Ford 351W oil filter best value

Joined
Jun 17, 2015
Messages
88
Location
central pa
My story:

I am currently using my 1996 F250 351/5 speed as a tow truck hauling junk cars to the scrap yard, I drive all over the state for the right vehicles. In doing so I rack up some hard miles, the tow unit is 1500lbs, and vehicles can be up to 5,000lbs. I currently try to change oil frequently from the hard abuse, when I'm pulling anything over 3500lbs I typically run 4th gear 2500-2700rpms for hours. Currently doing approx 6k miles a month and I try to change my oil 5-6k.

What I'm using:
T6 rotella, fram ultra xg2 oci 5-6k miles

My question:
I want the best for my truck and I know the fram ultra is excellent which is why I use it but it keeps going up in price $8.70 now $9.40 per filter. Doing oil changes so frequently every 5-6k pretty much every month should I switch to a $4 motorcraft fl820s? My thoughts are the ultra filters better and is constructed better internally but the motorcraft is "plenty good enough" has an anti drain back, and whatever tiny particles the fram might catch the motorcraft can't.. get flushed out every month anyways.



Also I just secured 180 quarts of rotella T6 for $500, approx $2.78 a quart which is cheaper than Walmart supertech
 
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I'm surprised that anyone is still trying to drop off cars to the junk yards. With wholesale steel prices in the $100-110 a ton I'd have thought repair and resale would have brought more money.
 
Why not use the Fram Ultra for more than one interval? It is rated for up to 20,000 miles so you could legitimately use it for at least one more interval and replace it at 10,000-12,000 miles. I have done that with the Ultra on my Hyundai and Subaru before with no issues. Unless you know that your engine is dirty or otherwise has something problematic with it I would not be worried about going three intervals on a Fram Ultra before changing, 15,000-18,000 miles for you.
 
Originally Posted by Ignatius
Why not use the Fram Ultra for more than one interval? It is rated for up to 20,000 miles so you could legitimately use it for at least one more interval and replace it at 10,000-12,000 miles. I have done that with the Ultra on my Hyundai and Subaru before with no issues. Unless you know that your engine is dirty or otherwise has something problematic with it I would not be worried about going three intervals on a Fram Ultra before changing, 15,000-18,000 miles for you.

Agreed, run the Ultra atleast twice before discarding -- that cuts your Ultra cost to $4.70 for the filter then. Hope you have a Fumoto Valve on that rig for your monthly oil changes -- sure makes life that much simpler.
 
You need a strong filter and the Ultra is probably the best value retail. I wold never use an EG TG or 820S on something like that. The 820 has shown to often have a wide pleat subject to a tear at the bottom. It may or may not happen on yours. Maybe a different model Motorcraft would be fine to save a few. It seems your gas on a 351 under that use is going to over ride oil filter cost. Frantz oil filter would help keep the oil cleaner.
Your transmission oil should be the best IMO, synthetic top grade like Delo or something. I had an earlier diesel F250 manual trans back in the day and had to do both front and rear transmission bearings. I did it in the driveway I would have a hard time doing that now. I bought the truck used to pull a travel trailer but didn't have it long after that trans fix.
To save some money possibly just go with the $3 Super tech oil filters, if they are still $3.
 
Originally Posted by Farnsworth
You need a strong filter and the Ultra is probably the best value retail. I wold never use an EG TG or 820S on something like that. The 820 has shown to often have a wide pleat subject to a tear at the bottom. It may or may not happen on yours. Maybe a different model Motorcraft would be fine to save a few. It seems your gas on a 351 under that use is going to over ride oil filter cost. Frantz oil filter would help keep the oil cleaner.
Your transmission oil should be the best IMO, synthetic top grade like Delo or something. I had an earlier diesel F250 manual trans back in the day and had to do both front and rear transmission bearings. I did it in the driveway I would have a hard time doing that now. I bought the truck used to pull a travel trailer but didn't have it long after that trans fix.
To save some money possibly just go with the $3 Super tech oil filters, if they are still $3.


So on one hand you say that they need a strong filter like the Ultra and not an Extra Guard or Tough Guard, but on the other hand a Super Tech oil filter would be okay because of the cheap price?
 
You guys have all the answers as usual. Thank you so much for the advice. Going to check rockauto for the pro version ultra, and I just got my fujimoto drain valve in the mail today.


Also to answer the 4th gear question, 5th is an overdrive gear and when towing the manual recommends using 4th only, for me in Texas we have tiny hills but they are enough to use more than 30% throttle pulling 3k+ on top of the 1500lb tow unit, so after holding 30%+ throttle for more than 20-30 seconds I lose vacuum and my air conditioning goes from vents to defrost which is annoying, 4th gear doesn't do that, I just have to keep my speed at 60mph.


As for junk scrap cars, we are getting $6/100lbs in Houston at my yard of choice. Average civic $140-160 accord $170-$190 town car $240. But for me the weight usually covers the cost and fuel, it's the catalytic converters I'm after. If you know which year model, engine size, and make, one car can have $500 in cats easily. The 2002 Camry I just bought with a blown engine for $180 a local junkyard pays $730 for them (he exports camrys to Africa) .
 
Originally Posted by alex16
You guys have all the answers as usual. Thank you so much for the advice. Going to check rockauto for the pro version ultra, and I just got my fujimoto drain valve in the mail today.


Also to answer the 4th gear question, 5th is an overdrive gear and when towing the manual recommends using 4th only, for me in Texas we have tiny hills but they are enough to use more than 30% throttle pulling 3k+ on top of the 1500lb tow unit, so after holding 30%+ throttle for more than 20-30 seconds I lose vacuum and my air conditioning goes from vents to defrost which is annoying, 4th gear doesn't do that, I just have to keep my speed at 60mph.


As for junk scrap cars, we are getting $6/100lbs in Houston at my yard of choice. Average civic $140-160 accord $170-$190 town car $240. But for me the weight usually covers the cost and fuel, it's the catalytic converters I'm after. If you know which year model, engine size, and make, one car can have $500 in cats easily. The 2002 Camry I just bought with a blown engine for $180 a local junkyard pays $730 for them (he exports camrys to Africa) .
The ZF-42/47 5 speed manual transmissions have a 5th gear that should not be used for towing, the extra heat is hard on the needle bearings inside 5th gear. I drive my F-450 around in 5th, but I try to avoid 5th when towing with it, it's probably 12-13K loaded without a trailer.
 
Originally Posted by Ignatius
Originally Posted by Farnsworth
You need a strong filter and the Ultra is probably the best value retail. I wold never use an EG TG or 820S on something like that. The 820 has shown to often have a wide pleat subject to a tear at the bottom. It may or may not happen on yours. Maybe a different model Motorcraft would be fine to save a few. It seems your gas on a 351 under that use is going to over ride oil filter cost. Frantz oil filter would help keep the oil cleaner.
Your transmission oil should be the best IMO, synthetic top grade like Delo or something. I had an earlier diesel F250 manual trans back in the day and had to do both front and rear transmission bearings. I did it in the driveway I would have a hard time doing that now. I bought the truck used to pull a travel trailer but didn't have it long after that trans fix.
To save some money possibly just go with the $3 Super tech oil filters, if they are still $3.


So on one hand you say that they need a strong filter like the Ultra and not an Extra Guard or Tough Guard, but on the other hand a Super Tech oil filter would be okay because of the cheap price?

Correct, I don't like the wavy wide pleats, although I guess the TG is better than EG. ST are made by Champ labs they seem to be OK. I hope this answers your concerns about what I say.
laugh.gif
 
With such a short OCI, I'd stick to a orange can PH8A. Or leave the Ultra in place for a few OCI's. Stay away from [censored] Motocrafts! The 820s is one of the most notorious P/N's for tearing media.
 
Originally Posted by Farnsworth
To save some money possibly just go with the $3 Super tech oil filters, if they are still $3.


NO.

A Fram XG2 or Fram Pro Synthetic FPS2 that is run for 20,000 miles is *STILL* a better oil filter
than the SuperTech ST2 could ever hope to be - - no matter how often you change it!!!
 
Originally Posted by Ignatius
Why not use the Fram Ultra for more than one interval? It is rated for up to 20,000 miles so you could legitimately use it for at least one more interval and replace it at 10,000-12,000 miles. I have done that with the Ultra on my Hyundai and Subaru before with no issues. Unless you know that your engine is dirty or otherwise has something problematic with it I would not be worried about going three intervals on a Fram Ultra before changing, 15,000-18,000 miles for you.


Fram Ultra can easily go 3 drain and refills with no problems.
 
Originally Posted by alex16
But for me the weight usually covers the cost and fuel, it's the catalytic converters I'm after.
If you know which year model, engine size, and make, one car can have $500 in cats easily.
The 2002 Camry I just bought with a blown engine for $180 a local junkyard pays $730 for them (he exports Camrys to Africa) .


This is pretty incredible - I didn't know there was such a market.
 
I found the FPS2 commercial branded ultras on rockauto as recommended 10 for $36 shipped with discount code, $3.60 a filter, so cheap! I feel better changing at every 5- 6k oci and for under $4 a filter I can afford to. I was just getting frustrated with the ultras going up in price but as everyone has stated on here I'll run it out 10-12k before changing if cost does become an issue again. Thank you everyone for the advice, just installed my fujimoto drain valve today and running out the ultra another 5k until my FPS2's come in the mail.
 
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