FRAM XG16 Cut Open

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This filter was used on a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8L for two years seven months, for a total of 6,000 miles. The filter experienced two issues (outlined below) that will probably keep me from using another filter for such a long period of time.

The owner's manual says that you can use the oil filter for two oil changes, which would be a maximum of one year. I thought that it would be more interesting to use a high capacity filter for a bit longer than that rather than using multiple less expensive filters that everyone's seen before.

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That shouldn't be there...
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I checked the base plate for any missing adhesive and found a gap.
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A perfect fit!
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I'd never had a base plate rust before. Can't really blame the filter as it was used for over two and a half times the amount of time that the owner's manual expects.

I don't think that the vehicle was ever driven on salted roads with this filter on.
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All the painted areas remained rust free, including the crimp.
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Baldwin starts out new with baseplate gaps and a twisted center core as well as silence when you email them. I have had Ultras on for 1.5 years with no rust or mess but my cars are low mileage and nothing older than late 2014.
Thanks for your c&p!
 
Why does anyone run a oil filter for two oil changes?
Especially when your the one that suffers if it let's you down. I just don't get it.
I can buy Fram Ultras , this size on eBay for $4.50 each delivered. For $4.50 and 3 extra minutes you want to run a endurance test (at your expense to prove a point).
Don't mean to criticize you but Everytime I see these run the same oil filter for two changes, I can't help to wonder if it's lazy or stupid to leave a component full of dirt in a engine with fresh oil.
 
Very interesting that the glue separated.
Being on the "dirty" side it was caught and no damage done.
I guess you could possibly have an issue with the oil draining from the filter if it mounted sideways or open end down, but I know on the 3.8 it is open end up, so not an issue. Not even sure if the seal was actually broken, does the glue go a lot further under?

As for the rust, not an issue at all, just surface rust. Maybe in another 20 years it would be an issue.

So what are you using instead (or are you still using an Ultra, just not as long)?
 
Well if the overwhelming majority of the oil is new and only say 4-10 ozs is old then why does it really matter?? Especially if the capacity is 128-160 total ounces. Truth is there is ALWAYS old oil left in a motor. Having 4-10 ozs maybe a little more really is not going to mean anything at the end of the day.
 
Should not be any rust or big chunks of glue. Stuff happens on a mass produced low priced item. Still IMO people should be negative on the rust and the glue..not letting it pass because it is our beloved Ultra. If a otherwise fine (no tear) Puro showed up like that some H would break loose about cheap, lack of quality control, never going to use them again posts.
 
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Should not be any rust or big chunks of glue. Stuff happens on a mass produced low priced item. Still IMO people should be negative on the rust and the glue..not letting it pass because it is our beloved Ultra. If a otherwise fine (no tear) Puro showed up like that some H would break loose about cheap, lack of quality control, never going to use them again posts.

If it becomes a chronic problem, then sure, but this is the only one I have seen.
And as pointed out, this filter was in use over twice its recommended time interval (which would easily explain the rust, but not the glue issue).
 
I see nothing in these photos that should cause any concern.

Cosmetic issues = does not affect the function
 
I had one of those vans, liked it. With little driving over that time period and a base up filter it seems reasonable water could collect in the gap outside the gasket and rust the base. Driving more would have dried it out. I don't see anything harmful with the two "defects." The Ultra being synthetic doesn't take out any water from the oil. Short tripping over 2 1/2 years might do more damage from water in the oil than anything else.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
I see nothing in these photos that should cause any concern.

Cosmetic issues = does not affect the function

Echo that.
 
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Why does anyone run a oil filter for two oil changes?
Especially when your the one that suffers if it let's you down. I just don't get it.
I can buy Fram Ultras , this size on eBay for $4.50 each delivered. For $4.50 and 3 extra minutes you want to run a endurance test (at your expense to prove a point).
Don't mean to criticize you but Everytime I see these run the same oil filter for two changes, I can't help to wonder if it's lazy or stupid to leave a component full of dirt in a engine with fresh oil.


I do because I hate changing the oil filter and it can easily last 12K miles.
 
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Why does anyone run a oil filter for two oil changes?
Especially when your the one that suffers if it let's you down. I just don't get it.
I can buy Fram Ultras , this size on eBay for $4.50 each delivered. For $4.50 and 3 extra minutes you want to run a endurance test (at your expense to prove a point).
Don't mean to criticize you but Everytime I see these run the same oil filter for two changes, I can't help to wonder if it's lazy or stupid to leave a component full of dirt in a engine with fresh oil.
I get your point and understand that some people wouldn't be comfortable using an oil filter for more than one oil change. None of this was about laziness or cost. I just don't see a reason to waste a filter with only 2,300 miles on it if it doesn't need to be changed.

Chrysler said that it was okay to use a paper filter from the 90s for 15,000 miles with these engines. I think that I was pretty conservative to use a modern design for 6,000 miles. And as others have pointed out, the rust is no where near severe enough to be structural. I think it just comes down to how comfortable you are with trusting the manufacturer.
 
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Should not be any rust or big chunks of glue. Stuff happens on a mass produced low priced item. Still IMO people should be negative on the rust and the glue..not letting it pass because it is our beloved Ultra.


I'm sure if you saw this reported ever other day for a year (like the torn media fiasco with Purolators), you'd see many people (including myself) badmouthing the filter. This is the first instance I've seen of this issue with the glue breaking off.
 
Originally Posted By: blupupher
Very interesting that the glue separated.
Being on the "dirty" side it was caught and no damage done.
I guess you could possibly have an issue with the oil draining from the filter if it mounted sideways or open end down, but I know on the 3.8 it is open end up, so not an issue. Not even sure if the seal was actually broken, does the glue go a lot further under?
I just cut up two base plates to take a better look at how they're constructed. It doesn't look like the adhesive flows underneath the two pieces. The entire piece that holds the gasket is tightly spot welded to the base plate and then has the canister crimped at the edge. So, I doubt that it's likely to leak with some missing adhesive. I've had to remove bits of adhesive that have broken off from filters directly out of the box on multiple occasions and have never experienced a leak before. However, this is the first time I've ever had a piece break off and go into the filter.

The groove on the far right of this picture is NOT normally there. I had to cut this filter at the crimp (these are over my oil filter cutter's capacity). I included a picture of a TG3600 base plate to show what it normally looks like.
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The spot welds are visible underneath the gasket.
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Here's the TG3600 base plate to show how the outer crimp normally is.
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Originally Posted By: blupupher
So what are you using instead (or are you still using an Ultra, just not as long)?
At the risk of even more people hating me, I used a WIX XP. I'm curious to see how they're constructed.
 
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Did you use old motor oil to oil the gasket when you first installed it???
I used fresh oil on the gasket before installation.
 
Originally Posted By: goodtimes
With little driving over that time period and a base up filter it seems reasonable water could collect in the gap outside the gasket and rust the base. Driving more would have dried it out.
That was my thought as well. This is the only vehicle I've worked on that specs a filter that can collect water around the base plate.
 
If your state uses road salt in the winters, rusted oil filters two years old could occur.

Sometimes using a different product on the gasket could eliminate rust problems. I keep gun grease in my garage and spread the gun grease on oil filter gasket and very lightly on filter spin-threads for better seals and for easier removal of the filter in two years.
 
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