Fram Xtended Guard Cut Open (Used 13453 mi)

[gathermewool]

This has been on my wife's '08 Civic for the past two OCI's, each down to 5% on the MM.

The first interval was G-Oil (FAR); the second was a mix of leftover G-Oil, Maxlife Nextgen 5W-20 and Castrol Edge 5W-20.

A new Fram is on there now.

 

[Lead Shoes]

Help me, when ever I see the word "Fram" in a title I instantly dread and look forward to reading a Kev Guy thread...

 

[daves87rs]

Looks pretty good there!

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Looks pretty good there!


Yep, definitely able to go the Honda-recommended two intervals.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Filter looks good. The XG is a nice filter for sure. How many miles on that oil? It still looks pretty clean.

 

[LeakySeals]

Is the new Fram your using the Ultra?

 

[Hounds]

Nothing wrong with that filter!

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: Brenden
Help me, when ever I see the word "Fram" in a title I instantly dread and look forward to reading a Kev Guy thread...


Don't fear the Troll. Don't feed the Troll. Completely ignore the Troll until the Troll does something uncharacteristically un-Troll-like, then use positive reinforcement. Trollism is curable!

As to the XG filter, pretty much as I would expect to see. The Extended Guard and Ultra are very much the same constructionwise but the Ultra has better media 99+% @ 20um vs 99% @ 25um).

 

[Kruse]

I'd have no problem using that filter on any of my vehicles. They even managed to stay away from the cardboard. Imagine that.

 

[gathermewool]

6,883 miles on the first run of G-Oil (MM 5%)

6,570 miles on the second run on the Frankenbrew (MM 5%)

My wife is pretty good about maintaining her vehicles and smart in general, but, like most people who don't have a need to, she doesn't pay particular attention to when maintenance is due.

Ever since we bought her '08 (after her '04 was smashed by a tree during Irene,) however, she has been updating me with the oil life percentage, especially when it gets near 0% oil life remaining.

I even set the trip B every time I change her oil, but she couldn't tell me how long she had on her oil when I last asked her. She drives a good amount of highway, so my plan is to use relatively cheap, high-quality group II+ oils and not try to extend drains past what the MM indicates.

To be honest, I like the data from UOA and all, but I'm even tempted to drop the OCI in my STI down to
I'm also contemplating changing up from the OEM Subie blue. It doesn't appear to be a good extended OCI filter - no tears or breaks, but the endcaps are wavy and I doubt the filtration efficiency is up there with the big boys. I could have swore the last one I cut open a couple of OCI's ago was MUCH stouter, like the black Tokyo Roki filter that preceded it as OEM.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Filter looks good. The XG is a nice filter for sure. How many miles on that oil? It still looks pretty clean.


+1 I took advantage of a sale PB had a while back and stocked up on a few for my Buick.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Filter looks good. The XG is a nice filter for sure. How many miles on that oil? It still looks pretty clean.


+1 I took advantage of a sale PB had a while back and stocked up on a few for my Buick.


Same here, though I can't recall which sale it was, since it was 11 months ago. I've got another 11 months to find them on sale again

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
I'd have no problem using that filter on any of my vehicles. They even managed to stay away from the cardboard. Imagine that.


They can't build the XG filter with cardboard/fiber end caps because the XG has multi-layered media with a wire backing. They need metal end caps so they can pot all that in tight with the goo-glue.

 

[KevGuy]

Originally Posted By: Hounds
Nothing wrong with that filter!



Nothing wrong with an orange can either.

 

[webfors]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool

I'm also contemplating changing up from the OEM Subie blue. It doesn't appear to be a good extended OCI filter - no tears or breaks, but the endcaps are wavy and I doubt the filtration efficiency is up there with the big boys. I could have swore the last one I cut open a couple of OCI's ago was MUCH stouter, like the black Tokyo Roki filter that preceded it as OEM.


I use the XG7317 on the Forester. The xg6607 is too small for my liking, especially if you plan on doing extended OCIs.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: KevGuy
Originally Posted By: Hounds
Nothing wrong with that filter!


Nothing wrong with an orange can either.


Compared to the XG there is.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: webfors
Originally Posted By: gathermewool

I'm also contemplating changing up from the OEM Subie blue. It doesn't appear to be a good extended OCI filter - no tears or breaks, but the endcaps are wavy and I doubt the filtration efficiency is up there with the big boys. I could have swore the last one I cut open a couple of OCI's ago was MUCH stouter, like the black Tokyo Roki filter that preceded it as OEM.


I use the XG7317 on the Forester. The xg6607 is too small for my liking, especially if you plan on doing extended OCIs.


Any idea what the bypass rating on that is? It really bothers me that the quality has degraded. I'm 99% sure I cut open one of the first Subie blue filters I used and it was similarly constructed to the previous Tokyo Roki filter.

Based on what I consider to be an inadequate design for anything over 3,750 miles, I'm hesitant to continue running these filters out to my usual 6k+ OCI.

The XG filter you mentioned doesn't show up in the application guide (only '12+). You haven't had any issues?

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: KevGuy
Originally Posted By: Hounds
Nothing wrong with that filter!


Nothing wrong with an orange can either.


Compared to the XG there is.

I'm not sure it matters in all cases, though. She drives her Civic like a gramma, and I'm certain we'll get many more years out of this car, regardless of which filter we run. To be honest, I think I could have run this same filter out for one more OCI.

 

[webfors]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
The XG filter you mentioned doesn't show up in the application guide (only '12+). You haven't had any issues?


It's a perfect fit, just a little longer. I believe the bypass on that filter is ~13 psi, which I'm not concerned about. IMO the high bypass spec isn't much of a concern for NA soobs.

 

[webfors]

BTW, that subie filter (Fram) you opened looks terrible. Definitely not an extended OCI filter.

 

[gathermewool]

I agree. I think that one had ~ 7k miles. All of the pleats were still fully intact, the ADBV pliable, but the endcaps were wavy, and obviously so too were the pleats themselves.

I might try the same Fram on my STI. I've been a major supporter of the Subie blues (mostly based on the bypass spec, and minorly because the filters always seemed fine when I cut them open in the past,) but you're right, this latest one doesn't give me that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Any thoughts on running the Fram in a turbo Subie?