Notice about Fram oil filters

wolfen

Active member
Ok I have one thing to say about Fram oil filters, DO NOT USE THEM!!!!!!!!!
Let me explain, we own a 2001 Jeep Wrangler that has been running fine since new, we bought it from Priority Toyota 2 years ago for $6000, it had 63k on it, ran fine the first few months, then it started a little tiny bit of valve clatter between 1st and 2nd, I thought nothing of it, then it stated getting worse, last month i changed the lifters, cam shaft and push rods due to abnormal wear, thinking it was something majorly wrong i hooked up a direct pressure gage to the block, I got 45psig @700rpm nominal w/195deg temp. that is normal, what isn't normal is the Fram oil filter for the past year has been letting all the oil drain from the top of the engine back into the oil pan, due to a cheaply designed and built anti drain back valve.
Now I have the Jeep sitting on the back porch with the hood all the way open so I can change engines, all because I used what I thought was a good oil filter.
Basically this Fram filter has been causing a dry start every time the engine was started, causing premature wear on everything from the brand new lifters (now abnormally worn) since there is no oil in engine until the pump pumps it out of the pan into the engine. I now recomend ANYTHING except Fram products.
 
You're just the Bluebird of Happiness when it comes to car issues. LOL Sorry you've been having so many vehicle problems lately.
 
Hmmmm, that's interesting. Are you certain it is a faulty design and not just a bad part? Have you contacted Fram?

I've used their filters (and K&N when I could afford them) and now wonder if my valves are a prodigy of a poorly designed back flow - they've had issues just as yours.

I'll have to do some research into this.
 
Hmmmm, that's interesting. Are you certain it is a faulty design and not just a bad part? Have you contacted Fram?

I've used their filters (and K&N when I could afford them) and now wonder if my valves are a prodigy of a poorly designed back flow - they've had issues just as yours.

I'll have to do some research into this.

I have the website here->>> http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/index.html

Plus last might when I was orderingteh engine, I looked at a cut open AC Delco oil filter, if you buy one of those make sure when you look inside it you see MATEL screening holding the filter element in oplace, NOT plastic, teh plastic ones suck the life out of your car as fast as a fram
 
Hmmmm, that's interesting. Are you certain it is a faulty design and not just a bad part? Have you contacted Fram?

I've used their filters (and K&N when I could afford them) and now wonder if my valves are a prodigy of a poorly designed back flow - they've had issues just as yours.

I'll have to do some research into this.


Yea its the design, I've talked to a few people at the parts stores and they all say its a fram thing, so I bought a brand new one, and took it apart, fram oil filters are missing two very important things, (1) a back flow valve to prevent the oil from draining out of the engine and back into the pan, and (2) a bypass valve, which is necessary in case the filter clogs, it bypasses dirty oil back into circulation, dirty oil is better than no oil, but a fram just clogs and doesn't allow any oil through at all.
I tried to contact fram, they don't answer email from pissed off people
 
Yea its the design, I've talked to a few people at the parts stores and they all say its a fram thing, so I bought a brand new one, and took it apart, fram oil filters are missing two very important things, (1) a back flow valve to prevent the oil from draining out of the engine and back into the pan, and (2) a bypass valve, which is necessary in case the filter clogs, it bypasses dirty oil back into circulation, dirty oil is better than no oil, but a fram just clogs and doesn't allow any oil through at all.
I tried to contact fram, they don't answer email from pissed off people

Roger that, sir.

So, any suggestions? Stick with K&N?
 
Yea its the design, I've talked to a few people at the parts stores and they all say its a fram thing, so I bought a brand new one, and took it apart, fram oil filters are missing two very important things, (1) a back flow valve to prevent the oil from draining out of the engine and back into the pan, and (2) a bypass valve, which is necessary in case the filter clogs, it bypasses dirty oil back into circulation, dirty oil is better than no oil, but a fram just clogs and doesn't allow any oil through at all.
I tried to contact fram, they don't answer email from pissed off people

Wow!
I cannot believe that in this day & age a company would sell that kind of crap!
 
Wow!
I cannot believe that in this day & age a company would sell that kind of crap!
My thoughts exactly. This is the type of product I would expect to purchase from some "cheap discount store" selling Chinese imports.

No internal back pressure valve is a real no no, if the filter should clog (which under normal circumstances it should not), it will split the filter element, making it completely useless.
 
I fully agree, gentlemen.

In my naivety, I thought that Fram was an excellent filter of some quality. What good was all that expensive synthetic oil if the filter, an $8 part, fails or otherwise leaves the engine dry?

My truck is a 1995 Ford F-150, and I have the straight-6, 4.9L 300 that are now phased out but standard for the day. It is purported that as long as you have oil in the engine they'll play the role of the Energizer Bunny and keep going and going and going.

Nonetheless, I took fantastic care of my truck. But to what end if I am constantly dry starting it?

UGH!

Wolfen, thank you so much for all of this information. It sucks to hear it, but the hard truths are always better than not being informed at all.
 
I fully agree, gentlemen.

In my naivety, I thought that Fram was an excellent filter of some quality. What good was all that expensive synthetic oil if the filter, an $8 part, fails or otherwise leaves the engine dry?

My truck is a 1995 Ford F-150, and I have the straight-6, 4.9L 300 that are now phased out but standard for the day. It is purported that as long as you have oil in the engine they'll play the role of the Energizer Bunny and keep going and going and going.

Nonetheless, I took fantastic care of my truck. But to what end if I am constantly dry starting it?

UGH!



Wolfen, thank you so much for all of this information. It sucks to hear it, but the hard truths are always better than not being informed at all.


You should be good on your engine with a fram as long as you change the oil and filter every 3000 miles, its any engine with the oil filter between the crank shaft and oil pan, yours is under the crank shaft. BUT other filters have better filtration properties than fram
 
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