FL400 Oil filter

[VAMike]

I can understand the quick lube place screwing up and having to pay instead of ford but I stand by the fram filter. I’ve been using them for 10+ years and have never had an issue. You are entitled to your opinion on Fram.

What opinion on Fram? I didn't say anything about Fram. You said "By law they can’t void your warranty" and I pointed out how you're wrong--which is not specific to any third party manufacturer. If you decide to save a couple of bucks and use a Fram filter and it doesn't blow chunks into your engine then you are correct and Ford can't void your warranty over it. But the thing you were replying to was a specific case where Ford noticed that certain filters had plastic parts that were disintegrating and leaving chunks in engines. Ford was well within their rights to say they weren't going to warranty damage caused because someone else made a defective oil filter. That's not something you can reasonably disagree with.

Nowhere did I say that all Fram filters were defective or that any use of Fram filters would void your warranty. (So, basically, you're strenuously rebutting something you brought up yourself.)

I personally don't see that the potential savings of using a Fram filter instead of OEM is worth bothering about, but I don't really care what you decide to use.

And say it does break down and causes damage. I change at 5000 and I’ll have no problem going after Fram in court for it, if it did happen.

court ?

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[2.7EcoBoost]

And another review:

I am in no way defending the Fram. Some of the gripes on Fram (for years, the paper end cap "junk") are a little over stated and reacted. I don't care to go check Fram's for moisture, but anyone who uses them should at least consider it based off that review. However, the reviewer can't be taken seriously when he points out that the Motorcraft is "missing a bypass valve....blah blah blah". Everyone who knows anything about Motorcraft knows that most all of their filters have the bypass in the baseplate. For someone to post such an ignorant and misinformative video discredits everything about the video IMHO. It makes me skeptical of the faults he found in the Fram also as he seems to be trying to sway his audience on the Wix being superior. Wix are a good filter, but it is splitting hairs to say one way or the other it's ranking vs the Motorcraft. Again, I don't use Fram's and think they are a bottom rung option with much better and cheaper/similar price point filters available. Most of us will never realize a benefit of using a FL-910 vs a FL- 400. The same can be said with oil brands. Unless we're neglecting the truck with extreme conditions and/or going past recommended OCI's. Everything else is just an opinion or personal preference. I use the FL-400 for it's slightly higher capacity. My truck will never know the difference because I am changing oil every 5k. But, I sleep better knowing that in my mind, it's getting extra filtration....

 

[HenryMac]

... For someone to post such an ignorant and misinformative video discredits everything about the video IMHO.

Agreed on some level..... but the way he cut everything apart allows you to see the internals, and form your own opinion, without spending a dime.

It's free... you get what you pay for.

 

[Frenchy]

I can understand the quick lube place screwing up and having to pay instead of ford but I stand by the fram filter. I’ve been using them for 10+ years and have never had an issue. You are entitled to your opinion on Fram. And say it does break down and causes damage. I change at 5000 and I’ll have no problem going after Fram in court for it, if it did happen. I doubt it though.

plus the Fram filters are made in America ??

It honestly doesn't matter Fram filters are made in America or not. When the quality is obviously nowhere near the factory Ford Motorcraft filter then it should be obvious can I use hey Fram filter. In all honesty you might as well go buy yourself a General Motors because you're going to have the same quality with one of those as you are a Fram filter.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I can understand the quick lube place screwing up and having to pay instead of ford but I stand by the fram filter. I’ve been using them for 10+ years and have never had an issue. You are entitled to your opinion on Fram. And say it does break down and causes damage. I change at 5000 and I’ll have no problem going after Fram in court for it, if it did happen. I doubt it though.

plus the Fram filters are made in America ??

Hi Jabob,

I certainly do not malign you for supporting Fram. It works for you. When I was racing, my starting cold oil pressure on my SuperVee engine was about 120 psi. I blew a Fram oil filter off the motor. The base plate was there but the can and paper were all over the place. Thank goodness my safety oil pressure switch shut the engine down. It pops and shut the motor down at 40 psi. (yes, to start the motor I had to have an override switch or there would always be a no start). So I used a Fram HP1 which would handle the oil pressure.

What I use is the Motorcraft as it is a Ford Engine in my Ranger. If I owned a GM product (highly unlikely) I would use AC/Delco. Ford motors are tested with Motorcraft design..GM with AC/Delco. Saving a few bucks on a filter or being loyal to a brand is part of the ownership experience and I doubt Ford would void your warranty for using a fram filter.

This filter thread is much like the What Engine Oil... Opinions are like Aholes. Every one has one and they all smell.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Jacob]

It honestly doesn't matter Fram filters are made in America or not. When the quality is obviously nowhere near the factory Ford Motorcraft filter then it should be obvious can I use hey Fram filter. In all honesty you might as well go buy yourself a General Motors because you're going to have the same quality with one of those as you are a Fram filter.

Well considering I also own a 1997 Chevy K1500 with nearly 300,000 miles on it, I guess Fram isn’t too bad now is it. ??‍

 

[outdoorphotog]

I feel like i'm on BITOG now.

 

[jsphlynch]

I went down this Wix vs Motorcraft road when I first got the truck. I almost posted these pictures but didn't want to start a war.

Tl;dr they're both perfectly acceptable but I'm using Wix

The Motorcraft is taller, so on first glance it looks like it has more filter media. However, the Wix pleats are deeper. I don't remember the calculations but the Wix had a significantly higher filter area by the square inch.

I just picked up a Motorcraft filter a couple days ago to get ready for my first oil change. Thanks for posting these pictures!

Noticed that you're using NAPA Gold for this comparison. The Wix filters used to be NAPA Silvers. Has this changed?

 

[2.7EcoBoost]

I just picked up a Motorcraft filter a couple days ago to get ready for my first oil change. Thanks for posting these pictures!

Noticed that you're using NAPA Gold for this comparison. The Wix filters used to be NAPA Silvers. Has this changed?

WIX did provide all of Napa's filters. At least ones that WIX had a cross for. I believe they still do. Mann+Hummel bought WIX and Purolator a few years back. Now filters can be the same "part" and be 2 completely different designs, based off of logistics and/or cost with some being WIX, some Purolators and others the Mann-Hummel etc. I just bought some Napa silvers "SFL 31348" for my wife's car (FL-910 equivalents) and they are "Wix" but the sticker now says Mann-Hummel very small whereas it used to say WIX. In that particular filter size, the Platinum, Gold and Silver are all the WIX design. The Napa Pro Select has a different base plate which looks like the Mann filter, but I can't say 100%. Other sizes like the FL-400s all of them including the cheaper "Pro Select" uses the same WIX base plate. There have been so many mergers and buyouts in the Auto parts industry that I think the only way to know is to physically look at the filter as the base plate is a good indicator. Even then, we don't know for sure what has been changed inside to save cost. BTW, Napa has the Platinum filters on sale ($5.99) thru end of the month for those looking for a real bargain on a high quality synthetic (WIX) filter.

 

[Pinepig]

Decades ago I only had to cut open one Fram oil filter. Last one for me. I also cut open Wix - no comparison.

There's a reason Fram are $4 at Wally world.

I just did my first oil change today and strangely the Fram filters at WW were $10 and the Ford Motorcraft one WAS $4.

 

[runner69]

I know which law you are talking about. The funny thing about it is Ford has already proven that the lovely filter media of sorts that frame uses it's such a low quality that it likes to break apart and go right into the engine and clogged up oil passages there for destroying an engine. I remember this bulletin in particular because it did state that if the customer has a Fram oil filter on their vehicle and the engine locked up you are to inspect inside. If you find parts of the oil filter inside the engine and oil passages the warranty is void. Use a Fram filter at your own risk but I would not recommend them at all.

very true, when I worked at Ford and the 5.4 went to VVT they had a lot of problems with Fram filters coming apart and plugging the oil passages in the cylinder heads. I would stick with what Ford put on it, at least until its out of warranty. but I would NEVER use a Fram filter. there are some "you tube" videos that show the insides of the filters, an eye opener

 

[runner69]

I just did my first oil change today and strangely the Fram filters at WW were $10 and the Ford Motorcraft one WAS $4.

be careful buying filters from WW, they do have some counterfeit filters. if they are $0.75 or so less then you are probably ok, but $3 or $4 less I would stay clear.

 

[outdoorphotog]

They have FL400 at summit racing for $7ish

 

[Ranger8729]

Uh huh...

 

[Dereku]

There really isn't going to be a difference with going to a bigger filter on the new Ranger. The technology now a days has far improved compared to way back in the day before I was thought of. also that's if there is any room for a bigger filter. I have enough trouble getting my oil filter wrench on as it is. Also as long as you keep up on the maintenance unlike most you should not have any issue at all. Hopefully its nowhere near like the 4.6 and 5.4 where if you keep going over the intervals for oil changes it destroyed the oil passages in the entire engine.

4.6 was a solid motor, until the VVT 3v. Same with the 5.4 2v. It was the VVT system that was sensitive to oil change intervals. Last truck was a 4.6 2v with 260k on it. Ran like a top.

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