Q-talk 86 - Product Watch - SLAM the FRAM
- Details
- Category: Q-Talk Articles
- Published: Wednesday, 23 December 2009 16:24
- Written by Dave Richardson
- Hits: 2779
Slam the Fram
We had a very unexpected result from placing the color photos from Q-Talk 85 on the QuickieBuilders.org web site. Q1 pilot, Dennis Clark, was viewing photos of Jerry Mar-stall's electronic ignition installation and noticed the distinctive orange color of Jerry's Fram oil filter on his Revmaster. Dennis sent a message to the QLIST mentioning an informal study of different oil filters listed on the Internet that expressed a concern about Fram oil filters.
In reviewing the "study", it was apparent that the author had an axe to grind with Fram given he toasted a 5.0L V8 (Mustang?) engine due to a filter failure. He could have just "bad mouthed" Fram, but instead he did his homework. He educated himself on filter technology and examined the many filters available. He purchased examples of each "brand" and cut them open to inspect their workings. What he found was revealing. There are several "brands" out there, but only a handful of manufacturers. His investigation found that Fram Extra Guard, Penzoil and Quaker State are all the same filter just different paint. While Fram was considered a good name in the past, the author reports that this line of filters appears to be a cheapened version with glued on cardboard end caps, poorly molded bypass valves and a stamped metal threaded end that is weakly constructed. He went on to say that the Fram Double Guard uses the same elements as the Extra Guard but impregnates the element with Teflon riding the Slick 50 wave. Even Du-pont, the maker of Teflon, does not recommend Teflon for use in internal combustion engines.
Some brands marked by the article's author as recommended include Motorcraft, NAPA, Purolator and Wix.
The full article can be found at the following web address:
http://members.nbci.com/minimopar/oilfilterstudy.html
Read the article and decide for yourself.
You can order a printed copy of Q-talk #86 by using the Q-talk Back Issue Order Page.