so… are fram filters any good or not?
sorry, just ignore me…
“so… are fram filters any good or not?”
Just file the edges off and it’ll be fine.
They were good for me.
Were they good for you?
What’s the cost difference between the Fram and the one recommended? The reason I’ve used Fram on my Corolla is b/c most parts store have them in stock. I can get the exact part number I want pretty much anywhere. I use the Motorcraft oil filter for my Ford truck b/c it seems to fit a little bit better than the Fram equivalent, easier to get it in and out.
If the manufacturer of my car said in the owner’s manual to use a specific brand of oil filter, I’d go out of my way to buy that brand, especially if the price difference was negligible. The car manufacturer’s own filters – Motorcraft for Ford for example – are often about the same price as the Fram filters anyway.
Oil filters may look the same on the outside, but inside they can be quite different. Factors are: The quality of the filter material, the surface area (number of pleats), and the type of material in the drain back valve, silicone being the best I think.
After reading this entire thread I pretty much agree with MikeInNH and I believe Whitey might be misunderstanding Mike’s point. Statistically speaking, one individual’s experience - good or bad - with a Fram or any other filter is statistically meaningless to others.
If Mike had not been referring to the statistical significance of one person’s experience, he would very likely have different thoughts on the subject.
Of course, I could be wrong but that really means nothing statistically.
Come on, guys. Don’t quit now. 25 more comments and I win the pool.
I’ve spent 20 years buying mostly (inferior?) Fram filters and never had a single engine so much as burn a quart of oil between changes…let alone fail in any way.
That’s 20 years of data points that are statistically meaningful only to me, and that’s all I care about.
OK, here’s XX18XX edit 23 more posts needed for you to win, but what do you win?
The pic reminded me of one I had like that. It was white though so think it was a Purolator. Couldn’t get that sucker off for anything. Punched a screwdriver in it a couple times and finally got it off. I hadn’t done anything different than any other filters I ever put on, but that one just crumbled in the filter wrench.
Of course you realize that all of these car talk posts are statistically insignificant too compared to all of the drivers out there. Still if 3 or 4 people here say they had a lot of trouble with a Jeep Pilot, I’ve got to reconsider even though they are cute.
Jesmed, I’ll meet your 20 years and raise you 25, for a total pot of 45.
Let’s see, if I drive 30,000 miles a year and change my oil every 4000 miles for 45 years, that’s 7.5 filters a year or 337.5 filters total! And never a problem! I can live with that!
Busted, only 23 comments left!
For those who might be interested in investing about 13 minutes of time this video is very informative.
The first 3 or 4 minutes also touches on comments I repeatedly make about particulates entering the combustion chambers and why extended oil changes are not necessarily a good idea due to other factors such as environmental conditions.
I read somewhere that sticking a potato on the end is also a silencer but I’ve been afraid to try it. $10,000 fine for having a silencer without a permit but I don’t think they could convict you with a potato.
Another issue with Fram is that they may be a victim of their own success. There are a lot of these filters sold so therefore more people are going to have problems with them.
I work on computers and there was a time when Dell was the biggest seller in the US and around here. I had people blame every problem they had on Dell. This included things like getting a virus. It was impossible to tell them that the virus was more likely their fault than the computer manufacturer. Either way, I have people say “I had nothing but problems with Dell. MY old computer never got viruses like this.” Anyway, I also see some problems that I do blame on the computer. Many people like to buy the cheapest version of everything. This could be oil filters or computers. The cheap lines of most computers are cheap for a reason. They are low-performing and not made to last. The cheap Dells fit this mold but so do the cheap lines of all the other computers out there. If you can buy auto parts, milk, toilet paper, and toothpaste at a store, I generally don’t suggest buying a computer there!
Either way, I don’t mind spending a couple dollar premium on an oil filter that will be in service 4000-5000 miles for peace of mind.
Speaking of Dell . . .
I remember back in the early to mid-1980s, when Michael Dell was still an up-and-comer. He wore thick glasses. Later on, when his company was gigantic, he wore contacts (or laser eye surgery?) and had a more stylish haircut
As far as Fram oil filters go, I’ve used them very occasionally over the years. I’ve never had any engine clatter when using them. I’ve also used AC Delco, Motorcraft, Wix, STP, NAPA, Mahle, etc., and factory oil filters over the years. All have been fine for me
But I’m not going to marginalize anybody’s negative experiences with Fram oil filter. Since there was something about those filters that concerned them, I don’t blame them for wanting to use a different brand
I’d rather change my oil and filter every 6 months/3k miles than try to eke out a few more miles/months from the oil. At that change frequency, the filter is practically still new anyway, so using a cheapo Fram has about zero downside, in my statistically limited experience. 
If I was trying to wring 10,000 miles or 12 months out of a filter, I’d buy a better filter. But I’m not.
Another issue with Fram is that they may be a victim of their own success. There are a lot of these filters sold so therefore more people are going to have problems with them.
Yes…more people are going to have problems…but STATISTICALLy they still have same or LOWER ratio then other filter companies. .01% of 1,000,000 filters sold = 100 filters. .01% of 100,000 filters sold = 10 filters.
So if you sell 10 times more filters then it’s competitors…yet you both have the same error rate…then you’ll have 10 times more filters with problems.