Fram fuel filter

[Breadfan]

In haste to get a fuel filter to do this weekend, I bought what was easily locally available - a FRAM fuel filter.

Is this even worth putting on my car or should I return it and purchase another brand?

Does anyone have comments on the quality? My original plan was to slap it on this weekend and just replace it sooner, but I never got around to "slapping" it on, so now I'm questioning whether or not to install it or buy a better one.

FYI I'm not doing the upgrade this time around.

[Cobra25]

I changed my fuel filter In January of this year. I went to Napa and got a Napa Gold filter made by WIX. I was told it was a excellent Fuel filter. It listed fot $19.51, Net price was $11.49. I don't know if this helps you or not.

[RF Overlord]

Breadfan, there's nothing wrong with FRAM's air/fuel/transmission filters, it's their oil filters that are an issue.

Having said that, I prefer to use gen-U-wine Motorcraft filters on the MM, although I wouldn't hesitate to use WIX/NAPA if Motorcraft was unavailable.

[Brother Mike]

What is the problem with FRAM oil filters?

[fastblackmerc]

What is the problem with FRAM oil filters?
Their quality is not up to par with the rest of the filters that are available. There is an oil filter post that explains it all..... search.

[Breadfan]

What is the problem with FRAM oil filters?

The quality of their filtering element and more imporatntly anti-drainback valve are sub-par but their price compared to other filters is above-par.

The poorly designed drainback valve allows oil from the filter to drain out causing potential for longer duration of a dry start.

Motorcraft filters are much superior and when I buy them they're about $1 cheaper than the standard FRAM oil filters. Other good filters are WIX (Napa) and Mobil 1 and K&N, also the Purolator PureONE filter.

[RF Overlord]

Brother Mike, the biggest problem with FRAM oil filters is that they're overpriced for the quality (or lack of it). They generally have less filtering media, cardboard end caps, and cheap nitrile rubber ADBVs. In a number of studies, admittedly not scientifically controlled but valid nonetheless, FRAM has consistently rated below par, even when compared to filters one wouldn't think were good, like SuperTech (Wal-Mart's house brand).

The best value-for-money (for Ford applications) is generally accepted to be Motorcraft, along with WIX/NAPA Gold (same filter, different paint on can), and Purolator. There are other very good filters, such as K&N, Mobil 1, and AMSOIL, but they're 3X the price, without being 3X the quality.

*EDIT* Looks like Breadfan and fbm beat me to it!

[Breadfan]

The subpar quality of the FRAM oil filters is why I was inquiring if this level of quality transferred to other FRAM products, mainly fuel filters.

Has anyone cut open a fram fuel filter and compared it to the Motorcraft or NAPA unit? Would be curious to examine the differences in filtering material...

But they sound good enough to use so I'll probably put this one on since no one has any loud objections to it. :D

[michael ward]

The quality of their filtering element and more imporatntly anti-drainback valve are sub-par but their price compared to other filters is above-par.

The poorly designed drainback valve allows oil from the filter to drain out causing potential for longer duration of a dry start.

Motorcraft filters are much superior and when I buy them they're about $1 cheaper than the standard FRAM oil filters. Other good filters are WIX (Napa) and Mobil 1 and K&N, also the Purolator PureONE filter. what about amsoil oil filters

[Breadfan]

what about amsoil oil filters

I believe these too are high quality filters.

[RF Overlord]

what about amsoil oil filtersSee my reply above where I said:

"There are other very good filters, such as K&N, Mobil 1, and AMSOIL, but they're 3X the price, without being 3X the quality."

Breadfan, I haven't cut open a Motorcraft fuel filter, but I have opened a few FRAMs, and I didn't see anything negative to comment about. One was on my '94 T-bird SC for about 30,000 miles and aside from all the dirt and grit it caught, the media still looked fine, as did the canister.

[Breadfan]

Good to hear! The one I bought came with the clips too...anyone know if they'll fit, I heard some say aftermarket filters had the clips too big...not sure what brand they were mentioning though!

Nice to know incase I break one. :)

[RF Overlord]

Last I knew, the FRAM fuel filter did not come with the correct clips for the MM. If they are sort of translucent cream colour, they probably won't fit. The correct clips are an opaque white. If they're the wrong ones, don't feel too bad...the Motorcraft filter doesn't come with them, either. Just be careful removing the old ones and you should be fine.

Cobra25, did the NAPA filter come with the correct clips?

[Cobra25]

Last I knew, the FRAM fuel filter did not come with the correct clips for the MM. If they are sort of translucent cream colour, they probably won't fit. The correct clips are an opaque white. If they're the wrong ones, don't feel too bad...the Motorcraft filter doesn't come with them, either. Just be careful removing the old ones and you should be fine.

Cobra25, did the NAPA filter come with the correct clips? I'm sorry , Even though I watched the Guy put it in I wasn't paying that close attention. I would just call a Napa Auto Parts store near you and ask them to look in the box to see if the clips come in their.

[TheDonk]

I recently opted for the NAPA filter for my replacement.
Clips were included but were not the right size,
a little too big.

[mtnh]

I bought a Bosch fuel filter recently and it came with the old style, large fuel filter clips. I ended up breaking both of my clips when removing the old filter, before I realized that the new clips were too large. The price on the proper clips at the dealerships is $5.00 each, so as RF says, be careful when removing the old clips, and you should be okay. I know I will be careful, from now on. I believe that the trick is to access the outer legs of the clips and push them apart, while possibly also pushing outward toward the insertion opening. I always just pryed them out from the closed end at the insertion opening, which just breaks off the leg or legs because they are not eased apart for removal on the open end.

And yes, I would allow for a shorter interval for changing the fram fuel filter out.

A NAPA store that I used to frequent had the oil filter cutaways for looking at the competition as compared to the WIX cans and ever since then, I'll never again use an orange filter for any purpose. Who knows, they may have upgraded the internals, but probably not radically. Beside the cardboard end caps and sloppy, sparse pleated media, one of the most shocking things I observed as that the bypass spring, which allows the filter to unseat and pass unfiltered, cold oil into the engine on cold starts, was made of a stamped piece of spring steel, shaped sort of like a cupped hand, while a real filter used a coil spring that was similar in appearance to a valve spring from an automotive head.

[juno]

DR had a post about getting the clips inexpensively (outboard motor?) but Ican't seem to find it.