Oil and filters...

[mardak at cogeco.ca (Mark)]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: scirocco-l-bounces@scirocco.org
> [mailto:scirocco-l-bounces@scirocco.org]On Behalf Of L F
> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 4:53 PM
> To: Mike Smith; car
> Subject: Re: Oil and filters...
>
>
> Nothing wrong with Fram, despite what many say.


Larry, have you checked out this site?  It's a pretty thorough (seemingly)
unbiased oil filter study.

<http://www.frankhunt.com/FRANK/corvette/articles/oilfilterstudy/oilfilterst
udy.html>

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Here's the Fram filters he has listed in his "Filters to Avoid" section:

Fram Extra Guard

Years ago Fram was a quality filter manufacturer.  Now their standard filter
(the radioactive-orange cans) is one of the worst out there.  It features
cardboard end caps for the filter element that are glued in place.  The
rubber anti-drainback valve seals against the cardboard and frequently
leaks, causing dirty oil to drain back into the pan.  The bypass valves are
plastic and are sometimes not molded correctly, which allows them to leak
all the time.  The stamped-metal threaded end is weakly constructed and it
has smaller and fewer oil inlet holes, which may restrict flow.  I had one
of these filters fail in my previous car.  The filter element collapsed and
bits of filter and glue were circuilating through my system.  The oil passge
to the head became blocked and the head got so hot from oil starvation that
it actually melted the vacuum lines connected to it as well as the wires
near it.

Fram Double Guard

Another bad filter idea brought to you by your friends at Fram.  The filter
itself is a slightly improved design over the Fram Extra Guard, but still
uses the same filter element.  It has a silicone anti-drainback valve, a
quality pressure releif valve, and enough inlet holes for good flow.  The
big problem is that they are trying to cash in on the Slick 50 craze.  They
impregnate the filter element with bits of Teflon like that found in Slick
50.  As with Slick 50, Teflon is a solid and does not belong in an engine.
It cannot get into the parts of the engine that oil can and therefore does
nothing.  Also, as the filter gets dirty, it ends up filtering the Teflon
right out.  Dupont (the manufacturer of Teflon) does not recommend Teflon
for use in internal combustion engines.  Please do not waste your money on
this filter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

There's enough info on this site to convince me to never buy a Fram (or many
others).  He has good things to say about the Mann and Mahle filters...

Mark.
80 S
81 S ABA/JH/4K