Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Why does everything become a fram argument?
This is BITOG, if you don't drink the Kool-Aid being sold by those who know best in their minds you are going to have problems. I use the Ultra on some cars, XP on others and German black Mann on another yet if its anything other than a Fram Ultra to some people they claim you are not running the most efficient filter and recommend to others against using using it as seen in this thread
How many people on this board have reported not needing to a mechanical valve adjustment on some engines at over 100K because the clearance was in spec? Quite a few.
This means one the most highly stressed areas and the last in line to see oil at startup isn't shedding any significant metal.
I have had a properly maintained since new engine apart at 250K for a cam chain and all parts measured to new values (except the chain) with precision starrett measuring equipment.
Engines of course do shed metal particles but its very minimal unless something is wrong, there is almost always some piston skirt polishing or scuffing going on but this takes many tens of thousands of miles.
The bigger issue is dirt ingestion from loose air filter connections, leaking air boxes or just overly dirty air filters or leaking PCV system issues.
No one has shown a 99% claimed efficiency will reduce the wear or even a greater amount of particle streaking on the main and rod bearings over a claimed 50% efficiency filter in a properly maintained engine.
It has been claimed in this thread that particles under 20 micron do the most damage yet the Frams efficiency is rated at 20 microns so it is also allowing less than 20 micron damaging particles through.
If one filter hypothetically lets 10 particles through and the other 8 how much actual wear difference is there?
Does the XP become more efficient with use? What happens to the flow of these filters with use, does the more efficient filter become more restricted and allow more bypass time? If it does there goes the more efficient part of the argument right out the window.
Diesel engines are another story, they deal with soot and usually use some sort of secondary filtration in addition to the full flow.
This is from a pdf, i post the main part of it for those who dont have the speed.
Quote:
Oil Filtration Requirements
Engine oil filters are challenged with three main requirements:
• To remove the size of contaminant determined to be the most detrimental to the engine, which
is
efficiency
• To have the
capacity
to hold that contaminant for the recommended service interval
• To have the ability to allow the oil to continue to flow through the filter and be cleaned even as
the restriction in the filter increases. This is
cold flow ability.
Efficiency is the measure of filtration performance.
For example, a filter with 50% efficiency
removes half
the contaminants in oil at a given particle size. The efficiency of filters should
always be made using the same contaminant and standard tests.
Micron rating is a rating given to a filter char
acterizing efficiency of particle removal at a given
size and test method (i.e. 10 m at 95.0% efficiency per ISO 4548-12). Without all three
components a micron rating cannot be directly compared to another rating.
Cold flow represents any condition that causes restriction to the oil through the filter. Cold
temperatures or oil that has become thick due to high soot and sludge levels can cause this
restriction.
The filter can also cause this restriction due to too high an efficiency. The result of too high a
restriction is the opening of the by-pass valve, allowing unfiltered oil to circulate in the engine.
While this condition is necessary to ensure lubrication and cooling to prevent engine failure, it
does increase wear and shorten engine life. Hence a high performing oil filter requires having
the right balance of efficiency, capacity and cold flow ability.
Efficiency, capacity and cold flow ability requirements are critical, and necessary to ensure
optimum engine life and performance. The optimal balance of these three requirements can
only be accurately determined through real world testing that imitates the conditions found in a
real world operating environment.
https://www.cumminsfiltration.com/pdfs/product_lit/americas_brochures/MB10046.pdf
Check this thread out..
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3203648/Are_high_efficiency_filters_re