Fram oil filters, junk or not? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rickjordan · #1 11-12-2003, 01:29 PM

Personally I think Fram oil filters, at least for gasoline cars, are junk. Especially when compared to a Purulator, WIX, or Mann etc. Yet, when I am "dreaming shopping" on E--bay and lookng at Ferraris I constantly see the infamous orange Fram filter on the engines. Just about every Ferrari 400i, V-12 you see has 2 oil filters and they are both Fram. Is there something I am missing here, does Fram actually sell a quality filter? I find it hard to believe that Ferrari owners would risk their engines to a poor oil filter.

ericnguyen · #2 11-12-2003, 02:37 PM

Dear rickjordan:

I do not think Fram oil filters are junk at all. You cannot judge an oil filter brand based on its external appearance (especially spin-on type filters found on virtually on Japanese cars). The important part of a filter is still the filter element inside.

Fram (and Pennzoil) oil filters for Japanese cars are especially cheap ($2-$3 each). My friends and I have used Fram oil (and air) filters on old Japanese cars for a long time without any problem. I even have a friend who has a 1984 Honda Civic with 348 Kmiles (original engine and auto transmission!) and it has just even passed the new California Smog Check II with flying colors! And guess what? He's the type of person who would never spend time to open his car's hood to check for anything. All he has ever done was to buy a Fram oil filter at Kragen at every 5000 Kmiles interval, then bring it to an oil change place and have it change the oil for $11.

He had his car's timing belt and water pump replaced at 160 Kmiles!, and ATF fluid change at 210Kmiles.

I am well aware of the fact that Fram oil/air filters are manufactured anywhere in the world, including India, Turkey, South Korea, Phillippines etc..., but it does not mean that they are bad.

Eric

Eric

#3 11-12-2003, 06:48 PM

Do a Google search on Filter Test.

Here's a link to one interesting site that takes filters apart. Note that there are more than one grade of Fram filters. Fram filters appear to be cheaply made (you don't get what you don't pay for).

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

There is also a description of the differences between the Bosch filter made by Champion and the German made Mann which looked to me to be the same from the outside.

Also note that the filter made by Champion for Mobil 1 is of very high quality and might be a good filter for extended drain situations.

sjcruiser · #4 11-12-2003, 09:31 PM

Hi,

Bad reputation is due to the fact that most (if not all) their filters (spin on type) have PLASTIC anti-drain back valve that could leak resulting in lack of lubrication upon startup (rattle for few seconds till filter is filled up); and this is definitely no good for engines, IMHO.

Frank.

moparmike · #5 11-13-2003, 12:28 AM

Funny, I would never put a WIX on my car. My family has used Fram for 30 years and never had a single problem. I have extended family and friends who swear by Fram.

This car is the first car I have not used a Fram for. If they made one for it, I might consider it. At least I can still use Castrol GTX 20w-50.

Matt L · #6 12-10-2005, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moparmike

Funny, I would never put a WIX on my car. My family has used Fram for 30 years and never had a single problem. I have extended family and friends who swear by Fram.

This car is the first car I have not used a Fram for. If they made one for it, I might consider it. At least I can still use Castrol GTX 20w-50.

I recently bought a Wix oil filter for my car, from one of the big-name parts chains. I bought it because inside the box, the filter itself was labelled MANN, made in Germany.

Sorry to say, but no Fram filters will ever go in my car.

rickjordan · #7 12-10-2005, 07:41 PM

I had completely forgot that I started this thread. Anyways, The Fram filters that I use to buy were junk, compared to a WIX or Purolator. These other 2 brands were substantially (sp) heavier. As I probably mentioned before, the Fram that I cut open had a piece of aluminum as a spring inside. Whereas the WIX had an actual coil spring and there were twice as many holes inside to let oil flow.

t walgamuth · #8 12-10-2005, 07:43 PM

i bet ferraris had frams from the factory. and back then they were good (presumably).

i have often looked for frams for my mb thinking that they were good. i always liked the look of the orange filters. prob from seeing them on ferraris. i have never found a fram for mb.

sooooo how 'bout stp? they any good? i have one on my 350sdl right now.

tom w

moparmike · #9 12-10-2005, 10:34 PM

You probably wont find a Fram for an MB. MB's use element filters that go inside of a housing, not a screw-on type.

oliverb · #10 12-10-2005, 10:51 PM

moparmike;
Some do, some don't. My 1990 300E M103 uses spin-on, always has. So do other models.

Ethan · #11 12-11-2005, 11:11 AM

[QUOTE=t walgamuth]i bet ferraris had frams from the factory. and back then they were good (presumably).

i have often looked for frams for my mb thinking that they were good. i always liked the look of the orange filters. prob from seeing them on ferraris. i have never found a fram for mb.

sooooo how 'bout stp? they any good? i have one on my 350sdl right now.

tom w[/QUOTE

Ferrari with a Fram or a FIAMM?
I don't know of any Ferrari that came from the factory with a Fram, I could be wrong, but I think FIAMM is what is being mistaken with Fram.

t walgamuth · #12 12-11-2005, 11:24 AM

the older ferraris with two standing up proud above the front of the motor. fiamm makes filters?

i am thinking that ferrari had a deal with fram for money paid to them if they used fram filters. they had such a deal with goodyear(?) i think on the tires. may have been another brand. i am thinking sixties and perhaps seventies.

i remember reading about some ferrari guys losing races cause the factory had a deal for the tires and were obligated to run such and such a brand cause the old man was getting money to put them on the cars.

i think maybe they also used die hard batterys for a while too. not sure.

tom w

rickjordan · #13 11-13-2003, 01:09 AM

Sorry, didn't mean to upset people. I once cut open a Fram filter and the "spring" that held the filter portion inplace was nothing more than a piece of pressed aluminum. The filter element had thin cardboard ends to it, whereas the WIX had actual metal end caps to the filter element, and the spring was an actual coil spring. Again, maybe they have better filters in their line, but the ones I saw were cheaply made. The center of the filter had only 30 holes in it for oil to pass through, versus the 60 or so in the WIX. It just seemed that OEM filters, Purulators, etc. were beefier. I just assumed all Frams were made this way since they only cost $3 ("you get what you pay for"). To see them on Ferraris seemed odd. Again, didn't mean to start an oil filter debate, which is probably a first.

#14 11-13-2003, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rickjordan
Again, didn't mean to start an oil filter debate, which is probably a first.

Aye. "Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!!!"
Shakespeare's Mark Antony

A $100 million advertising campaign doesn't make for a good filter.

rickjordan · #15 11-13-2003, 08:34 AM

I agree, but seeing Fram filters on Ferrari engines says alot. Though, the one thing I noticed the Ferraris that usually have the Fram filters are older models like the Daytona. I wonder if the owners were using those to maintain the original look of the engine.