INTERESTING DEBATE...

I'm in the process of cutting open filters that fit the Kawi V Twins ( as part of an oil cooler feasability study )... I have been using Frams in my quad for the last several years...

I currently have several regular Fram, several Fram Super Gaurd, & several Fram Tough Gaurd filters cut open, along with 2 - 3 different stock Kawi filters, & a hand ful of others... I'm currently running a Bosch & Puralator filter, right now in a few machines, to cut open, & include in the study... one thing I do, before cutting them open, is run them in the machine, often in competition doing pulls, hare scrambles, Mud Bogs, drag racing etc...

... yes the Fram filters are just glued on the ends, but not one of the half dozen or so, that I've cut open has seperated on the glued ends, the Frams were run with both straight 30 wt oil, & full synthetics, with no problems noted at cut open time... they have better than most check valves & back flow valves, so the glued ends seems to be their main fault ( if you can call a zero percent filter failure rate a fault )... I do think that the Fram filter could fail, if left in the machine for several years of abuse, in very nasty conditions, until the filter media was completely plugged, or if water got introduced into the engine oil ( one of the stock filters was from a machine that submarined, & the oil calked out, causing the filter media on the stock filter plug up & fail ) I'm sure if this had happened to the Fram, it may have pulled the filter loose, but I personally wouldn't fault the Fram at that point...

... now I'm not pushing the Fram filters, but it's amazing just how passionately people can spread this stuff ( just like Penzoil being junk )... I would think twice about using the Frams for machines that run MX, otherwise unless you really abuse the machine far beyond what I do with my competition machines, IMO, the Frams are not as bad as their rep... BTW... if you'd like to include your favorite brand of filter in my study, let me know... if it's something like the "outragously priced K&N", you can just send me a used filter, & I'll cut it open & include it in my test... I am laying them all out, so everyone can see the condition of the filter media after use, the style & type of valves, "O"rings, & any other relevant points... look for pics later...

 

My experience with the Fram filters is anti-drainback valve is pretty poor, so when I started up both my Honda Accord and my Audi A6 I would get a ticking noise for the first few seconds. I switched filters on both cars and the noise went away - on both cars.

You can do a google and find all sorts of reports regarding the filters. I never said using a fram will blow your engine, but for the price there are a lot better ones out there that have the better build quality. My engines are worth it.

newbeatle, are you only using ATV filters or also car filters? I might be able to send you a stock Arctic Cat filter, or some other kinds from my cars. Let me know. And keep us updated with your results. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I'm only doing "filters that fit ATV's" right now... I know that this has been done many times for car filters, & motorcycle filters... one thing I'm doing differently, is that I'm cutting open used filter... much more messy, but I think it'll show better the filters after being used...

I have 3 Artic Cat's, one 650 V Twin, & 2 - 500's at my disposal here... that would save the shipping costs, but thanks for the offer...

 

"More urban myth stuff. If Fram is so bad why does Consumers Union use them as the baseline to compare all the others too?"

It's because thery are the baseline, lowest in the pack. If you can't out-filter Fram you won't make it in the filter market. It's not the quality of the build, it is the materials that make them sub-standard. Cardboard media is old technology and is now obsolete to synthetic filtering media.

All you have to do is compare the single and multi-pass filtering rates to see that Fram is sub-standard to the premium filters. You can't really even say that price is the deciding factor in choosing between Fram and premium because one of the best filter values out there is the Wal-mart Supertech. The Supertech filters cost around 2 dollars and have a 98% single and 99% multi pass filtering rate with synthetic filtering media.

 

LT... I have a used Super Tech cut open... It had such a bad back flow valve, that I couldn't check the oil on the oil cooler system it was installed in... the oil would drain back into the crank case from the higher cooling coil, as fast as the engine was shut off...

It might filter OK, but so far, that is the only one I've found that failed to maintain enough oil in the cooling coil to allow the system to be topped off properly...

 

Your response shows you have never seen how CR test and their results or you wouldn't make such wrong and stupid statements. Just because it is ols technology doesn't mean it doesn't do an adequate job for the average consumer.

 

I've used Fram,AC/Delco, wix, Dutch, and store brands on my car's and truck's. But when i changed the filter on my 06' AC 400 4x4 i went with dealer's filter, the one that was on my ac had Arctic Cat printed on it; but the replacement i got from the dealer didn't, there wasn't any logo only a number ! They offered arctic cat oil in the gallon jug, but i asked if i could use the same brand oil i always used in my other atv's; they told me it would be fine and wouldn't voil my warrantee ! I don't know about filter's but i'll use castrol gtx 10w40 in winter and 20w50 in summer. I just thought i'd use the cat filter, but like i said the filter my dealer sold me didn't say arctic cat on the filter. So i guess any good quality filter would be fine also........williebee

 

Bear, I have access to CR online, and I haven't been able to find one thing about there filters test. Do you have a link you could share with us where they say the Fram filters are good? I am very curious to see this. Thanks [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Me too to the on-line but the one I had was hard copied from years ago. I will check to see if it is in my files. I think I will e-mail CR also.

 

45/70 Your response just shows me that these so-called stupid statements must be truth, or you wouldn't have gotten so emotional in your response. Do you work for Fram? If not, why are you defending them like you do? It is common knowledge that a standard Fram filter might be a good filter, but for many folks they are not good enough, and it boils down to filtering quality. It's not about failure rates because most people are not going to check their filter against CR testing or cut filters open, and even if they did, would they know what they are looking for? It's about the SAE rating on the box. The Fram being a 94-96% filter will not clean the oil as well as a 98-99% filter, sounds basic enough right? That's because it is basic and SAE testing proves it.

Some people, like myself, choose to use a better filter and oil to insure that their engine will not fail due to lack of care or maintenance. For 2$ more once or twice a year I will be using premium filters.