[astro355]

I have put this in the general section because not only does this refer to V6 and V8 Astro/Safaris but also any vehicle.

Something I just found out about Fram oil filters. They seem to be causing oil pressure to drop. I had installed one on my van during the last oil change and noticed a drop in oil pressure, usually when the engine was hot and at idle. One of the instructors at the local community college also noticed this on his last change. On the same day, we changed back to delco filters and the oil pressure problem disappeared.

We cut open the filters to look inside and found cheap cardboard was used to filter the oil. The funny thing about this is that he used a cheap fram filter and I was using the racing version, but the filtering material was the same.

I would get rid of that fram filter. I will never be using them again.

Below is a ling on google for "low oil pressure fram." There are over 1 million hits on this subject.

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&=&q=low+oil+pressure+fram&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f

 

[Leeann_93]

I stopped using Frams a few years back. I found this link looking around on the web and was convinced...

http://people.msoe.edu/~yoderw/oilfilterstudy/oilfilterstudy.html

Once upon a time, Fram was the best around. No longer...I put Purolator on all my vehicles.

 

[robkerel]

funny you mention this...I to noticed a pressure drop since last oil change...it just so happened I went from quaker state filters to fram....I guess I will be changing back!!!

 

[fede]

Wow, thats good to know. I put a fram filter on my last oil change.
Good thing im do for another 1 so i can take it off.
I think im gonna use a Champ filter.
Thanks a lot for the info!!

 

[Gary]

I was a hard core Fram oil filter user for oh gee must have been over 20yrs.I read a review on the old site and it convinced me to change.Now the Wex filters seem to be the filter of choice.Yeah this thread reminds me it's time for a oil change on the LT. :doh:

 

[GEEZER]

Mostly stay away from the orange cheap ones. The tough guard and xtra guard test to be a very good filter. :2:

 

[Matrixx]

Their was a lot of talk about this on the old forum as Gary has already mentioned. I too was a hard core Fram user for many years until I started doing some research on it. Very disappointed on how Fram has cut back on their quality(cardboard indeed).

The Wix-Purolator-Delco filters were the best overall at the time of my research, and AC Delco is what I use now. I wish I could find that article again, but haven't been able to at this point.

Very good information posted here on this thread so far about it, Thanks.

Great heads up Astro355, Thanks.

 

[astro355]

Mostly stay away from the orange cheap ones. The tough guard and xtra guard test to be a very good filter. :2:

You would think that's true but its not. They use the same cardboard filtering material in all of the lines. We cut several of them open at the local community college and found this out for ourselves. Even the fram racing filter I used was the same material and did drop my oil pressure.

What's funny is that I have had 3 fram oil filters on my 355 since the rebuild and the last one is the only one that caused my loss of oil pressure.

 

[GEEZER]

Comparing oil filters by looking at the internals without doing any real life tests is about as meaningful as testing cars by sitting in them and hearing them idle and then announcing that one car is faster than the others by the sound coming from the mufflers.

Mostly stay away from the orange cheap ones. The tough guard and xtra guard test to be a very good filter. :2:

You would think that's true but its not. They use the same cardboard filtering material in all of the lines. We cut several of them open at the local community college and found this out for ourselves. Even the fram racing filter I used was the same material and did drop my oil pressure.

What's funny is that I have had 3 fram oil filters on my 355 since the rebuild and the last one is the only one that caused my loss of oil pressure.

 

[astro355]

Comparing oil filters by looking at the internals without doing any real life tests is about as meaningful as testing cars by sitting in them and hearing them idle and then announcing that one car is faster than the others by the sound coming from the mufflers.

Mostly stay away from the orange cheap ones. The tough guard and xtra guard test to be a very good filter. :2:

You would think that's true but its not. They use the same cardboard filtering material in all of the lines. We cut several of them open at the local community college and found this out for ourselves. Even the fram racing filter I used was the same material and did drop my oil pressure.

What's funny is that I have had 3 fram oil filters on my 355 since the rebuild and the last one is the only one that caused my loss of oil pressure.

Maybe you didn't hear me. The racing filter, not the cheap one, lowered my oil pressure just like the cheap one. On top of that, in the link posted in the first post show thousands upon thousands of similar complaints with all of the Fram oil filters. How much more "real life" do you want than that?

 

[rev_les]

I know this post is like a month old as of now, but far y'alls additional knowledge, my brother is a bike mechanic, and they've had several bikes come in with puked rods etc.( Honda Yama, and Suzi's) with one common link...........FRAM. The Mfgrs all have litigation going with Fram on this, because THEY have to warranty them. I learned years ago running turbo 2.2 Dodges to stay away from "orange", the oil pressure drop kills the O/H cam journals. :violin:

 

[Gary]

I know this post is like a month old as of now, but far y'alls additional knowledge, my brother is a bike mechanic, and they've had several bikes come in with puked rods etc.( Honda Yama, and Suzi's) with one common link...........FRAM. The Mfgrs all have litigation going with Fram on this, because THEY have to warranty them. I learned years ago running turbo 2.2 Dodges to stay away from "orange", the oil pressure drop kills the O/H cam journals. :violin:

Yepper Rev-that is why I have changed to WEX filters after using Fram for about 20yrs.This post is good stuff!!!!. :clap: :clap:

 

[marcus38]

WIX filters are the best aftermarket filter hands down. o reillys auto parts had diff filters cut in half to expose the elements on their parts counter. WIX spares no expense on the materials they use.

 

[generaljake01]

CAREFUL there marcus38...geezer will try to tell you that hacking open a filter and examining a filters internals proves NOTHING...

GEEZER wrote:
Comparing oil filters by looking at the internals without doing any real life tests is about as meaningful as testing cars by sitting in them and hearing them idle and then announcing that one car is faster than the others by the sound coming from the mufflers.

... to me id have to say that cheap cardboard= CHEAP CARDBOARD!!! As far as im concerned protecting and maintaining your engine all starts with your oil and filter,its the easiest way to prolong the life of your engine...and to know that all filters arent the same is important info and knowing that fram filters are cheap junk makes my filter choice EASY...ONLY DELCO OR WIX FOR ME!!! :goodpost: :goodpost: :goodpost: :ty: :ty:

 

[Mr_Bowtie]

I'm glad this thread got revived as I need to change my oil once I get the plenum back on. Good stuff guys!!!