Who was it who mentioned Fram oil filters and dropping oil pressure? (2025 Update)

Well if it was rebuilt it wasn't new and likely wasn't anywhere close to being like original. Are you talking about a slant six engine?

It's kinda suspicious that you can't keep your story straight. Previously you said Fram was used right after the rebuild. Now you make it sound like you used other filters and used the Fram much later. You know anyone can make up a story and tell it on usenet.

-jim

The guy in the article said he had the same problem with all filters, so that standpipe might be the answer. I drove a '74 Dart with that 225 for years and never had an issue. Lot's of voodoo here. A knowledge of oil flow through a particular engine where Frams supposedly cause problems would be useful. I suspect most of the complaints about Fram have nothing to do with drainback, but with resistance to flow. Maybe air pocketing and how the particular system handles that. Just a guess, though. But nothing an oil pressure gage couldn't determine pretty quick with the right method.

--Vic

I started this thread because a while ago I posted a post in the Soob group about my '89 losing oil pressure. Now, the oil pressure wasn't fantastic when I bought it, but it got worse, *FAST*! Then someone made a remark about Fram oil filters. Now, I use Quaker State, Castrol and Valvoline (Mostly QS and Castrol) in my engines; never the bargain basement or Wal*Mart stuff. I get the oil at AutoZone,and they often have a deal including a Fram filter, so I get them.

I'll be replacing the Fram on the Soob with a Wix this weekend, and we'll see what happens...

It's just funny, on three different cars, after installing a Fram filter the oil pressure suffered an immediate drop!

Is it a good filter? I hope so. I usually use the Extra Gaurd, and the last 'special' was a Tough Gaurd, but still the pressure dropped...

The Vibe was built at Nummi in California.

Oh, yeah. I forgot. You guys already had your Thanksgiving...

Yes, but you have no way of knowing what part was on the car in question. The guy who owned the car doesn't know what it had.

Well your missing valve would explain why you were having problems.

But I suspect you were just unaware that the valve was there and quite likely if you had problems with the oil draining back then the valve was not functioning properly. Again this is something ore likely to happen in an old dirty engine. I was not aware there was a check valve in the outlet, but I never encountered the problem so there would be no reason to be looking for a cause. It does make sense that this type of design would need a valve in the outlet.

I found 2 sources that describe the part as "oil filter standpipe w/valve".

And another popular mechanics article describing what what happens if the valve sticks in the closed position:

-jim

You tell me that. Your the one claiming there is some sort of oil pressure problem but you haven't explained the circumstances with enough clarity for any one reading it to determine anything. The only thing you have said that sounded clear and reliable is that that you hated Fram filters before you even tried the first one, and that you tried that one filter on a fairly old engine which you rebuilt. That is hardly the mountain of evidence you seem to think it is.

Yes it is something you just made up. You do not have much evidence. Your tale is one rather poorly remembered single incident. I have seen engines with various types of oil pressure problems and most of them were not using Fram filters.

Nobody denies there is a lot of Fram detractors on Usenet. That is a fact - no one doubts you can find people who agree with you. But if the only evidence you can muster is everybody else says the Fram filter is bad - that is no evidence at all.

I don't claim Fram filters never fail, but I know that anyone who claims they always fail is simply lying. Studies have shown that the failure rate for the drain back valve on Fram's is no different than many other brands. It may come as a surprise to you but brand new engines sometimes fail.

Read the following from a service technician that spent 35 years looking at the problems that can occur with Ford engines under warranty"

All filters be it air, fuel, oil have the potential to induce contamination from the very material it is constructed of. The very filter material that is designed to remove contaminates can breakdown and migrate into down stream engine components. Any filter regardless of manufacture has this potential. We have seen this with Mass air, fuel injectors, oil passages ( restrictors). it happens because anything mechanical has the potential to fail.

We would write reports based on our teardown analysis of the failed engine. This report would be used for determination of warranty approval or denial. I cannot remember when a warranty was denied because a specific brand of oil filter was used. Now I've seen failures where we found the original factory oil filter still on the engine after twenty to sixty or seventy thousand miles and this was noted in the report. A much bigger factor for warranty claim is regular maintainance with receipts/records intact. I simply do not believe a dealer has the legal right to deny a claim based on what brand of oil or filter the customer used. I personally have never seen this happen. We would get police vehicles with blown engines from high speed chases. The records would show they used some off brand filter with bulk oil but had regular oil changes at recommended intervals. They still were covered under warranty. I have recieved failed engines with every brand or off brand oil filter you can imagine and it was not a determining factor of warranty denial or acceptance. Keeping receipts and maintainance records for each vehicle is paramount.

Therefore the Fram versus Motorcraft debate in my opinion is mute. I have used Fram as well as motorcraft and others. If I have a particular concern ( start up knock for example) with one over the other then I stick with the one I have confidence in. I have never seen a warranty denial because a Fram filter was on the engine or as I stated any brand filter for that matter.

This is just based on my experience. I don't claim to know everything about this topic. But I know that Ford does value a customer and tries to satisfy them. After spending much time also as a dealer panel rep I can tell you there is always two sides of the story to every warranty claim. The dealers and the customers. I learned not to make any judgement until I heard both sides. You would be surprised how the story can change once you get everyone in room together....

If you are abusing your vehicle or neglecting regular maintainance they can and will decipher it and you very well may foot the bill on a failure replacement or repair. If not then the dealer should take care of you regardless of the oil filter brand. ***** END QUOTE******

Indeed.

Had a CAnadian supplier call me yesterday. I guess it was "thursday" to him.

nate

(pecan pie for breakfast! woo hoo!)

We'll see what happens after I change the Soob filter...

The test will only be meaningful and valid if you go to the dealer and get the manufacturers recommended filter.

That is what independent claims adjusters are for

Or maybe its just the bogey man out to get you.

No its not at all the same. Using non-certified products will void your warranty. If Fram filters disintegrate then the automakers would have literally thousands and thousands of claims against fram. There would be class action lawsuits. It wouldn't just be rumor and superstition on usenet.

The people I know who have the longest lived engines use Fram filters. I know a guy who bought a new GTO in the mid 60s when he got out of the service and still drives it today. He claims his secret is to change the filter every 2000 miles and change the oil every other filter change. The engine is pristine and never had a problem. Just about everything else on the car has been replaced or rebuilt. But you are right if you aren't going to be willing to deal with the rest of the car there is little point in doing the maintenance that keeps the engine running good that long.

-jim

Sure if one bogey man story fails to support your superstitious beliefs - just create another bogey man story.

Puleeze. They're obviously different folks. And you will killfile somebody because they might use Fram oil filters? Oil filter fanaticism to the extreme!

--Vic

Well, I didn't see "Mike Hunter" posting to this thread before, although he seems annoyed that he has "had his fill." And "Jim's" posts are every bit as opinionated and full of himself as I've come to expect from "Mike." So they may or may not be the same person but I thought that "Mike" was implying that he was "Jim."

In any case, this has gone on far too long, and "Jim" certainly seems every bit as pleasant to interact with as "Mike" and as immune to facts that don't fit with his preconceived worldview.

nate

It certainly has. This business of getting on usenet and slamming Fram filters for no good reason has been going on for way way too long. There is no reliable data or evidence to support these slams but the perpetrators think they can gang up and bully everybody else into agreeing with them.

I don't have an opinionated world view. Your the one promoting opinionated superstitious beliefs. My personal belief is that the difference between one filter brand and another doesn't amount to hill of beans as far as the overall effects it has on an engine. Anybody can use any filter that is designed for the application and change it before it is saturated with dirt and the chance of having a problem are practically nil. You can apply the same logic to the filter in a vacuum cleaner.

There is no evidence that there is any greater risk when using one brand as compared to another. The way things are nowadays the average engine will outlast the rest of the car if you just follow the recommended maintenance schedule.

-jim

In clean dry conditions with 2000 mile oil changes, using today's oils,many engines would live a very long life WITHOUT a filter - and in many cases longer than with a bad filter (no drainback dry-start issues)

Heck, my 1949 VW only had a cupshaped flyscreen and IT had something well over 200,000 MILES on it, in the hot, dusty, and humid (alternately) southern Zambia conditions. It had apparently had a valve job, but nothing else. (didn't have enough power to hurt itself, I always said) before I got it in 1973.

I only but a few thousand miles on it, around Livingstone, up to Choma and Macha, and one trip down to Chobe Botswanna

Far as I've seen, it's a case of disagreement, not lying. Open discourse. That's what it's all about, baby!

--Vic

OK....changed the oil in the Soob today ,a dn installed a Wix filter. Just by lokking at it it appeared to be a better made filter.

No change in oil pressure...

However that horrible clacking noise went away in about 2 minutes, after clacking for the past week. Previously, changing oil did NOT eliminate the clacking noise once it started.

Filter change do that? I don't know. I don't care. It stopped.

Were you born brain dead or do you take medication for that?