I literally tighten it with my hand. I have tried following the directions, but it just feels too loose to me. I guess I am slightly paranoid it will fall off when I am driving on a bumpy road. I know this might be slight overkill because it is something I carry over from working on my motorcycles, which require the oil filters to be torqued with a wrench when installed.
A non-scientific estimate on my part says that Fram has sold about 40 jillion oil filters over the years for use by DIYers and shops.
The only problem I’ve ever heard about regarding Fram filters involved a Recall on a couple of filters about a dozen or 15 years ago and it’s likely that much of the bad mouthing of all Fram filters originated from this story. Throw in a number of misguided internet complaints such as the person on another forum who claimed that their valve lifters rattled becaused “the drainback valve did not maintain oil pressure in the filter while the engine was not running” and the myths are made even worse.
I’m not aware of any verifiable engine problems due to Fram filters, any lawsuits against Allied Signal over them, and if Fram filters are allegedly so faulty then I fail to understand why even one single shop would use a Fram anything in the shop due to liability issues.
Note that one does not hear complaints about Frams from mechanics and shops who stand to lose the most from using them day in and day out.
This is much ado over nothing in my opinion and I still do not get that bit about checking the oil immediately after shutdown as compared to waiting 10 minutes.
Consider this. The drainback valve is being blamed but what if the cause of a leaky drainback valve is a near microscopic piece of debris? The same thing can occur with debris in a fuel pump check valve, a float needle in a carburetor, A/C expansion valve, or even a leaky flapper valve in a bathroom stool. How would any potential debris be the fault of the filter?
How would any potential debris be the fault of the filter?
The short answer is debris should be filtered out with the filter element, not the drainback valve. That’s why we call them “filters,” isn’t it? The debris in a fuel pump can make it past the screen, but the fuel is usually filtered after it makes it past the fuel pump, and the water in your toilet is unfiltered. This is beginning to look like a comparison between apples and oranges.
If the failure rate of a discount filter is 1 in 10,000 and the failure rate for a premium is 1 in 20,000 I’ll spend an extra couple of bucks to cut my chances of problems in half. It would be very helpful if there were a source for the failure rates. There isn’t. But there is a very obvious difference in the quality of premium and discount filters.
But there is a very obvious difference in the quality of premium and discount filters.
Hi Rod:
In all fairness, how do we know there is an obvious difference?
This whole thread feels like it’s based on everything but real data.
It’s fine for anyone to choose not to buy Fram filters. However, it’s a different story to declare them faulty or inferior based on a few symptoms with an unknown connection to the oil filter.
Lets test the theory that the oil filter is responsible:
Replace oil filter with a different filter of another brand.
Does engine still exhibit the same symptoms (oil level increase after shut off, and noisy valves on startup).
Then reinstall same filter as current, and see if the symptoms return.
Then replace filter with identical filter, and see if that one has the same symptoms, of if they vanish.
If the symptoms are the same with all oil filters, regardless of brand/model, then the issue is the car.
If the symptoms only occur with the 1 filter, then it is a defect of that specific filter.
If the symptoms are limited to just that brand/model of filter, then it’s that brand/model of filter that is causing the issue.
BC.
…it’s a different story to declare them faulty or inferior based on a few symptoms with an unknown connection to the oil filter.
JoeMario, maybe you missed it, but I have effectively ruled out most of the factors other than the oil filter. These symptoms appeared after I changed only one factor, the oil filter.
Bladecutter, I haven’t noticed noisy valves. The only thing I have noticed is oil draining back into the pan.
I have cut and inspected many dozens of filters, Joe. The difference in premium and discount filters is very obvious.And I have seen a few failures and many chronic problems that were determined to be caused by poor quality filters.
Whitey wrote:
JoeMario, maybe you missed it, but I have effectively ruled out most of
the factors other than the oil filter. These symptoms appeared after I
changed only one factor, the oil filter.
I’m sorry Whitey but when I read your posts, I see the following:
- My oil level rises on the dipstick a bit after I shut it off.
- It has to be a bad Fram filter because it didn’t happen before.
- I’m not going to spend any more time on this.
I look at it a bit differently.
There are too many unknowns here.
[list]If a filter on its side had a bad drainback valve, what quantity of oil would leak out? And how much of a rise on the dipstick would that translate to? [/list]
[list]How much of the “rise on the dipstick” is due to normal engine oil draining down to the pan after you shut it off?[/list]
[list]Could it be there is also a piece of debris blocking an oil drain passage in the cylinder head? [/list]
While I question whether a “small rise on the dipstick” is a valid test, no one can argue if you have a personal choice to not buy Fram filters. However, anyone can disagree if you blame Fram for a problem that you’re not taking the time to thoroughly investigate.
Rod wrote:
I have cut and inspected many dozens of filters, Joe. The difference in
premium and discount filters is very obvious.
I too have cut open many filters over the years. I’ve concluded that unless I have precision test equipment, it is impossible to determine how well a filter will meet or exceed an engine manufacturer’s filtering specifications.
Is there a way to visually determine quality that I am missing?
Sorry Whitey,
I attributed Oblivion’s words to your issue by mistake.
Everything else should be enough to test the filter, though.
BC.
How much of the “rise on the dipstick” is due to normal engine oil draining down to the pan after you shut it off?
In the 11 years and 196,000 miles I have owned this car, I have seen the oil show on the dip stick as slightly over the “full” mark, but never as high as it is will this cheap Fram filter. This is more than just normal oil draining. With this filter, the oil shows approximately 3/4" over the “full” mark.
This is not “normal engine oil draining down to the pan.” If it were, I would have seen it at least once before in the 11 years and 196,000 miles I have owned this car.
If the brand of oil filter is making you uncomfortable, I say replace it for peace of mind. I used to use Fram filters all the time when I was younger, and they are all that my father has ever used from what I recall. These days I will use a premium filter if the price difference is negligible, or I can get a better deal on a premium filter. I just bought a Ford Windstar van and used a Motorcraft filter on it for the first oil change, mostly because it only cost 20 cents more than a Fram. I figure OE was worth the pocket change. I also stocked up on NAPA ProSelect (made by Wix) for my other vehicles when NAPA had a 99 cent oil filter sale a few months ago. I have never had a problem with Fram filters, but if I can get something better for a comparable price, I will, although Fram has never given me any problems.
The most common and apparent shortcoming of the discounts is the filter media which is often haphazardly glued to the paper end caps, made of poor quality material and often collapses onto the center tube, sometimes disintegrating into mush. The premium filters are more generous with the amount of media, use an apparently more resilient media and bond the ends to metal caps with an epoxy that I have never seen fail. The warning to “hand tighten” oil filters is very critical on the discounts as several have very flimsy bases with minimum thread contact that can and often do strip when over(?) tightened. The worst of the discounts are the generic no-names and those branded for some of the quick changers. Some are so light as to make me wonder if there is anything in them or if the shell could withstand 50psi.
One filter may be able in the lab to be proven to have larger element surface area, filter smaller particulates, have more robust parts or assembly, have better flow rates, etc. etc. etc., but none of that means that it will extend the life of an engine. There does not exist any data that I’m aware of that shows any particluar filter to prevent wear of an engine in application, or to extend the life of any engine, over any other filter. There also does not exist any data that I’m aware of comparing filter failure rates between different brands of filter.
In short, filters can be shown to differ in the lab, but nothing exists that shows that they differ to the engine.
I consider it analogous to having a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport to drive to my Uncle’s house in Fitchburg. It might make one feel better than driving my Scion, and it’s many times more powerful and faster than my Scion, but the truth is that it doesn’t serve the purpose of getting me to my uncle’s house any better. The limitations of the traffic and the roads (been on Rt 2 lately?) determine my drive time, and 1200 HP won’t get the there any better or any faster than 160 HP, just more expensively.
Until I see actual data that a specfic filter reduces wear on an engine and/or extends its life, I’lll continue to trust my experience that budget filters purform the “bottom line” purpose just as well as the more expensive kinds. And if a more expensive filter makes you feel better, I support your decision to buy it.
Yes ,change filter immediately. You have installed the worst rated filter on your car.
Guaranteed to drop your oil pressure right out of the box. Use a WIX made filter{various parts stores house brand} or OEM filter
Just signed up on this site, so please excuse any rookie mistakes. I didn’t realize all of the oil filter issues/complaints, but now that I have read some of the posts, I may have a similar problem. My 2006 F150 seems to puff a bit of smoke as it cranks. How much does a horizontal vs. vertical install affect filter performance? And what brand of filtere prevents drainback?
That puff is probably from the valve seals, depending on the mileage of the car could probably be ignored for now. No oil filter is going to fix that, hopefully others would chime in too.
For your F150 sticking with the Motorcraft is reasonable and frugal. Definitely OEM and a low risk course of action. I use Motorcraft filters on my Fords and my Mazda, purchased at Walmart, where they are as cheap or cheaper than nearly any other filter. Costs a bit more if you use another auto parts store. No need to change.
False. If you think the filter is empty, go unscrew it. You’ll find that it is full of oil all the time.