Motorcraft 820-s Oil Filter Failures? Fram Ultra?

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Just curious has there been any Motorcraft oil filter failures? I still have about 30 of them left at the shop and was wondering if they are better quality than the purolaters we no longer use being that they are made by the same company.
I switched to the fram ultra for my own vehicles but liked the motorcraft for many years i still believe the motorcraft flows better than the ultra i just can't get that out of my mind and besides motorcraft filters should be good for 7500 miles because that is what ford recommends on newer models.
I am having second thoughts about the ultra being the oil holes are so small both outside and inside as well compared to the motorcraft.
 
Yes there was 1 failure on an FL-820s ran on an F150 with a 5.4 for only 4,000 miles. The total Motorcraft failures is only 3 in the spreadsheet.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3360952/List_of_Purolator_failures

It was a big failure too.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3414319/all/FL-820s_with_a_big_hole.


FL-820s2.jpg
 
Fram Ultra is great but I have been using oem hyundai and napa proselect as I get them at a buck each if I buy a case and use my buddies shop discount. Been nabbing crush washers at .55 each too.
 
i thought the 820-s had a silicone anti drain back valve. That is what the s is for and i see a black anti drain back valve on that one.
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
i thought the 820-s had a silicone anti drain back valve. That is what the s is for and i see a black anti drain back valve on that one.


Good point I didn't look that closely at the thread
 
The black ADBV was from another filter I cut open at the same time as the FL-820s. I just grabbed something to keep the filter from rolling away when I was trying to take the picture. I should have grabbed the one from the filter, but I didn't really think about it. In that same thread there is another picture with the bypass valve and the proper adbv on it.

Here is that picture. The black valve belongs to the other filter in the first pic.
FL-820s4.jpg


Here is the FL-820s I put on after the one with the hole. This one had 1000 miles on it. See the loose glue? There was a lot of it and the metal end cap was loose when I cut it open.

DSC00853.jpg


And the last FL-400s From my Focus with just over 4000 miles on it.

DSC00845.jpg

DSC00831.jpg


Needless to say I am done with Motorcraft and anything else made by Purolator.
 
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Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I am having second thoughts about the ultra being the oil holes are so small both outside and inside as well compared to the motorcraft.


Again, as I said before, a member here measured the total base plate hole area between an Ultra and a Motorcraft, and the Ultra won. How many holes does the Ultra have and how many holes does the MC have?

It's the total area of the holes that matters, and if either one has equal or more total area on inlet holes vs the outlet hole in the mount stud, then there is basically ZERO flow resistance of oil through the base plate. The media is probably 90% of the flow resistance, the base plate 5% and the center tube 5%. Nothing to worry about anyway, because the total resistance of the filter assembly is hardly nothing and has no effect on the oiling system.
 
Originally Posted By: Marco620
Fram Ultra is great but I have been using oem hyundai and napa proselect as I get them at a buck each if I buy a case and use my buddies shop discount. Been nabbing crush washers at .55 each too.

so whatever killer savings your getting by buying $1 oil filters, your ruining this by purchasing $0.55 crush washers for each oil change? let me guess "cheap insurance", you have killer instincts...
 
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
The media is probably 90% of the flow resistance, the base plate 5% and the center tube 5%. Nothing to worry about anyway, because the total resistance of the filter assembly is hardly nothing and has no effect on the oiling system.



This is completely correct and most often overlooked by most folks! A filter is a pittance of inconvenience to the pump and system dP.


For those of you who are doubters, I suggest this one little experiment to change your mind:
Go out and take your filter off and "bypass" the filter function all together with any home-made system you can contrive in your garage. Then park outside tomorrow morning in the cold and give 'er a start. If your theory of filter restriction is correct, then the absense of the filter should present absolutely no oil flow resistance whatsoever. Therefore your oil pressure gage should be a zero, even at cold start with 15w-40. Right? I mean, for the theory of filter restriction being a major contribution to overall system restriction to be correct, then removing the restriction should allow complete and total ever-loving uninhibited flow, right? Perhaps now you understand how silly this is? Pressure is resistance to flow in a dynamic fluid system. So if the filter is the supposed main contributor, and if you remove it, then all pressure should be lost upon it's removal. Your engine should have at or near zero PSI at start up, in the cold, with thick lube, and be able to maintain that status of ultra low pressure as the oil moves through it's vis range with temp changes, as well as all rpm of engine operation. This is the ONLY result that could possibly be true IF one believes the filter is the main restriction of lube flow in an engine.


Here's the reality:
The filters represent very little overall system resistance. They have a BP function (or one built into the block) to protect the MEDIA, not the engine, because they offer no risk to the engine in terms of withholding flow.
 
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Hello, Good thread. May I toss in 2 cents?

It sure seems like filters tear with regularity. We argue the reasons and compare brands and that's good.

My 2 cents is that leaving a filter in service to some new-fangled maximum mileage like 15,000 could be potentially hazardous should it be one of the torn ones.

To put it another way; if you change oil (or just the filter) more frequently you side step some of the damage caused by damaged filter medium. How many of us open old filters in order to amass data?

See what I mean? Kira
 
Originally Posted By: Marco620
Fram Ultra is great but I have been using oem hyundai and napa proselect as I get them at a buck each if I buy a case and use my buddies shop discount. Been nabbing crush washers at .55 each too.


Dorman 66303 washers will work and you can reuse them. I own a Hyundai and I have the crush washers that came with the sleeve of OEM filters, but I wanted to go ahead and find something that I could use if I ever decide to move away from OEM filters.
 
When I look at my Fram xg4967 here it looks like nothing but holes in the baseplate, big and many holes, so I don't understand that they have insufficient base holes. If there were more the base would be weak.
I never change the washer, and never have had a leak. The oil in the pan isn't under pressure. I suppose I should change the washer once in a while. The Prius has the original washer after 8 years now, seems just fine. I torque the bolt by feel too, even though I have a very good torque wrench. I hope I haven't jinxed my oil pan bolt by saying it never leaks.
 
Originally Posted By: Roadkingnc
That is not a fl820 can in the picture, its a fl400s.
Seems to be misleading to me.


The can posted here is not from the FL-820s and is not posted in the thread, about that filter. It is from the FL-400s I posted with torn media.
The torn FL-400s

I am not sure why 901Memphis has the FL400s can with the FL-820s filter. They are in two different posts.
 
Originally Posted By: Roadkingnc
That is not a fl820 can in the picture, its a fl400s.
Seems to be misleading to me.

The element that goes with this can is in one of the pics. The filter that came from op's Focus.
 
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Originally Posted By: jmb3675
Originally Posted By: Roadkingnc
That is not a fl820 can in the picture, its a fl400s.
Seems to be misleading to me.


The can posted here is not from the FL-820s and is not posted in the thread, about that filter. It is from the FL-400s I posted with torn media.
The torn FL-400s

I am not sure why 901Memphis has the FL400s can with the FL-820s filter. They are in two different posts.


Sorry about that I thought they were the same filter.
 
All the oil holes in the ultra seem a lot smaller than the motorcraft.. The inlet holes although the ultra has eight and the motorcraft has six the motorcraft inlet oil holes look about double the size of the fram. The oil holes inside the fram are also smaller.
Quality wise from looking at them (not cutting them open) the fram looks like it is of better quality than the motorcraft and the baseplate threads are much nicer on the ultra also.
By looking at both of them just by eye looking at the oil holes i would think the motorcraft is less restrictive but i could be wrong either way they will both do the job. The motorcraft is usually less than half the cost of the ultra.
I will be installing the ultra next week as soon as i have an open bay at the shop its to cold to do it outside.
 
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