Do a google search Fram oil filter problems. Could be an unfair internet rumor or could be that people really have tested them and had problems. I don't really see how a major corporation could make a bad filter but since it is very easy to cross reference to another brand I would not take a chance. I have seen a Hastings demo and that is a different type quality filter . Purolator was also rated good. Lots of bad complaints about Fram on various hot rod sites too.
 
You probably can, but they are a poorly rated filter. Wix has a wonderful website for finding filter numbers, they are rated much
better and readily available, I get mine at O'Reillys. If it is a L2500DT with a Kubota D1403AE Engine it looks like it takes a
51311 oil filter, but I would double check. I always look them up myself but tell the counter person just what it's for, if we agree
then it will probably work!
 
yea just find the one you need, run them for years no issues. still being used today on rural mail vehicle that runs
over 250,000 miles in little over 4 years
 
Sorry, it looks like I got some numbers mixed up, the number I come up with after looking again is Wix 51068. I am surprised that they don't use the same filter on many models. Again, find out exactly what you have, look it up, and then let the counter person look it up again.
 
The stories might have had a half grain of truth 30 years ago, but when you consider the number of Fram filters in use around the world, there's no reason for concern. I've read all the stuff, and believe that some brands are better than Fram, but if you change your oil and filter according to the manufacturer's recommendations, you'll likely never experience a filter failure.
 
(quoted from post at 11:31:49 01/31/16) I like the NAPA gold series, but do not know who makes them.

WIX.....or so I'm told.A very good filter.Fram isn't a bad filter either.If they were half as bad as the nonsense on the internet says they are and the reports from before the internet they'd have been out of business 75 years ago.
 
filters are an area where you get what you pay for, now in a good newer engine in good shape that has its oil changed at regular intervals it doesnt take much filter to keep it in top shape, but in an engine with high miles, or operating in a dirty environment, ie a farm tractor or machinery ,you need the best filter you can get, both napa and carquest have filters manufactured for them by wix, wix filters come from the manufacture of heavy equipment on their new machines more often than not, if the filter is good enough to protect the engine on a dozer worth a half million dollars, its good enough for your tractor too now,since i had training on filters and their differences, anybody can easily decide for themselves which is better, just go to a local shop or quicklube place and dig into their old filters, get several brands including one of the above, [ napa or carquest] cut the ends off those filters and pull out the contents. yes its dirty work, notice 2 things once you have the pieces all layed out, notice the amount of junk in each filter, not completly a deal breaker, as you have no way to know how many milles the vehicle was run between changes, but also notice the construction, this is where the difference is, wix filters for example have a bypass spring and a valve in them as well as much finer and more volume of filter media, fram isnt as good, about a medium grade filter, perfectly adequate for a modern newer engine operating on hiway, but its not as bad as what the local quick lube is probably using,which contains some coarser media, and a piece of tin for a bypass, those filters are bought in bulk and probably cost the lube place about 3 to 4 bucks a copy, you know thats a genuine good filter made in the land of almost right, make your own conclusions
 
I remember when we used Kmart oil filters. They were cheap, not sure who made them, they took a Ford 289 to 199000 before we parked it. Lot of different oil filters are made by the same 2 or 3 companies.
 
I have always used the cheapest thing money can
buy. Never had a filter issue of any kind with
anything. Ive got plenty of knowledge on the
subject. If you have a filter with a brand name that
means a major company had to sign off on it. Makes
me think theres probably not an issue with them.
 
Wix or NAPA Gold. Why skrimp on an oil filter?
But I have used a Fram when in a pinch. I now
keep several Wix filters in the cabinet so that
doesn't happen again. I use Wix filters for
everything except in my road vehicles and I use
original equipment oil filters.
Wix air, fuel, and hydraulic filters.
Even for the motorcycles and 4 wheelers.

Scott
 


I've had good luck with WIX and use them in everything except the Allis CA that gets Baldwin filters.

I don't know if there is much difference in oil filters but I've never had a problem with these two brands so I don't see a reason to switch now.
 
Wix makes the NAPA gold filters. Usually, the numbers are the same except that Wix will put a "5" in front of the NAPA filter number.
 
Regarding filters, I always cut them open and see if my engine is making metal.

10 years ago I bought a Chevy pickup and it had a Fram filter on it. I knew right away to get rid of it, not only because it was a Fram, but it happened to need a oil change anyway. So when I cut it open, the filter pleats were split and was doing no filtering, zero, nada. The rumors about Fram are true, I have seen it.

Just last week I did an oil change on my '08 Taurus and cut open the Bosch filter. I think it was on sale when I bought it 6,000 miles ago, as I normally don't use this brand. This filter also had split pleats and was not filtering my oil. Scratch another brand, Bosch, off my purchase list.

There are big differences between filters. I have been cutting them open for years. The ones that the Jiffy lube uses are on par with Fram. You really do get what you pay for with filters.

-Tim in Mass

P.S. 50 degrees here today in Mass!
 
Just recently crossed referenced filters at Napa for my grand l3430. Books showed two separate filters that would fit but the filters had
two separate bypass ratings and did not tell which filter to use. Counter man suggested staying with kubota brand which I did.
 
To some extent you do get what you pay for, usually the name, but for oil filters that get changed way too often anyway, cheap is good. Used to change the filter every other oil change. How many people fall t=for the 3,000 mile oil changes? I've been on 5,000 miles between changes, for many years because it is the only way I can remember when to change the oil without a bunch of record keeping. 75 Civic, 189,000 miles, 80 Prelude, 175,000, 85 Civic, 244,000, 96 Accord, 290,000, 94 Dodge 290,000 and counting, 06 Accord, 260,000 sold to a single lady friend. Cheap filters (Fram usually, especially in the Cummins) no oil burning, no failures.
 
After I had problems and the freight I drove for had problems with Fram filters I use only Wix, NAPA Gold, Baldwin, and Hastings.
 
You need to do some research( oil filter comparison chart) because not all filters are built the same . NAPA Gold in the same application as a Fram are not alike. You will find that a NAPA Gold will have more pleats and filtering area than a Fram filter and Mobile 1 is better yet.
 
You can't convince some people that Fram is a low end filter. I have used Fram several times with problems and will never use one again.
 
Add another one with issues with Fram, although not serious. I will buy the lowest end filter sold at Wal-Mart, but will not touch a Fram. Wix is best filter in my opinion, but since I usually change
fairly often, I normally just use the Purolator filters, and change every 3000-4000 miles and use conventional oils. Biggest issue I had with the Fram is lack of anti-drainback valve, and most times the
filter drains back to the crankcase, and you end up with a dry filter each and every start. Had a truck in for warranty work (not related), and asked service guy why the truck knocked at every startup, and
he immediately asked what type oil filter it had. When I responded Fram, he advised I get the Fram off and not look back. Never had an issue after that with knocking at startup.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecpkvsnKKNg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cttLaWepdL0
 
Noticed that the filter in the video does appear to have the anti-drainback valve, but all I know is that in 1992 when I was having the knock on startup issue, this valve was either not working, or it simply did not have that in the filters I was using, and when I put on an AC Delco filter, there was not an issue with knocking on startup, and I have not purchased a Fram filter since. I have read a huge amount of negative about Fram, and I figure why risk it. But for the most part, once I have a bad experience with one product or manufacturer, I usually do not return for more. I had a bad experiences with Honda, and VW automobiles (once each), and I do not plan on returning for more, even though I know they were not all bad. Just leaves a bad taste, and tough to return for more.
 
(quoted from post at 13:30:48 02/01/16) Noticed that the filter in the video does appear to have the anti-drainback valve, but all I know is that in 1992 when I was having the knock on startup issue, this valve was either not working, or it simply did not have that in the filters I was using, and when I put on an AC Delco filter, there was not an issue with knocking on startup, and I have not purchased a Fram filter since. I have read a huge amount of negative about Fram, and I figure why risk it. But for the most part, once I have a bad experience with one product or manufacturer, I usually do not return for more. I had a bad experiences with Honda, and VW automobiles (once each), and I do not plan on returning for more, even though I know they were not all bad. Just leaves a bad taste, and tough to return for more.
I'm with you on that. No more Fords, Chevrolets, or Dodges for me. Except for antiques.
 
I run Napa/Wix/CarQuest, or Fleetguard, which is now
owned by Cummins.

I figure if another couple bucks is going to break
me on an oil filter, I need more help than that,
anyhow.

I did find a site where you can punch in a known
filter number, and it will give you a list of
compatible filters. The fram ph8a fits Chrysler v8
and 4 cylinders up to the 2.0 and 2.4 used in the
neon et all. It crosses to something like 10 NAPA
and Motorcraft, and 20 Toyota filters.
It's something like oilfilter-crossreference.com,
usually comes up near the top in a Google search for
the filter number I have.
 
Any filter being used in a modern engine should (will?) have a drain-back valve. The problem is how well it works. As with anything some are better than others. Personally I buy Purolator filters when I can, even used to buy the Wal-Mart Tech 2000s for a while but they seemed to have quit carrying them. Since I change the oil about 2X more often than I should need to the "filtering" aspect is secondary to the drain-back valve. I am more concerned about the filter tearing and sending pieces of it through the engine.
 

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