Fram’s oil filter quality has dropped

[speeder]

The truth of the matter is that you could probably run any oil filter with no problem if you change your oil often and don't somehow introduce dirt into your engine. Still, good filtration is desirable.

[pwd72s]

The google AI posted by Steve is probably accurate...but I usually went with Purolator or with the Toyota & Mustang, factory filters..

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

I'm wondering if the new filter is a Chinese knockoff?

Made in the USA , aug 2025 !

Local Walmart must run through them

[Noah930]

I'm not old enough to be a fan of Fram. I don't remember the 1980s and before.

About 20 years ago, on a motorcycle forum I frequented, one member cut open a bunch of oil filters. The Fram was by far the flimsiest. As others have said, poor quality material that looked like it was ready to dissolve or fall apart at the touch.

At the same time, when I went to vintage races and walked the paddock, I'd see orange Fram filters on vintage Ferraris and Lolas and whatnot--cars that back then were multitudes more valuable than my net worth today, so what do I know.

But I'm prejudiced, so I'll never run a Fram in any of my vehicles, when there are better quality choices available for not much more.

[javadog]

I cut apart a Fram filter in the 80s to compare it to a Honda filter, to show the customers at my Honda dealership that were too cheap to buy the $3.50 factory Honda filter, what they were getting.

The Fram filter was cheap garbage.

I’ve never used a filter that wasn’t from the manufacturer which made the engine I was putting it on.

I refuse to buy any parts from an auto parts store, and precious little online. It’s mostly garbage. Caveat emptor.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by javadog

I cut apart a Fram filter in the 80s to compare it to a Honda filter, to show the customers at my Honda dealership that were too cheap to buy the $3.50 factory Honda filter, what they were getting.

The Fram filter was cheap garbage.

I’ve never used a filter that wasn’t from the manufacturer which made the engine I was putting it on.

I refuse to buy any parts from an auto parts store, and precious little online. It’s mostly garbage. Caveat emptor.

I like your protocol of only using factory or original filters but Autozone sells AC Delco, Motorcraft and Mopar filters on the shelf. I buy them there all the time. I use Hengst or Mahle sometimes on my old Mercedes but prefer Mann, the actual original brand. For motorcycles, it's dealer only filters.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by speeder

I like your protocol of only using factory or original filters but Autozone sells AC Delco, Motorcraft and Mopar filters on the shelf. I buy them there all the time. I use Hengst or Mahle sometimes on my old Mercedes but prefer Mann, the actual original brand. For motorcycles, it's dealer only filters.

The $20 question is always this: are the parts/filters produced by these brands exactly identical to the ones they build for the manufacturer? Same quality control? Same everything?

Maybe yes, often times no. Personally, I’m not gonna be the guinea pig with one of my engines. I’m not that effing tight.

I remember when you could buy parts from some manufacturers with the OEM brand logo physically scratched off. That you gave you some sense that maybe they were identical to the original stuff.

I watched something not too long ago that talked about how few manufacturers there really are for oil filters and how most of the 10 or 12 brands you’ll find on the shelf at the local auto parts store are made by only about three or four different companies.

There’s lots of products being built now in China for what we used to consider good brands. And there are quite a few counterfeit products out there. I never did buy much from Amazon, but that’s where a bunch of that crap gets sold.

I think that any future vehicle purchases I make might be from Japan. I think that will be the last country out there to get infected by the curse of Chinese manufacturing.

[chrismorse]

About 15 years ago I was prepping my car for another DE event at Thunderhill, (I had been to two prior DE events. It was time for the annual fluid changes and i was out of Baldwin filters, so i used a FRAM EXTRA GUARD filter i had gotten when i bought the car from the previous owner.
I was on my second or third 20 minute session, fully warmed up, when i noticed that the oil pressure was about half what it had been a few minutes ago. I limped it back to the pits, checked the oil, looked for leaks or any other issue - no problems, the car ran well. Nevertheless, i didn't trust it and motored gently back home.
No noises or problems on the way home, just apprehension.
I plugged in an oil line to the block, hooked up a gauge and it confirmed the 50%, pressure drop. I pulled the pressure relief plunger and spring, it looked fine, reinstalled it and the drop was still apparent. I installed a new Baldwin filter and Bingo, the oil pressure was back up to spec, so i cut apart the old fram filter.

The Extra Guard fram filter had collapsed around the central stand pipe, both the perforated metal support and the filtering element had crushed down around the pipe, severely limiting the flow.

This was a dead stock ferrari 308, running normal 50-60 psi, fully warmed up, not over revved, running stock spec synthetic oil.

IMHO, fram is doo doo.

Running Baldwin on the toyotas and Dad's hot rod 74 2.8 911 - absolutely no problems.

[Sawyer911]

I ran Fram p/n 3569 only in all my VW Diesel powered cars from 1985 until 2008, over a million miles and never had any issues. I did change my oil every month at about 3000 miles. Never an issue and those diesels had a huge psi at start up especially in the cold N.Y. winters.

Now for my former 911, current MB SLK 350 and VW Rabbit gasser Mann filters only. Still need to do the wifes Cayenne for the first time and will go Mann as well.

I my Dodge 1500, Mahindra compact tractor, Craftsman Lawn Tractor and Honda Foreman quad I use NAPA Gold

I have not used any Fram products in the last 17 years so can't speak of their current quality but their old product line was a winner for me.

I still have a stash of the filter box lids I used for my records listing the oil change info and any other services I did at oil change time.

Sawyer

[Arizona_928]

I think I’ll have to eat my words on this post.

I stopped by Walmart this morning and bought another filter to dissect. Here’s a direct comparison between the new and old filter. Internal filter media case has changed to plastic, however there’s a considerably more pleats of material, thus more surface area to filter the oil. Long term use and the degradation of the abs plastic cage would be my concern, but we’re supposed to change our oil annually, right?

.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by javadog

The $20 question is always this: are the parts/filters produced by these brands exactly identical to the ones they build for the manufacturer? Same quality control? Same everything?

Maybe yes, often times no. Personally, I’m not gonna be the guinea pig with one of my engines. I’m not that effing tight.

I remember when you could buy parts from some manufacturers with the OEM brand logo physically scratched off. That you gave you some sense that maybe they were identical to the original stuff.

I watched something not too long ago that talked about how few manufacturers there really are for oil filters and how most of the 10 or 12 brands you’ll find on the shelf at the local auto parts store are made by only about three or four different companies.

There’s lots of products being built now in China for what we used to consider good brands. And there are quite a few counterfeit products out there. I never did buy much from Amazon, but that’s where a bunch of that crap gets sold.

I think that any future vehicle purchases I make might be from Japan. I think that will be the last country out there to get infected by the curse of Chinese manufacturing.

What I’ve been told, (and it’s believable), is that there are different quality standards for the parts that your vehicle was built with and the ones that they sell over the parts counter.

I’ve told the story before here about a friend with an indy MB shop who only installs dealer parts for consumables like brake pads. He swears that his customers NEVER get the same mileage out of the first replacement set of pads as they did from the original ones from the factory. Same car, same driver, same hills they go up and down to get home every day, etc. It’s a marked difference.

On my 2022 Chevy, I’m at 64k miles on the original brake pads and rotors with no end in sight to their lifespan. The rotors look like new…I’m not exaggerating. As someone who works on cars a lot, I’m truly shocked. 😳 I’m a good driver so I’m not riding my brakes or constantly mashing them but I also drive fast at times and feel free to use them. It’s downright strange.

I feel fine with the oil and air filters that are AC Delco or Motorcraft from AZ. I’m pretty confident that they are the same ones as from the dealer.

[speeder]

What freaks me out more than anything else is how tiny the oil filters are on most new engines. Here is a photo of the oil filter from my 7.3 power stroke, admittedly one of the largest oil filters you’ll ever see, next to the filter of my business partners 3.5 eco-boost F150:

[Bob Kontak]

Easy on the eyes.

[maxnine11]

^^ Nice, but needs more cool-collar!

[VINMAN]

I ran Fram filters on my 650hp BBC offshore race engines. Never a filter problem. .

Also have been using Fram TG 3614s on My 07 Wrangler since it was new. 208,000 miles. Those filters have been working flawlessly.

.

[Por_sha911]

Different quality standards:
OE is original equipment - meaning parts are what went on the vehicle when manufactured.
OEM is original equipment manufacturer - meaning that company supplies parts to the manufacturer for a new vehicle BUT that doesn't mean that the parts on the FLAPS shelf are the same as the one when the vehicle was built. They can be vastly different in design or quality.

[stevej37]

72-16=56 years of changing my own oil in my cars. Always used Fram filters...zero problems.

[unclebilly]

Originally Posted by javadog

I cut apart a Fram filter in the 80s to compare it to a Honda filter, to show the customers at my Honda dealership that were too cheap to buy the $3.50 factory Honda filter, what they were getting.

The Fram filter was cheap garbage.

I’ve never used a filter that wasn’t from the manufacturer which made the engine I was putting it on.

I refuse to buy any parts from an auto parts store, and precious little online. It’s mostly garbage. Caveat emptor.

You realize this website belongs to an online auto parts store? That’s what Pelican Parts is… that’s all it is. There is no brick… or mortar.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Easy on the eyes.

Cool motor but how does one remove the oil filters without making a mess? Lots of rags at the base, I guess.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

You realize this website belongs to an online auto parts store? That’s what Pelican Parts is… that’s all it is. There is no brick… or mortar.

Of course I know what it is. Duh…

One difference between this place and the local store selling crap is that you can also get genuine parts here, should that be what you’re after. Lots of people like the convenience of not having to make a couple trips down to the local dealer, one to order the parts and two to pick them up. If you’re happy with aftermarket parts, Pelican offers those too.

I consider this place to be quite different from something like an AutoZone. And when I made a comment about “online” it was in reference to vendors like Amazon.

Personally, I use 100% genuine parts on all my stuff, and I have bought from Pelican in the past.