FRAM.colors got me thinking

Gary....That is good info on Fram. As I suspected, people seem to want to beat up on Fram, and its the stuff of urban legend. I am sure their filters are just fine. Oh well! Let's just discuss politics, religion, or which oil is the best

I got the oil changed in my car today, and I asked the owner of the Merlin's which filter he thought was best, and he said Wix. He said something about a company called Champion Labs that made a lot of the filters on the market today. My guess is you have a few contract manufacturers, and they make filters for the whole market, with color and slight design differences for each brand name.

Again, as I pointed out and Jbach reitterated, that material should now be considered dated. Have not had time to update my research but there must be some newer tear down analysis - just no time to look...

Opinion on Bosch filters?
I have been running them lately although I have an open NAPA wholesale account, I can still get my chosen oil cheaper at Wally world or Costco. WW stocks Fram or Bosch. I chose the Bosch just in case I accidentally post a photo of my engine.

I cut apart a used puralator from one of our cars. Punched a hole in it & let it drain for a day, then sawed off the can.    I was just curious after reading all of this banter for 5 years. It was OK inside (no cardboard), would buy it again.    It was interesting to see the pattern of crud on the pleats - it was only slightly dirty.

Does this include FRAM fuel filter/separator as well? Is there another manufacture? I ordered one for my 84 and noticed it was FRAM, but original. Thanks

So this is available in other older threads (using the search command), but this was one of the studies, that really shed the light on Fram - its a very detailed tear down analysis:

Oil Filter Analysis

Or you skip the analysis and go directly to:
Recommended Filters
FIlters to Avoid

I noticed this study is getting pretty old (it wasn't when I first ran across it WAY too many years ago now). Probably time to go out and do some research again...

Waterdog wrote:      Plastic by-pass valve.

And what is wrong with plastic sir??

Just kidding. I make my living in the wonderful world of plastics. I think they use 33% glass filled nylon 66 in a lot of those filters. Same material used in all sorts of underhood components, and auto tranmission filters. It is tried and true. And, there are suppliers out there that try to make it as "inexpensively" as possible because industry is so competitive, everybody wants their materials cheap, cheap, cheap!!! It still has to meet certain specs though for automotive use.

The thing that caught my eye is the fact there is only 2/3 the filter media. That is probably more of an issue than the plastic.

davidg wrote: Isn't that a Corona bottle screen left? That tube looks very comfortable. I wonder if it is "Pete Approved" By the way, are Fram filters REALLY that bad? I don't think so. They sell them by the kijjilions, and there aren't a corresponding number of engine failures out there.

First - NEVER use GLASS bottles at the lake, pool, ect...

Second - In the 70s fram WAS top shelf stuff. Today they are
manufactured as cheap as possible.

Plastic by-pass valve.

2/3 filter material of a NAPA oil filter.

If the money is equal and I KNOW one brand is better than another
or a brand is cheaper that another, myself, I'll ALWAYS go with the better quality.

I was shopping for my filter the other day, and since moving, could not get my standard that I have used for years. In the interest of retaining my membership here, I avoided Fram, but in looking at others, saw that others referred to paper elements. I thought the paper element was the feature that made Frams undesirable.

david.. The person is Cadunkle,,, Nice guy--- SAID_STAY AWAY... And so did Pete.. so if those 2 are lining up toghether, best to stay clear,, of fram..

It looks like she has a single round in the chamber. Isn't that a Corona bottle screen left? That tube looks very comfortable. I wonder if it is "Pete Approved"

By the way, are Fram filters REALLY that bad? I don't think so. They sell them by the kijjilions, and there aren't a corresponding number of engine failures out there.   

Since my raft has Fram colors,, Should I trade it in?