5.2 V8 Oil filter question

Chris,

I run the even-longer pre-'72 filters (=Fram PH8A, but I do not permit Fram garbage near my vehicles) on my 5.2.

DS

Please elaborate. Garbage as in "could destroy engine" or garbage as in "not quite as good as..."? I've got a PH43 on my '78 318 LeBaron. What would you recommend for my next oilchange?

Actually, not all of the Fram line is bad. Most people are repeating what they've heard or read someone else say or write based on this article:

*OR* they didn't read it completely, *OR* they filtered out all the goodcomments on certain filters that Fram makes. The evaluation in that article of the Fram Tough Guard? actually is very favorable (construction, materials, quality of anti-drainback valve, etc.). It is one step up in Fram's product line from their baseline filter which is the one that maybe truly deserves criticism.

It's no never mind to me, as I use the Purolator Pure One? (Purloator's closest equivalent to the Tough Guard? - same price range, features, etc.), but I do think fairness is in order.

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")

Well, I wouldn't use a Fram filter on a worn-out sewage pump, but that's beside the point.

Is the PH43 the one that cross-references to an AC PF-2, Wix 1515, Motorcraft FL-1, etc.? In other words, the most commonly used oil filter on the market?

If so, then go ahead and use it (if it will fit in the allowed space, and if you can stomach risking your bearings to the whims of Fram). I use Wix 1515/AC PF2/Motorcraft FL1 equivalents on ALL my Mopar v8s. That is the filter they were originally designed for, and the only reason they switched to shorties in later years was because some body/engine combinations don't allow the longer filter. The longer filter has more surface area and causes a lower pressure drop. Especially important with the minimal filter area that Fram filters start out with.

More than enough reasons to throw away standard Fram oil filters in your garage:

We probably oughtta keep it down a little, or before you know it we'll have Ralphie Wiggum^h^h^h^h^h^h^H^HWoods advocating his toilet paper oil filters and Lloyd Parker reminding us of Condemner Retards' confabulated oil filter "tests" of 14 years ago.

No, that's PH8A.

DS

Garbage as in "It'll be debated until the cows come home, but enough engines of enough different designs have been ruined by enough poorly-made Fram filters of enough different types that it's utterly dumb to take the gamble, in my opinion".

I'll use Purolator, Wix (NAPA), Hastings, and several other brands, but

*never* Fram.

DS

I agree. Fram filters are absolute garbage. Run away.

C

I was sitting down the other day with the owner of a local auto parts store. As we're sitting there chatting several customers came in. One wanted to buy oil and filter for their car, one wanted brake pads, and one wanted a new air and fuel filter. They all had one thing in common. When asked what brand/type of product, they all said "The cheapest one available." These are the types of folks that whine when they blow a head gasket at 75k miles, spin a bearing, or warp their rotors every 10K miles. We had a really good chuckle about it. When people come into my shop and ask for "the cheapest," I send them somewhere else. It's not worth the aggravation.

An automobile is a complex piece of machinery. If you use garbage parts and/or garbage consumables, it won't last.

Cheers,

C

>

The "Fram is crap" argument aside, have you ever noticed how thin the metal in the casing of a Purolator Pure One? is? Not that it seems to matter - it's the filter I use, but with all the pickiness about filters that I see, whenever I'm changing my Pure One?, I always am amazed at how easily crushable the walls are by the filter wrench and by hand - reminds me almost of paper. Perhaps it's a better grade of steel with good tensile qualities (stronger even though thinner)?

Bill Putney (to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with "x")

What a load of shit.

*shrug* As I said, it'll be debated until the cows come home. There's lots of evidence to support my position. All you've offered so far to counter it is that you think it's a load of shit. If you intend for your opinion to mean anything, you'll have to do much better than that.

DS

There's lots

Really? Such as?

This is a legitimate question when it comes to motor oil (leaving aside the "recycled" motor oil shit that some places sell) since they all have to meet the same API specs. I'd also suggest it's a legitimate question for an air filter also.

Ted

Yes, the one I gave is (I gather) the one that is currently being maintained by the author.

Mike Behnke wrote:

>>

Hmmm, I've never noticed the Pure One as being any THINNER than standard oil filters like Fram, AC, Motorcraft etc. But I do use the Mobil 1 filter on my one engine that kicks up 95+ psi of oil pressure until the oil reaches full operating temperature ('69 440 with a high-volume oil pump). "Just in case"

I've read reports of the M1 filter also failing at the crimp between the base and the shell, but I've never seen it and the heavier guage metal all-around makes me feel better when I see that needle swing past 90. That and the fact that since that car only accumulates enough miles for a filter change about once per year, the stupid-expensive cost of the M1 doesn't bother me as much :-)

On the other hand, I've seen unbelievable quantities of sludge build-up in engines religiously maintained with certain oil brands, and amazingly clean internals on the same model engine maintained (or even somewhat neglected) with other oil brands. The API specs set a minimum, not a maximum. Yes, driving habits could also make the difference, but I've seen the correlation with oil brand FAR more often than not. Makes one wonder.