Full-flow oil filters

[Vic Dura]

Anyone have any opinions as to whether or not full-flow oil filters in passenger cars are worth the extra price?

[arizona]

FRAM's regular oil filters have won the Consumer Reports test for as far back as I can remember.

they do a great test of performance using the medium size particles that do all the damage to an engine

(small particles get inside bearing & ring clearances in pairs and spin off each other like ball bearings, do very little engine damage, and big particles are too big to enter ring or bearing clearances and do no damage)

the FRAM filter that consistently spanks all other filters, is $2.99 at Wal-Mart, how can you beat that?

[ds549]

i dont think they are, if you have good oil pressure , then you have enough flow .

[MrC1]

Personally I stay away from Fram. They use a paper (cardboard?) backing inside the filter that often blows out and then allows all dirty oil to bypass the filter media. They also have a very poor anti-drainback valve made from molded plastic that very often leaks. This leak results in an air pocket in the filter, greatly increasing the time it takes to get oil moving at startup. I did some serious damage to some rod bearings in a previous vehicle before I figured out what was causing the problem.

AC Delco, Wix, Motorcraft, Puralator and others seem to be much better built. I normally go with the "Powerflo" filters, which are Puralators with a different paint job for $2! :)

[MrC1]

Oil pressure and oil flow are COMPLETELY independent. Consider if you had a clogged passage - your oil pressure would be high, yet you'd have no oil flow.

Smaller filters flow less oil than larger ones in general. Also, those that are crammed full of filter media (several "premium" models) are more restictive.

If you turn lots of RPM or have a performance-mdified engine and/or have a high-volume oil pump, you should make sure you're not restricting oil flow more than necessary with your oil filter. Unfortunately this data is hard to find.

[Joseph Meehan]

My advice is to use what the manufacturer recommends. The recommend filters are all that is needed. Putting in the worlds best filter in today's car may take you to 257,259 miles with the cheapest filter you may only get 257,112.

[Bob G.]

===============

Your Kidding Right ?

I do not read consumers reports and maybe their ranking of Fram filters is a reason why....(if they in fact did rank them high)

Fram filters enjoy a very bad reputation within the car hobby and I honestly doubt you will find any Gear Heads using them...

Bob G.

[Ashton Crusher]

I could have sworn I saw FRAM stenciled on the sides of racecars......

[Vic Dura]

It doesn't mean there is a FRAM on the engine. Only that FRAM is a sponsor. If there is a FRAM on the engine, I would guess it's a custom filter made in their prototype shop; not something you can buy at walmart.

[webmaster]

Mazda, Nissian, Toyota..etc all had issues with Fram filters. I was in the biz when the problems started happening, and of course, they got sued over it. Mossy-Ferguson act killed that, and to this day, all my Dodge work trucks use Mopar filters, all my GM stuff has AC-Delco, Fords Motorcraft and so on.. Nothing with the Fram or Allied name, UNLESS, its a subbed out build for a OE part, hits our vehicles. Another reason I wont buy Autolite plugs.....

[bc]

Ashton Crusher wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I saw one of the Nascars was sponsored by Viagra, and had that in big letters on it too. But getting back to Fram, I think their bad rep comes from all the VW engines they destroyed a few years ago, then some Hondas after that. You can google it up if you're interested. Why take the risk when Purolator and others are basically the same price?

[Duane Bozarth]

Terry wrote: .....

Most OEM tires are quite a bit cheaper than what most people buy as replacements--it's simply a cost-shaving technique and they're simply less expensive tires. About the only exception are on some high-performance or touring sedans where they figure the potential buyers will pay attention to such details...at least in the US, anyway.

[Terry]

" [e-mail]" wrote in message news:aEaCe.28$ [e-mail]...

Something similar with tyres? We have some indication that the branded OE tyres on our 2002 bought brand new US built pickup have not the same quality or amount of wear rubber as the so-called 'same brand' replacement which we buy at a local tyre dealers! Nice big (unnecessary) white letters on the outside of the tyres maybe but at about 20,000 miles of mainly easy highway and around town the originals are at least two thirds worn! BTW we put separate wheels and snow tyres on during winter.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

What was the wear rating on the tires?

We just replaced the ones on out pickup at work at 17,000 mostly local driving. OTOH, my sedan got about 45,000 miles on the OE tires.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Any product can be made on certain spec. So you can't say Fram filter is all bad. Fram even does some OEM job for some car manufacturers. The bottom line is unit cost. Tony