's a Fram Extra Guard with a weird goo cartridge suspended on the clean side of the filter, blocking the outlet. It's supposed to be some kind of additive package, but if you want a high mileage oil, buy a high mileage oil. I don't trust these guys...sorry.

Pennzoil

This filter is a Fram. It is the exact same design as the Fram Extra Guard filter and it is junk. On the up side, it costs $1 less than the Fram version.

Quaker State

This is another Fram Extra Guard that I have seen at K-mart. It used to be a Purolator, but Quaker State is now owned/controlled by Pennzoil...

STP

This is a Champion Labs "Ecore" filter that I have seen at Auto Zone and Walmart.

Link to the page that excerpt is on is here: http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/opinions.html
Also note that 3 varieties of FRAM made the filters to avoid list as well as Pennzoil and Quaker State which are variations of FRAM.

I have used A C Delcos for 25 years until I read that study I linked to in my first post. Here is an excerpt from that article that made me change. You might want to conider going over to the NAPA filters you mentioned as they made the "Recommended Filters" list:

Filters To Avoid

The following list of filters have known problems. You will see well-known names here and will probably be disappointed. This is because many of these brands have stopped making their own filters and buy from a common manufacturer.

AC Delco Duraguard

AC Delco no longer seems to manufacture oil filters. They are now made by Champion Labs using their new "Ecore" design. See that section below for the details.

Champ (Ecore)

Champion Labs touts their new "Ecore" design as a major advancement in oil filter technology. In my humble opinion, they are a major advancement in cost savings for Champion. I have no data to back this up, but that's what fiber end caps and plastic core tubes say to me. I particularly don't like their "patent pending" bypass valve design, which depends on the stamped leaf spring at the back of the filter to regulate the bypass pressure. One unlucky dent in the back of the can knocks it out of whack, assuming it was correct to begin with.

Fram Extra Guard

Years ago Fram was a quality filter manufacturer. Now their standard filter (the radioactive-orange cans) is one of the worst out there. It features cardboard end caps for the filter element that are glued in place. The rubber anti-drainback valve seals against the cardboard and frequently leaks, causing dirty oil to drain back into the pan. The bypass valves are plastic and are sometimes not molded correctly, which allows them to leak all the time. The stamped-metal threaded end is weakly constructed and it has smaller and fewer oil inlet holes, which may restrict flow. I had one of these filters fail in my previous car. The filter element collapsed and bits of filter and glue were circulating through my system. The oil passage to the head became blocked and the head got so hot from oil starvation that it actually melted the vacuum lines connected to it as well as the wires near it.

Fram Double Guard

Another bad filter idea brought to you by your friends at Fram. The filter itself is a slightly improved design over the Fram Extra Guard, but still uses the same filter element. It has a silicone anti-drainback valve, a quality pressure relief valve, and enough inlet holes for good flow. The big problem is that they are trying to cash in on the Slick 50 craze. They impregnate the filter element with bits of Teflon like that found in Slick 50. As with Slick 50, Teflon is a solid and does not belong in an engine. It cannot get into the parts of the engine that oil can and therefore does nothing. Also, as the filter gets dirty, it ends up filtering the Teflon right out. DuPont (the manufacturer of Teflon) does not recommend Teflon for use in internal combustion engines. Please do not waste your money on this filter.

Fram High Mileage

Yet another bad filter idea brought to you by your friends at Fram! Gotta love these guys. It's a Fram Extra Guard with a weird goo cartridge suspended on the clean side of the filter, blocking the outlet. It's supposed to be some kind of additive package, but if you want a high mileage oil, buy a high mileage oil. I don't trust these guys...sorry.

Pennzoil

This filter is a Fram. It is the exact same design as the Fram Extra Guard filter and it is junk. On the up side, it costs $1 less than the Fram version.

Quaker State

This is another Fram Extra Guard that I have seen at K-mart. It used to be a Purolator, but Quaker State is now owned/controlled by Pennzoil...

STP

This is a Champion Labs "Ecore" filter that I have seen at Auto Zone and Walmart.

Link to the page that excerpt is on is here: http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/opinions.html
Also note that 3 varieties of FRAM made the filters to avoid list as well as Pennzoil and Quaker State which are variations of FRAM.

Thanks for that info. It figures they are sold in WALLYWORLD where CHEAP is the game.
Heck the AC DELCO filters aren't much cheaper in price than NAPA golds.

Everybody needs to take a chill pill on the FRAM bashing. The oil study you read isn't nearly as objective as you think. It's an opinion piece that's filled with assumptions and huge leaps of logic. If you want to read the other side of the story, click here:


Link Removed

Everybody needs to take a chill pill on the FRAM bashing. The oil study you read isn't nearly as objective as you think. It's an opinion piece that's filled with assumptions and huge leaps of logic. If you want to read the other side of the story, click here:


Link Removed.
Posting a link to your website with your own opinion, is hardly any proof of anything.

You have been given a week off for continually spamming the site with links to your website, when you come back feel free to post your opinion about oil filters in this thread. This goes for any other responses in the future as well, if you feel you have something to offer in a thread here, post the info in the thread here, quit using our site to shamelessly plug your site.

I have a Jeep CJ7 with the old bullet proof 258 inline six. I have well over 200k on the motor, and when my oil pressure dropped below 10 psi, I changed to fram filters, and since a rebuild was imminent I didn't care. The oil pressure climbed almost 5 psi, so the proof for me was they do flow easier, I have no idea about the filtration, but I do know I liked the results!!!!

I have a Jeep CJ7 with the old bullet proof 258 inline six. I have well over 200k on the motor, and when my oil pressure dropped below 10 psi, I changed to fram filters, and since a rebuild was imminent I didn't care. The oil pressure climbed almost 5 psi, so the proof for me was they do flow easier, I have no idea about the filtration, but I do know I liked the results!!!!

Where do you think that extra flow came from? The cheap paper liner and by-pass letting all the crap through. But, like you said, 200K, run it, right!
We use WIX on all of our heavy trucks and vehicles. After researching them I also discovered(like many others) that a WIX=Napa Gold=Amsoil=Any very hight quality filter on the market. My Blazer has had an Amsoil or WIX filter since it was new and at 200k, the motor doesn't leak or burn a drop of oil and still has plenty of life left. COld be a fluke, could be the filter, who knows, but I'm sticking w/ what works.
If you want to see the diff, cut open a Fram, then a Wix brand filter, you'll see the difference in materials and filtration.
My .02

Where do you think that extra flow came from? The cheap paper liner and by-pass letting all the crap through. But, like you said, 200K, run it, right!
We use WIX on all of our heavy trucks and vehicles. After researching them I also discovered(like many others) that a WIX=Napa Gold=Amsoil=Any very hight quality filter on the market. My Blazer has had an Amsoil or WIX filter since it was new and at 200k, the motor doesn't leak or burn a drop of oil and still has plenty of life left. COld be a fluke, could be the filter, who knows, but I'm sticking w/ what works.
If you want to see the diff, cut open a Fram, then a Wix brand filter, you'll see the difference in materials and filtration.
My .02

with the filters cut open then the doubters will see ....
FRAM and other oil filters should be avoided...

wix ,and the purolator plus are what I use,,,,I cut them open no guessing here, whats best...

I have had the oppertunity to open a few of these filters, the NAPA select and gold filters, the Delco, a Motomaster filter(for us Canadians its a rebranded Fram product, and a Fram itself. The Motomaster is now made in China, along with many Frams, which should in my opinion, alone give you an indication of quality. After opening up all these filters, by far the Fram product is the worst. Cardboard/fiber end caps, filter paper pulling easily apart, it was rough. The delco looked alright, as it is(was at least about a year ago) made by Champion labs. By far, out of these filters, the NAPA gold, made by WIX was the best, metal end caps, what looked to be good and strong filter material.

If you plan on keeping your car/truck for as long as possible, I would highly reccomend avoiding the Fram. Its sad though, becase Fram was a leader once upon a time.

Boy, this is a big wake up call for me. I've been using Fram filters for a long time now, and have never experienced problems. I drive mostly highway, so I usually change the oil every 5,000 mi or so. My Cavalier has 144k on it now and still running strong, I just hope it stays that way, bc I just changed my oil this weekend and used a Fram oil filter.

Wow. Agree, big wake up for me too. It seems that Fram have cornered the market at the Wallymart. One of the reasons I had been using them, the oil is cheaper there too. One thing I noticed about the Fram's was the tendency to ocassionally leave the rubber ring stuck to the block. Only bit me in the ass once, on an Explorer I had with the 5.0 in it. You couldn't see the block from where the filter tightened against it, and I didn't notice the seal was missing from the old one. Cinched up the new one, added oil, started it up, and by the time I got around to the front the fan was blowing a nice fine mist of oil EVERYWHERE. What a friggin mess. So I always check the old filter now. I've only had the seal pop off and stick to the block maybe two or three other times. I guess I'll just start buying the Wix. They just aren't as easy to find, but hell, if that's the NAPA brand, maybe I'll just get them. It's not like the price difference is that much.

Redneckerson, don't forget to run some new oil around the gasket on your filter. This will help to keep that filter from sticking. If you can't find a WIX filter, NAPA Gold is the same thing, just with a different paint job. Basically what it comes down to is anything but FRAM will do. Yes, they might be cheaper, but as with most of the crap from Wal-Mart, you get what you pay for(I hate that phrase).

the oil filter gasket can stick to the block mounting surface with any filter. when removing always check for the gasket to be still on the filter.

Fram oil filters are poorly constructed with brittle filter media. this is the problem...If the filter material breaks up then you can/will suffer severe engine damage..

I use wix or purolator plus oil filters..

the NAPA gold or mobil oil filters have good quality as well ..

when I have opened these frams you can see holes in the filter media..the particle size filtered is too large this then wears out the engine components,,..

Frams are lightweight filters. Very thin cans with light weight media and fiber,(reed), by-pass valves. If you ever buy one take it out of the box first and shake it. If ya hear anything rattling inside put it back in the box and put it back on the shelf. To do anything else would be illlegal unless ya gonna pay for it. Wix on the other hand is a good filter. We use about 90% Fleetguard at work. On an over the road fleet.
Don't ever get caught up in brand loyalty. These companies and brandnames get bought and sold so often ya need a score card to keep up with them! And IMHO most "studies" are directly proportional to the politics of who's funding them!