Fram filters nightmare story.

We had a customer who put a Fram on his Lexus LS430, it had a small crack that gave him a free undercoating job. Junk!

 

Uuumm... Oh wow! I think I just fell in love with you! Pardon me while I go take a cold shower!

 

So I wanted to see the difference from the filter change to wix. My oil pressure is 5 to 10 lbs more now NO JOKE Gals and Fellas. I changed my oil at the same time and used the same weight 5w-30 Castrol that my truck has always lived on. So I am sold on Wix. Also ask for what the auto shops are buying for filters at the store you go to and then find the wix and compare, probably the same filter (check place of manufacture mainly), this was the case for carquest and cost alot less.-Weeks

 

At the Lonestar Nationals over the weekend, I couldn't help but notice how many cars were running Fram filters. The marketing is more aggresive than any other brand of filter for sure. People are very loyal to their oils and filters.

 

WOW, lots of great info on this thread. I've been guilty of getting a Fram at the W-mart cause its easy, and I ASSumed the quality was there.
We use NAPA gold at work, as I will now at home.

I noticed yesterday morning the brief rattle when firing up the 97 Saturn. Buying a new filter today.

 

I have a rebuilt Buick 455 with no more than 700 miles on it. Recently the oil pressure would drop to 0 at an idle. I thought WTF it's a new engine and it shouldn't be happening. Ran across this thread and changed the crapola Fram filter that was on it to a Napa. Bingo. The pressure at an idle is now 25 lbs. No more Fram filters on my vehicles.

 

Now how did I miss this comment?

 

Fram filters suck alright,but so do STP filters.My dad had a Grand National Buick that was a total loss because of a collapsed STP oil filter on the way home from getting the oil changed .Dad tried to contact STP to make good on it and had the filter to prove it as well as a written statement from the engine builder that found it .They gave him that " me big you little " deal pretty much ,and he had to eat it ...

 

I swapped my filter out last week, next day actually. AMAZING how the morning knock went away!

 

Ok i'm on the second page and you've convinced me.. no more fram for me.... glad I read this... !!! THANKS!!
-Anthony

 

I swore off Fram 10 years ago when I found loose metal shavings inside a new filter.

 

No on PurePower.

My friend had his blow off (in front of me) coming out of turn nine at Willowsprings. Could have ended badly for him, his car, for another racer. Lucky for him he didn't screw the new 331 SBF. No more fancy $200 billet oilfilters.

I've seen two Formula Atlantic engines with collapsed Pure Power elements.

$200 buys a shitpile of WIX filters.

 

Hmmm ...... Fram sounds too much like Spam !

 

and you're never quite sure of whats in eithier one.
spam oil filters-made from chinese filter by products

 

I work at a ford dealership and have seen many frams and also motor tred oil filters come apart. I have NEVER heard of a motorcraft filter coming apart. In fact our shop forman has a 73 duster with a 470 big block that he drag races and he runs a motorcraft filter on that. i am going to run one on my 327 when that gets build. the best part about motorcraft filters is that you can get them at most walmarts.

 

just cut up a wix it still looks good inside.

 

A few years ago, an auto parts trade publication, ( I belive it was Automotive Wholesaler) listed the oil filter quality ratings by some independent shop and yes, WIX was the top, Motorcraft was second, Napa silver was third, then I belive it was Donaldson or Fleetguard, and of course Fram was like 11th and the shop doing the testing said something to the effect of " after Fram was sold in the late seventies, all money was spent on advertising, not quality control". And get this, on a differnent note, ALL AC DELCO spark plugs are made in Cali by....NGK! for the last ten years...
Infact, AC Delco was defunct in the late eighties replaced by GM with Delphi. All AC Delco products are merely name recognition pieces made by out sourcing. As in plugs, tools, floorjacks, and of course, filters!

 

A buddy called and says his new 477 race motor lost oil pressure when it warmed up.I ask him if he's using a Fram, he say yes, so i send him to get a ac delco, the oil pressure comes right back where its should be. the fram had collapsed inside. I have seen this happen every now and again. luckly not at 8000rpm.

 

I hear these horror stories about Fram all the time, but I must be the luckiest bastard using them, 30+ years of driving and changing my own oil using Fram filters and none have blown out, no engine failures/etc.

Maybe sometime in the next 30 years...

 

they are getting cheaper, don't chance it. the less the general population cares about what they put on their engine,the crappier they will get.

 

My dad swore by Fram and Pennzoil.
I know that the quality of Fram dropped to the point that no responsible shop would use one. That was back in the 80s. I just hope that the guys that have used Frams for 30+ years bought them all back then (pre-'78).
As for oil, ask your engine machinist. They see the inside of more engines than you do (well, most of you). He also sees what the local conditions cause, and what works. I DON'T want to start another good/bad shouting match....

 

Does anybody know who makes Walmart Supertech brand filters? I think their oil is Exon because the bottle is exactly the same except the color.

 

Sure we did, must be why I haven't had a problem.

I was 16, wandering around with 5K in my pocket, decided to stop in at Kragens and blow it all on oil filters...I think I'm good for another 10-15 years...

I'm not trying to change anyones mind, or sway an opinion, etc...just giving info as I have experienced it.

Since it's "semi-topic" related, anyone remember the "scare" about Royal Purple 10-12 years ago?

Now it's better than sliced bread.

 

Thing is, I heard this about being cheaper, coming apart, etc 20+ years ago, it's not a new thing.

I agree that there has to be some merit, but geesh, I've not experienced it.

 

For the 1 or 2 dollar savings on a filter, it is just not worth the risk of any engine damage. Most folks use the best oil available to keep the engine alive so why not the best filter?


.

 

I love the castrol syntec blend, got an extra 5 psi when hot just by running it. figure it's in an older high reving japanese engine, has held up great. have had the pan off and the valve cover off a number of times since I switched,and the engine has been spotless. It's well worth the money.

 

Been using fram for years. Other day I got a Carquest (wix?) and noticed how much larger the return holes were. Raised oil pressure on my built 383 Chrysler big block 10#'s immediately!!! I'm done with fr.......

 

I just had a Fram do this to me like 2 months ago...on a NEON...not alot of pressure there, so I chalked it up to that 'one in a million' thing.
I use Wix on my Coronet so now it's going to be Wix 'all around' for the boys in the driveway.
Good Thread.

 

I bought a couple Fram filters that had NO threads in them at all! Luckily, you catch that flaw right way when you go to screw them on...and they won't!

Also seen a number of failures and quality control issues with Motorcraft filters.

NAPA filters cost more, but I haven't had any issues with them.

 

I only use Motorcraft on my Ford, oil too, synthetic. I use AC Delco on my Suburban when I can find them, otherwise it's whatever is there at the parts store. Fram is off the list until they pull their heads out of their asses.