Why are guys so down on FRAM oil filters?

Most if not all seems to be just info spread over the internet that blooms out. Another possibility is the same scenerio as "Your more likely to get in an accident within 20 miles of home", Toyota Corolla is the "most stolen car" ect.
Do they mean to tell me if I drive in an unknown area I am safer than on familier roads? If I drive a Corolla it's much more likely to be stolen than a Corvette? Of course there are 6 million corollas to every corvette, and a person spends 99% of their driving close to home so sure these "facts" are true. Same with Fram, since millions of people use Fram, there will be more reported problems than using a Hyundai filter. Doesn't prove a whole lot.

Search on-line for "oil filter tests" or "oil filter comparisons". They do differ in quality. Here is a link: www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/FilterStudy.html

IMO oil filter choice is much the same as synthetic vs conventional oil. For the average driver/rider, if you change your oil/filter using the manufacturers recommended intervals (or less), you won't really notice any difference except the cost. After looking at the links for comparisons, the results were not really all that scientific or conclusive. For example, there were no actual filtering values given. Nor was there any info regarding how they performed over time. In the case of a filter for my kz900, the only issue is the filter medium and gaskets/o-rings. The FRAMs come with o-rings, some do not.

that is one of the reasons i like fram they do come with the o-rings i don't always use them but it is nice to have the option

I remember being shown Fram and other (parts-house) brand oil filters cut-open to demonstrate how vastly SUPERIOR the Fram filters were because they had way more pleats of filter media inside the metal can...of course, these were screw-on automotive filters for a small-block Chevy, and that was a good fifteen-twenty years ago.

First gripe I ever heard about Fram filters was on this website, and I had just pulled one out of my Z1, doing my first oil-change since I owned the bike. I found the comments about how cheap and awful the Frams were to be a little strange, since the Fram I pulled out had more filter media visible through the holes in the metal shell than the absolutely CHEESY-looking Emgo I was replacing it with... Not claiming any knowledge, here, just relating my perception.

If the problems with Fram filters being discussed involve collapsing and coming-apart, perhaps these problems are more a result of excessively-long oil-change intervals than anything else. For sure, many people run their oil and filters WAY longer than I would ever dream of doing. The idea being a bit like all the stories about Pennzoil causing sludge build-up in engines; I ran Pennzoil exclusively in an old Malibu I had from about 155,000 miles to over 315,000 miles when I finally sold it. That engine never burned a drop in 3000 miles (and it never went over 3000 miles between oil changes, so who cares what would have happened beyond that mileage?), it never knocked or ticked or clattered, and I struggled with valvecover leaks and therefore pulled the covers to see what on many poorly-maintained engines is often covered with a layer of nasty sludge (valvecover leaks on a 1975 Chevy 350...go figure...). That engine was always squeaky-clean. No sludge at all, ever. No engine I've ever owned for any length of time ever did have sludge build-up. Seems to me it's caused by infrequent oil-changes rather than the brand of oil.

Those stories about Pennzoil causing sludge build-up and these stories about Fram filters causing problems seem to me to have a common thread. Maybe I'm off-base, but the impression I get is that the same people who trash-talk one particular name-brand make no mention whatsoever of the dangers of using the cheapest made-in-China crap on the market. Apparently, Emgo crap is better than Fram filters and parts-store-brand oil is better than Pennzoil...I find both concepts EXTREMELY hard to believe.

I have a friend who used Fram filters on his Suzuki. About 700 miles after an oil change the engine seized. When the mechanic disassembled it he found the oil passages were clogged. It turns out the Fram filter element had collapsed and the cardboard end caps it is glued to had dissolved and passed through the engine. It might have been an isolated case but to me, cardboard doesn't belong anywhere near hot engine oil. I'll stick with a Wix, A Napa Gold or even an OEM before I'll ever use a Fram again. BTW, my friend got no satisfaction from Fram over his motorcycle at all.


This is a link to some interesting reading about filters:

tinyurl.com/6gn7x

Fram Blowwwwwwsssss. Just kidding. I haven't used them since about 1992. I have read that the Tough Guard series is good.

Actually, if you want to know about filters, here's the place to go. Over 6000 threads worth of reading.

www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads...tlist&Board=6&page=1

Made in China.

Buy American.

Enough Said!!

Well we own, rebuild and ride KZ's,... Made in Japan for Christ sakes.... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I use the Fram filters for the following....
Fairly cheap, readily available and they provide both o-rings so no oil leaks.

Now, I'm also a person who changes my oil faithfully every 3K miles. I'm now using Mobil 1 4T Synthetic and have no problems, unnatural noises, clunks, pings etc....

Maybe I'm just lucky...

Now can a Fram product or any other for that matter at times be defective, sure for there's nothing on the planet that's safe from Quality control related issues at times... It happens here or over seas as well...

Just my 2 worthless cents...

OMR

I change oil for a living and Frams are our house filter. I have seen pinholes on start up, filters that wouldn't seal on certain vehicles no matter how tight it was when another brand would and pinholes develop after only a few miles. Not to mention that most OEM filters have higher multipass eficiency than the standard Fram filters. Just my 2 cents. I should probabally add that all of the issues have been on car filters. I haven't been able to get filters around here for my bike so I've been using the Emgo's from Z1E.

I have had issues with Fram use in high performance car engines. Most engines experance their strongest oil pressure in the first moment after startup (when the oil is cold), and because some Fram problems included weak can to base sealing, I have actually had them blow apart when starting. Also, the bypass valves seem to be of inferior material and I have found them stuck open. I haven't seen these things improve, so I say why take the chance. But I have not experimented with motorcycle engines in this regard.

Here's my 2 cents worth: Ask yourself how many times you replace your bike filter per year. Then figure the difference in price between a "bargain" filter like Fram or Emgo (sorry fans) and a quality filter like K&N or WIX. At most, it's 2 or 3 bucks per filter. Multiply the price difference per filter times the number of filters you replace each year. Then ask yourself is the risk excessive wear and tear on the engine or premature engine failure related to using a "bargain" filter worth the few bucks you may save per year by not buying a top quality filter? Quality filters cost much less than engines.

K&N for KZ650