Why do fram oil filters suck?
 

What sucks about them? I bought the Fram Xtreme guard (best filtering one?) for my fc3c and I dont see whats so bad about it??
and if anybody knows are the platinum ($5 each) worth it?

I've always used fram oil filters in my cars. Never had an oil-related problem with them.

It's basicly that pure he said she said bullshit.Ive never had a problem with the FRAM Tough Guard oil filters.Here guys read up.

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/oil_filter_study/

Overall the best filters to use on these cars is a Mazda OEM filter or Posulator oil filters.

Low filtering material and crappy bypass is what I remember being the main reason for their shittyness. I never had any problem with my Frams but I don't want to take a chance with something that will cost me 1-2k dollars to rebuild an engine if my oil filter explodes or fails. I normally use Bosch or MAZDA filter. MAZDA filters have about twice as much filter material in them as the fram ones. Thats one big ass difference. ;) The mazda filters are like 5 dollars. Its worth getting them so why be a cheap bastard?

cut one open and you will see the difference.. we have our oil filters made by the same company as mazda and they are only 3.00 each plus shipping..

just get some acdelco filters.

just read the write up

Fram filter...when get clogged up can let oil bypass the filter cause your oil to get dirty quick. some people have problems and some people dont. Its one of those thing were if it works for you...then its good to use for you. if it doesnt work for someone else then they go try something else

Justin

ive always used fram filters but i think i will start getting mazda filters. it seems the fram does a good job at cleaning the oil for about 2000 miles then the oil starts to get pretty dirty, i do notice a big difference between oil at 2000 miles and 3000+ miles. obviously im no mad scientist but ive concluded that its prolly best to get oem mazda ones.

Thx for all the replies, I dont leave my oil/filters in long enough to see them get significantly dirty.. usually change about every 1800mi.

I use Mobil filters there the most expensive, but i think im just gonna switch to mazda OEM.

i did, and acdelco was the best.

hahaha! I change my oil ever 1000 miles, I dont even give it a chance to get dirty.

On the cars that we race regularly, a couple of 1982 Tiga Sports 2000 cars, we use fram oil filters, but not the sure grip. Aparently, and don't ask why, because we don't know either, since the sure grip is an outer coating, through many race weekends and much cleaning up after it, the suregrip on the filter leaks. This dosen't make much sense, but that is just what we have found out. come to your own conclusion...

I've used nothing but Fram Toughguards on my RX7 for the past 8 years without an issue.

cut one open, not a lot of filter in there

The Toughgaurd has more media than the cheaper Extragaurd.
Pics: Oil Filter Comparison Study - GM Truck Central

There is lot of youtube videos on filters cut open. I usually use puralator on protege and mazda oem on my fc

of course you won't notice the difference until you need the better filtering..

I havent used Fram filters before, but I did oil changes on people's cars I ended up breaking the filters in half when pulling them off. These were 2 diferent type of cars, they may have been put on way to hard, not used a thin skim of oil on the seals.... no idea. But I always thought the Fram filters were good. Just my .02

Anyone else have an issue like that?

the basic fram filters are about the second worst out there, there was one company that made worse filter: "Mighty" brand filters.

+1

I remember we used them when using brand new parts since the oil needed to be changed really quickly on civics. I only use royal purple filters since I've seen really good data about them

At the school I teach I spend a lot of time in the shop. We have had 3 FRAM with catastrophic failures in them: you take it off the car and the filter medium has literally disintegrated.
If you consider that we do not do 10 oil changes a day, if anything maybe one a week at best, you can see that it's either that we've had a streak of very negative coincidences with FRAM filters, or they are simply shit.
My 2 cents, anyway.

Back in the mid/late 80's when I was still actively racing motorcycles, Fram filters were illegal- you couldn't roll tech if you had one installed.
WERA had seen a rash of Frams that blew the housings right off the screw base, must have been bad crimps.

I think Fram rectified the problem and were later reapproved but I've never considered using one of their filters again.