My fram filter

BMFB

BMFB

Not to scale
So as very few of you know I've been fighting an oil pressure issue on my 3800 blazer. Hot idle pressure was normally 45 psi, and cruise was around 60. One night last week it changed somewhat suddenly and started idling at 32psi and cruising at 42 psi. my first thought was just to dump the oil and see if I had some contaminant in it, but I did not so I replaced it. Pressure remained the same. I started digging deeper and came up with nothing wrong with the motor. Tonight I decided to swap out my fram extra guard oil filter for an stp and oil pressure instantly returned. There were no other changes made.

I am never buying a fram filter again.
 
Beavis

Beavis

Still plays with trucks
Re: My fram filter

Heard that before......wont ever buy fram again. I also noticed that with a controlled driver and the same route all the time, fram didnt clean the oil as well as a Wix gold. On the Ty I use K&N oil filters, and everything else gets Delco or Wix.
 
qbnkiller

qbnkiller

Conflaguration Specialist
Re: My fram filter

You wanna see why? Cut that baby open and that will cement your position against from filters!
 
Flyin Ryan

Flyin Ryan

hated cuz he drives fords
Re: My fram filter

Yeah that's been know for a long time now. I'm glad your oil pressure was just that though
 
gkrcr882

gkrcr882

SyTyless......for now!
Re: My fram filter

I stopped using the radioactive orange cans in highschool. Switched to Mobil 1 filters for the Ty, Purolator Pure One for everything else.
 
BoostedSUV

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: My fram filter

Lost a few motors in the racecars because of fram filters sucking closed and dropping oil pressure. Happened more than once. Only WIX filters here also.
 
blacktyaffair

blacktyaffair

Donating Member
Re: My fram filter

I knew I didn't like Fram for a reason! Actually, I remember reading a TSB about not using Fram filters on the 5.9 Cummins engine because the media inside of the filter would come apart and restrict oil flow causing engine damage. Glad you caught it early. Cut it open if you have time and post up some pictures. I use AC Delco filters in the sytys and Fleetguards in the Corvette.
 
GEMELLI

GEMELLI

The Best of Both Worlds
Re: My fram filter

I'll sheepishly admit to using Delco filters in all my vehicles for years. I used to sell filters and Delco wasn't in our line card. :) It is fun to go into a GM dealer and ask for a case of filters for a Lightning or Cobra.
 
Don W.

Don W.

Stab it and steer it
Re: My fram filter

Wix here as well. The Sy, Toyota DD, and Trailblazer DD. Never an issue and since I race I cut the Sy filter, without changing the oil, 2 or 3 times a year. The Wix seems well constructed.
 
VintageUpgrades

VintageUpgrades

S10 Blazaholic
Re: My fram filter

Wix here as well. We took a Pontiac 400 to get rebuilt a few months back. It had a Fram filter on it. The builder chewed us out like we were his kids. Upon explaining that we didn't put the Fram on it, he cut it open to show us why the engine lost oil pressure. The cardboard inside was totally crushed.
 
GarnetTy1473

GarnetTy1473

Donating Member
Re: My fram filter

I told my dad over and over again to not use Fram. He didn't listen and bought a Fram race filter or some kind. 2nd time down the track in his Nova, pressure went to 0. I told him to put an a/c delco back on, and pressure return, but damage had already been done on the bearings.
 
jimmyz79

jimmyz79

Re-Member
Re: My fram filter

Fram's fame came from advertising & marketing. I sold auto parts back in the 80's and customer's would always ask for Fram's which we didn't sell. They always walked out the door with an AC-Delco or Baldwin...
 
SY2932

SY2932

Administrator
Re: My fram filter

Fram has been known as a poor quality filter for years. That being said, I'm a little surprised to hear of anyone using one. Especially on here...

They were generous enough to allow their manufacturing plant to be filmed for one of those "How's it's Made" shows awhile back. Of particular interest is at 3:08 in the video. You can see that the filter is glued together on the end. Given the level of automation in their plant, it was surprising to see that there was any use of manual labor.
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: My fram filter

I've always stayed away from Fram after reading about the poor quality years back. I once in a while will use it in my Saturn because it's free, but usually I use bosch or stp in my Saturn. I use K&N, Mobil 1, or Royal Purple in my Syclone. Mobil 1 in my TBSS and Mobil 1 in my Honda Odyssey

Anyone know what is the better filter, Mobil 1, Royal Purple, Wix, K&N?
 
atkonkler

atkonkler

Is this your bush?
Re: My fram filter

What about Bosch oil filters? I've used those and Mobil 1 filter on my poop box of a truck!
 
Throws

Throws

Active member
Re: My fram filter

atkonkler said:
What about Bosch oil filters? I've used those and Mobil 1 filter on my poop box of a truck!
Click to expand...

Doesn't seem like anything bad will come of using them, they just seem to be more expensive than comparable filters (Wix, PureOne). I had read through a bunch of BITOG (BobistheOilGuy.com forums) and found that PureOnes had higher filtering (which in some cases lead to higher oil pressures) and that Wix were generally built better overall. I can get both for the same price (~$4-5). K&Ns seem to be great if you're running a Group IV base oil (PAO sythetics like Amsoil) or Group V (ester stocks used in Royal Purple) and plan on an oil change interval of 15-20,000 miles. Great filtering, great life, probably overkill. ;)

-P

Edit: Whew... Dave beat me to the meat of the question.
 
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