clear substance on bottom of oil filter

[RagnarokCamaro]

I took a peek inside all of the Fram Titanium filters I've been collecting, and found that 3 of the 9 I own have some kind of clear dried up substance on the bottom of the filter (no bypass).

I just wanted to see if this is something that others have seen in the past and if it's a problem or not. They look like water droplets, but obviously aren't. Here's a picture of it:

 

[wings&wheels]

Clear adhesive or a clear plug adhered to the bottom inside of the filter core? Either way, my uneducated guess is that allows them to use the same basic element for bypass and non-bypass applications. Innovative...

 

[OLEJOE]

What do the other 6 have in the bottom?

 

[RagnarokCamaro]

What do the other 6 have in the bottom?

Just clean, they all are blank at the bottom from no bypass. Just 6 are clean, 3 have that clear residue on them. Just trying to make sure it won't melt from engine heat and cause damage from contamination.

 

[wings&wheels]

Can you see what is plugging the bypass on the 'clean' ones??

 

[OLEJOE]

Just clean, they all are blank at the bottom from no bypass. Just 6 are clean, 3 have that clear residue on them. Just trying to make sure it won't melt from engine heat and cause damage from contamination.

Personally I wouldn’t use them. There may not be anything wrong with them and it may be some type of epoxy but I would not use them myself.
I try to inspect my oil filters before I purchase them.

 

[Sayjac]

Though I haven't seen it exactly like the pic, Fram does use an anti-rust solution/material in their filters. It's been seen and asked about before but mostly with the more common dome poppet bypass filters. My speculation, you're seeing some form of that. Perhaps in this case solution congealed a bit more. Or, as mentioned just the clear glue on the dome combined with the anti-rust solution. Based on what I see 'I' wouldn't be concerned.

 

[MParr]

Here we go again.

 

[RagnarokCamaro]

Here we go again.

Thanks for the insightful and useful post.

 

[RagnarokCamaro]

Though I haven't seen it exactly like the pic, Fram does use an anti-rust solution/material in their filters. It's been seen and asked about before but mostly with the more common dome poppet bypass filters. My speculation, you're seeing some form of that. Perhaps in this case solution congealed a bit more. Or, as mentioned just the clear glue on the dome combined with the anti-rust solution. Based on what I see 'I' wouldn't be concerned.

Good to know. Appreciate it.

 

[fantastic]

Yeah, I was going to say similar to sayjac that it might be the anti rust coating? Did you have these ones sitting open end up?

 

[Zee09]

I would put a call in to "Interactive Nate" as he freaks on this stuff

I agree with Saydude

 

[RagnarokCamaro]

Yeah, I was going to say similar to sayjac that it might be the anti rust coating? Did you have these ones sitting open end up?

I have them in plastic ziplock bags top down

 

[fantastic]

Clear adhesive or a clear plug adhered to the bottom inside of the filter core? Either way, my uneducated guess is that allows them to use the same basic element for bypass and non-bypass applications. Innovative...

It does look like a clear plug to close up the bypass? It looks like there's a hole that's been covered up with this material now that I look at it more.

 

[odie]

Anti-rust likely . Have encountered FRAM Titanium and other of their oil filters with a film of oil and small gobs of a grease like substance . Especially on the threads and base plate . Cleaned it off and installed .

 

[ZeeOSix]

Just clean, they all are blank at the bottom from no bypass. Just 6 are clean, 3 have that clear residue on them. Just trying to make sure it won't melt from engine heat and cause damage from contamination.

The clear liquid is probably the anti-corrosion coating - it's been discussed many times over the years. YouTubers bash it in videos because they don't know what it is. lol. These filters don't have a bypass valve because it must be built into the engine instead - like most older GM engines.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Can you see what is plugging the bypass on the 'clean' ones??

It just looks like a solid end cap without a bypass valve. Lots of older GM engines specify an oil filter without a bypass valve because the filter bypass valve it built into the filter mount on the engine.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I would put a call in to "Interactive Nate" as he freaks on this stuff

That guy doesn't know what he's looking at most of the time, and comes up with some kind of misconception as an explanation. Typical YouTuber that spread misinformation, and people of course believe the ramblings.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Anti-rust likely . Have encountered FRAM Titanium and other of their oil filters with a film of oil and small gobs of a grease like substance . Especially on the threads and base plate . Cleaned it off and installed .

No need to try an clean out the inside/center tube area.

 

[ZeeOSix]

It does look like a clear plug to close up the bypass? It looks like there's a hole that's been covered up with this material now that I look at it more.

It's just a solid piece of metal, reflecting the image of the center tube holes and main hole in the base plate, like a convex mirror - that's what those dark images are on the end cap.