3 New Fram FS3506 filters - all different construction!!!

[ZeeOSix]

I don't trust those louvers Zee; how about you?

I have used filters with louvers, but they must look opened up well. If they look choked down too much for my liking I'll look at some others on the shelf until on passes my visual inspection.

Which one would you rather use? Same filter brand and model ... just goes to show that the manufacturing process of forming louvers can be all over the map. I've seen quite a few filters with the choked down louvers like seen in the second photo.

 

[Soft Cars]

The question is what is the surface area of the individual louvers and what is the quantity vs the standard punched hole center tubes. It may be fine.

I stopped in NAPA last night to take a peak at a new Mann-Hummel made in NAPA Gold filter. I put my reading glasses on and shined a flashlight down into the center core. The louvers all look closed or almost closed. I walked out of the store with a new old stock Affinia made Platinum.

 

[ZeeOSix]

The question is what is the surface area of the individual louvers and what is the quantity vs the standard punched hole center tubes. It may be fine.

Yes, if the total flow area of all the louvers together is at least as much as the base plate and filter mount feed gallery, then the dP from the base plate and center tube won't be very much.

 

[dnewton3]

Just as a point of clarification to RVs initial video ... he states the holes are "drilled" core (I believe he's referring to the centertube when he states "core").

The holes are not drilled; they are punched out, most likely in a continuous progression die. There's no way a high-speed manufacturing process would "drill" those holes; way too slow. I would suspect the holes are punched first, then the strip of continuous metal is sent through a roll-die to form the corrugation waves.

 

[Soft Cars]

The question is what is the surface area of the individual louvers and what is the quantity vs the standard punched hole center tubes. It may be fine.

Louvers may be fine if they're opened up far enough, but manufacturing variations have resulted in louver opening variations. That's why I like holes; they're either open or they're not open; no variation of openness.

 

[Speedy3861]

As previously stated, you can drive (literally) yourself crazy in this current game of filter roulette. Ultimately, what you get will be..........an oil filter. I decided some time ago (after my long-time usage with the satisfactory to me Champion-made Mobil1 M110a, now Mann-Hummel sourced, Purolator-built replacement, which is NOT satisfactory to me) to just use the Honda A02 (Fram in a blue can) and stop stressing over it. Honda warranties their engines with that filter so if it fails, it's on them. With the shorter OCI'S I'm doing and using Mobil1 0w20 or 5W-30 EP, it's just not worth agonizing over.

 

[Robvette]

Looks good-but you need some desiccant in those bags to be a true obsessive-compulsive BITOGer! (Disclaimer, I have some in bags with desiccant…)

You're a bad (fantastic) influence @bullwinkle !! I just ordered https://a.co/d/6JQ9zgI

 

[ZeeOSix]

You're a bad (fantastic) influence @bullwinkle !! I just ordered https://a.co/d/6JQ9zgI

Could go one step farther and vacuum seal them.

 

[Revving2Redline]

well that's weird because today when I went to pick up another Fram Ultra 7317, I used to just call them FU7317, but apparently they are now called xg-7317s?

I even told my beagle in the backseat about it and she's kind of perplexed too....

 

[blufeb95]

They've always been XG, the Ultra was a rebrand of the new dual layer version of the Xtended Guard.

 

[ZeeOSix]

well that's weird because today when I went to pick up another Fram Ultra 7317, I used to just call them FU7317, but apparently they are now called xg-7317s?

Yeah, the model number designation has always been "XG" as blufeb95 said above. It's called the "Fram Ultra", but that doesn't mean the model designation is "FU" (for Fram Ultra).

Just like the orange Fram is called the "Extra Guard", but the model designation is not "EG", but instead "PH" in the model number.

 

[Robvette]

Update: The Fram Tech Chassity from the chat above followed up with an email and offered to send me another FS3506 filter. I said "Sure!" and I was excited to see what would arrive! Well the package arrived today with two new FS3506 filters inside ... one wire backed and one not! So I wrote back to Chassity and made a video:

Hey Chassity,

Two replacement FS3506 oil filters arrived today! Thank you! BUT they were both different internal constructions!

The first one I looked in did have the metal screen backed media:

Just like it says on the box:

BUT the media in the second filter you sent has no metal screen backing:

Here’s the date code for the metal screen backed filter:

And here’s the date code for the filter with no metal screen backing:

Here’s a video I made to clarify:


I feel like I can speak for all Fram Titanium customers in saying - we do want the filters to have the advertised “metal screen backed media”.

Could you please send me a metal backed replacement for the non-metal backed FS3506 I received today?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[ZeeOSix]

^^^ At this rate you'll have to buy some more vacuum sealing bags.

 

[odie]

Have the FS7317 w/o the wire mesh on the FIT since MAY . Also using the FS9688 ( dated '22 ) with the wire mesh for the '18 Accent .

 

[FlyingVan]

Update: The Fram Tech Chassity from the chat above followed up with an email and offered to send me another FS3506 filter. I said "Sure!" and I was excited to see what would arrive! Well the package arrived today with two new FS3506 filters inside ... one wire backed and one not! So I wrote back to Chassity and made a video:

Hey Chassity,

Two replacement FS3506 oil filters arrived today! Thank you! BUT they were both different internal constructions!

The first one I looked in did have the metal screen backed media:
View attachment 191090

Just like it says on the box:
View attachment 191092

BUT the media in the second filter you sent has no metal screen backing:
View attachment 191093
Here’s the date code for the metal screen backed filter:
View attachment 191095
And here’s the date code for the filter with no metal screen backing:
View attachment 191096

Here’s a video I made to clarify:


I feel like I can speak for all Fram Titanium customers in saying - we do want the filters to have the advertised “metal screen backed media”.

Could you please send me a metal backed replacement for the non-metal backed FS3506 I received today?

Thank you so much for your help!

It looks like the one that is wire backed is an older filter made last year. The newer non wire backed was made this year.

I guess you got lucky since you didn't get 2 newer filters.

 

[Revving2Redline]

is it safe to say that the 7317 series is still a better bet regardless of which model I pick then to go with the OEM from Honda?

 

[Speedy3861]

This is getting to be like Wack-A-Mole or guess which walnut shell hides the pea. It’s filter roulette. Honda warranties their engines using the 15400-PLM-A02, I'll stick with that instead of the guessing games. Wish they'd stuck with the 15400-PLM-A01 made by Filtech but, hey, I'll stick with the "Fram in a blue can".

 

[Torrid]

Do they really change this much batch after batch of the same model? I bought a Fram Synthetic Endurance for my GTI and it seemed like a quality product so I bought it. It better be for $12. There weren't any other filters in stock for my car other than a lower version Fram. I've never had an issue with Fram products, but I recall hearing issues over the years. To be fair I haven't bought many Fram products. When I can I just buy OEM filters which hasn't been a problem with Ford and GM products at basic parts stores.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Do they really change this much batch after batch of the same model?

As mentioned, he got two with different date codes. The wire-backed one was made mid 2022, and the non wire-backed one was made early 2023. He got lucky to get an older Titanium that hadn't gone to the new non wire-backed media yet.

 

[Torrid]

As mentioned, he got two with different date codes. The wire-backed one was made mid 2022, and the non wire-backed one was made early 2023. He got lucky to get an older Titanium that hadn't gone to the new non wire-backed media yet.

I'll have to look next time I go to get filters. I opened one box, looked solid to me, and put it in my cart. I couldn't think of a reason at the time to check multiple boxes. I would have if I had seen this before then.