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New oil filter comparison video

dyeager535

dyeager535

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Not super technical, but at least a teardown. Fram has been the same cheap junk for the past 10 years, at least. I remember the original oil filter comparison from long ago.


It's surprising how expensive even the Wix have become, at least for the newer vehicles. But they are still cheaper than the OEM version of the filter, especially if you buy them in case quantities (12).
 
i've been bagging on their crap since the 90's.. Champion plugs too.... perfect example of the power of advertising.. sheeple...
 
yes he is telling a good fact story i have known for years .

i only use the super cheep crap filters included in the oil change specials for my parts washer thats it .

my engine / trans inside and remote filter all have napa gold / wix on them .
 
I have a Fram filter I got for a gift at least 15 years ago,it is still sitting in my room--I didn't want to use it after seeing a similar demo at work one day when a Wix rep came in and cut open several different brands of filters..if I ever use it,it'll be for a quick engine flush ,wont leave it on any longer than needed to do a "purge" of the crankcase..

Frankly I'm surprised so many loyal Fram buyers engines have lasted at all after seeing how shoddy the construction is on them..

I have seen Fram filters balloon and even rupture on a few engines that had high pressure & volume oil pumps..one customer wrote to Fram and complained his expensive SBC race motor had one rupture,and ruined the bearings,they replied "Any "race" or off road use is exempt from our warranty--it is clearly stated in the warranty".

--they also stated it was likely the oil pump's relief valve failed and over pressurized it--(but putting a new Wix filter on after the engine was fixed,did not show any sign of ballooning or rupturing,and the engine never had over 55 psi of oil pressure,cold or hot )..they offered to send him a new filter,which he refused,told them to shove it,and he'd never buy a Fram again,and tell everyone how poor quality they are..

Champ filters are actually quite well made too,the same company as Lubrifiner makes then..we used to sell them real cheap,like $2 per filter,many of our garage customers stocked them and never had any issues with them.
I bought several of them from a local store that went out of business recently that had just began carrying them,for $1.99 each,and Wolf Head oil for $2 a quart ..also bought several AC oil filters and Purolators for $3 each before they closed up..

I've never liked Champion spark plugs much,but some engines do seem to run better with them--not the Chevy's I've had in the past though..I always used AC plugs..supposedly "Albert Champion" invented both brands,but I have had very good performance with AC plugs,not so much with Champions..
You flood an engine with Champions and it wont ever start again until new plugs are put in it--AC plugs can usually get a flooded engine started if you floor it and crank it over long enough-once they clear out it'll run good again..
Bosch plugs suck royally in GM V8's,especially their platinum ones..
Seen many Chevy engines run worse after a tune up with Bosch plugs than it did with the old plugs!..
 
ya the specs for a wix 51061 / napa gold 1061 are crazy . the pressure for burst testing is 285psi and flows flows 9-11 gpm of oil .
 
ryoken said:
i've been bagging on their crap since the 90's.. Champion plugs too.... perfect example of the power of advertising.. sheeple...
Click to expand...

hmmmm.... I wonder why Edelbrock recommends Champions for their aluminum SBC heads.. Not that I'm particular to any "brand" .. but I'll probably start with what Edelbrock recommends.. read the plugs and eventually switch over to Accel copper core plugs..

oh yeah,,,this is an oil filter thread....
for my money it's Wix or luberfiner,,
I wouldn't put a Fram on my riding lawnmower,
 
Supposedly Champions are touted to have "the tightest thread tolerances"..so perhaps they are recommended for their aluminum heads to lower the risk of strippage..
I've seen more Champions seize and snap off in the head where the hex meets the threaded portion though too!..they rust away faster than other brands it appears..
 
I've seen more Champions seizeand snap off in the head where thehex meets the threaded portion though too!.

yeah,,,that can't be good...
 
I had a Fram filter blow out years ago. Had a stock 1971 Z/28/RS, did an oil change, drove down the road an saw my oil gauge plunge towards zero! Immediately shut it off and coasted to the side of the road. That's when I noticed a trail of oil on the road. Side split WIDE open! Luckily I shut it down before any damage.Needless to say you won't find a Fram oil filter on any of my vehicles.

Also had a buddy built a race engine who installed a Fram filter. First start, oil leaked around the rubber gasket (didn't even come close to sealing at the engine) while they were trying to adjust carburetor. By the time the puddle of oil flowed out from under the car it was too late. Scrubbed a $5K engine rebuild!

I always tell everyone I know who is getting/doing an oil change DO NOT EVER BUY A FRAM!

"Friends Don't Let Friend's Buy Fram!"

ETA: Always had good luck with Champion plugs though.
 
Haha, I have been finding threads like these entertaining. My wife now works as a accountant for a very large automotive manufacturer. She has learned alot about how these manufacturers cross brand stuff, and how they cut corners. She is in a fact one of those bean counters that helps them save money. I really can't say to much about what goes one behind the scenes but I will say they are the manufacturer of the Napa gold stuff.
Along with the silver, bronze, etc,etc. And they also sell to auto zone, o Reilly's, and rock auto and oddly enough, summit.
I'll tell you don't buy Napa gold....but it's not to say I don't get Napa gold quality at a lesser quality auto zo....i mean chain.....:whistle:
 
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beags86 said:
Haha, I have been finding threads like these entertaining. My wife now works as a accountant for a very large automotive manufacturer. She has learned alot about how these manufacturer cross brands stuff, and how they cut corners. She is in a fact one of those bean counters that help them save money. I really can't say to much about what goes one behind the scenes but I will say they are the manufacturer of the Napa gold stuff.
Along with the silver, bronze, etc,etc. And they also sell to auto zone, o Reilly's, and rock auto and oddly enough, summit.
I'll tell you don't buy Napa gold....but it's not to say I don't get Napa gold quality at a lesser quality auto zo....i mean chain.....:whistle:
Click to expand...


ummm, napa gold is made by Wix.. same exact filter... we'll run napa gold all day in the boats.... but we won't touch their silver line.. their as crappy as Fram...
 
first time i ever heard bad i think on napa gold line . but yes to the white can napa economy stuff . they have been cheeper for years . even had a run of them under a part# years ago that when i took them off they had failed inside the the gutts were rattling .

got my trucks / mom's suv / aunts suv all running gold napa . . . just got my 1061 gold napa today for my 500mile engine oil change on the brand new L31 in budget beater . and the gold on it now must be doing good as almost 500 miles on brand new engine from gm with 30w breakin oil with high zink and other good stuff is still looking like new from when i dumped it in the engine . i have had a few pulls on the street getting in the 4k-4500 rpm area also after around 300 miles of driving and idle time .

i remember the good old k&n air filter counter promo unit that had a ping pong ball in a tube . clear plexi the whole thing with a fan and 1 k&n filter and a orange foam/paper filter ( maybe was fram ) . . . that ball would hardly move on paper filter . but it would peg the ball to the top on a k&n filter .

 
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ryoken said:
ummm, napa gold is made by Wix.. same exact filter... we'll run napa gold all day in the boats.... but we won't touch their silver line.. their as crappy as Fram...
Click to expand...
sweetk30 said:
first time i ever heard bad i think on napa gold line . but yes to the white can napa economy stuff . they have been cheeper for years . even had a run of them under a part# years ago that when i took them off they had failed inside the the gutts were rattling .

got my trucks / mom's suv / aunts suv all running gold napa . . . just got my 1061 gold napa today for my 500mile engine oil change on the brand new L31 in budget beater . and the gold on it now must be doing good as almost 500 miles on brand new engine from gm with 30w breakin oil with high zink and other good stuff is still looking like new from when i dumped it in the engine . i have had a few pulls on the street getting in the 4k-4500 rpm area also after around 300 miles of driving and idle time .

i remmber the good old k&n air filter counter promo unit that had a ping pong ball in a tube . clear plexi the whole thing with a fan and 1 k&n filter and a orange foam/paper filter ( maybe was fram ) . . . that ball would hardly move on paper filter . but it would peg the ball to the top on a k&n filter .
Click to expand...

I didn't say Napa gold was bad in anyway.
Also wix doesn't produce all there own stuff...nor did I say who she works for....anyway, It just doesn't work like that.
My wife's company subcontracts all kinds of stuff. It's literally the old adage of same factory, different sticker
 
Hmmmmm. I've been running Fram Tough Guard for years and never a problem. I change oil and filter at 3000 to 4000 miles. The Silverado 1500 is due for an oil and filter change now. When I take the old Fram filter off I'll cut into it and show you the results. Probably this weekend I'll have pics.
 
I never knew Wix was that great. Just haven’t kept up with the times I guess.
I went in our local parts store years ago and asked for a filter. They handed me a Wix and before I put it on I noticed it only had one tiny hole for the inlet. I returned it and got something else. I never bought another Wix.
I will be buying the Napa Gold from now on.
 
What I find interesting is that the "level" of Fram filter doesn't seem to change the internal construction. You know when companies like Wix and Napa are selling two filters at different price points, its highly likely there are differences in construction.

As a consumer however, its exceptionally frustrating to not know what I'm getting when I buy a product. The information SHOULD be readily available. Looking at the shelf, I see Wix or Napa Silver and Gold filters (if they even sell them like that now, they seem to keep changing the names...silver, gold, NASCAR, select, etc) . When you don't TELL me why I should pay more for a gold vs. silver, I start to question why you don't...most things that are "better" explain why you pay a premium. Gold vs. silver...is that Fram vs. a Mobil 1 filter? Or is a gold filter simply a silver filter inside a different box, painted a different color?? How can I as the consumer, possibly know?

AFR heads that are CNC'd cost more than as-cast. There are obvious construction possibilities for an oil filter, why on earth would you not put "XX GPM flow, YY micron filter efficiency" etc on the box so I could compare the two, even among your own brand??

If as stated above, Wix doesn't make ALL their own stuff, which ones are good, and which are bad? Even cutting filters open doesn't tell you the flow efficiency or filtration level of the filter media.
 
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From all the videos I've watched the Fram Extra Guard oil filter is the one that has the cardboard on the ends. And they look very cheaply made.

The Fram Tough Guard and the other brands have a metal cap on the ends. Plus they all have more filtering material. Never knew that until today.

I'll still open up my used Fram filter this weekend and see how it is built just out of curiosity.
 
@beags86 @79rustyk10 fram it before you slam it :whistle:

I used to always run the cheap frams. Never an issue .
Over the past few years I’ve been running delco, wix, Napa gold and from time to time the odd fram extra guard and Mobil 1. What I have found funny is how the delco filter is usually a few bucks cheaper vs the wix. Seems like it should be the other way around to me.
 
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