It's been a while since I've used lots of Ford filters so I am not sure if I remember this right. Is a Fram 3600 the correct long version of the 3614. I am using the Ultras on my daughters 2.0 Ecoboost and I put on a 3614 Ultra, but I want to use the longer one going forward.
Is a Fram 3600 the long version of the 3614?
- Thread starter another Todd
- Start date
Yes, the 3600 is the long version, the 16 is a fatter version with the same gasket, and the 8A is a longer fatter version yet. Although on all the Duratec\MZR based engines there isn't enough room to fit anything bigger around than the 3600 or 3614.
Last edited:
The 16 and 8A have the same gasket and thread size/pitch? There might be room for an 8A (Ultra of course), that would practically ensure the bypass never opens.
Yes, same gasket, same thread, and same bypass setting. If you're worried about bypass events you can always try the 2870A which is the same size as the 3600 but has a higher bypass setting, I got some of those cheap and I've been using them on my dad's 2.5L Escape but I'm pretty sure the 16 and 8 will not fit because the mount it too close to the block.
Trivia: The 3600 fit the Ford 3.0 Ford Vulcan V-6 OHV engine in production from 1986 to 2008.
Fit the 3.8 in my sisters 96 Mustang as well.
dnewton3
Staff member
1) not really going to "practically ensure" anything like that
2) the BP will open rarely anyway
3) what little it does open, hasn't been proven to be discernable in any manner in overall wear data
There are two reasonable reasons a BP would open:
- the dP immediately spikes due to a pressure flare from engine revving
- the dP slowly climbs due to media loading not allowing enough flow to satisfy the engine
The first condition can happen occasionally; proven by Jim Allen's data many years back. But it's usually under the condition of very cold oil, thick oil and a very high rpm at startup.
The second condition is a matter of greatly overrunning the FCI; not something any BITOG ever was going to experience anyway.
Sure; in theory there is some micro-small dP that would induce a smaller filter to go into BP whereas a larger filter might have enough media to overcome the dP and allow continued flow without BP. Existentially, it does exist, but it's such an incredibly small window that it's not worth the effort of worry in a practical real world application. And to really be of benefit, that same wickedly small dP would have to be present every time you start the engine, or operate at a steady-state. THAT, my dear sir, is what's "practically never" going to happen.
One thing I have noticed (and its the reason why I oversize filters for my two engines that fit the 3614)--the 3600 has more pleats. The 3614, when cut open here (at least the EG & TG versions) has had some tears, which is very rare for the 3600. Now I don't know that this would be a problem when using the Ultra, but it is one difference that I thought I'd bring up.
There should be enough oil flow to the engine as long as the PD pump isn't in pressure relief and the output flow from the pump is not choked down to a dangerous level.
In a case where the filter was totally clogged (a very rare drastic condition), the filter bypass valve could be under sized (depending on design) to take all the flow from the pump, and act like a flow restrictive orifice which could cause the PD pump to hit pressure relief sooner than it should. It might also cause the filter media and/or center tube to fail from too much dP. The filter bypass valve is also there to protect the filter from excessive dP.
The dP across the filter media from flow should be proportional to the total flow area (all other factors held constant), so doubting the area would half the dP. Nothing really physically bad about having a larger oil filter, as it gives more media area resulting in more holding capacity and less dP.
But what could be bad is if the filter failed for some reason (rare, but could happen) and cause engine damage, the manufacturer will say (as an excuse, even though the failure wasn't "model dependent") that the warranty is denied because the wrong filter model was used. Pretty much every filter manufacturer states that in their warranty statement.
Last edited:
I think the 3600 will be fine. Thanks
