DON'T BUY FRAM OIL FILTERS !!!!!!!!!!!

Old 09-23-2008, 05:14 PM
  #1  
superbadass532
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Default DON'T BUY FRAM OIL FILTERS !!!!!!!!!!!

This is kind of a long story......... Anyway about three weeks ago I got my 67 Camaro finally finished. I had the car completely stripped and repainted. So it was my first time out at the drag strip. I pulled the car off the trailer drive it around the pits and pulled into the lanes for my first pass of the season,pulled up made my pass every thing was fine,made a second pass everything seemed fine, The third pass the car seemed OK but it was getting late in the evening so I thought for sure it would pick up it normally does when it cools off. Well it slowed way down by about 3 tenths! I didn't think much of it thought it was something I had done wrong so I loaded it on the trailer and went home. I got up the next day(Sunday) and went back to the track. I unloaded the car and went to the staging lanes and waited to make my first pass of the day. I pulled up did my burnout and BAME!! it just stopped running. Well to make a long story short I took it home and pulled it apart and found I had spun a rod bearing #5. I got to the filter and took the filter off (FRAM FILTER) and to my total surprise the oil passage that the filter screws on to was completely clogged with what looked to be filter material!! I called Fram with my obvious concern and they said they would fax me a compensation form and they wanted me to fill the form out get an estimate of the damages and send this to Fram with the filter. I did. I heard back about a week later in a letter, basically saying that it was my fault not theirs????? Are they kidding. I've been using Fram filters my whole life 35 years and as a matter of fact the same filter on the Camaro all last season . Oh ...and the filter that fell apart was a NEW filter bought within the last 2 months this year. I think it is pretty crappy of them just to blow me off like they did not only did they lose a great customer but they have gained an enemy! My motor is well worth $12-15,000 not to mention the time of RR of the engine and I only wanted these Jackasses to cover my basic costs of $3000.00! But now they have a pissed off a good customer !!!! What are these people thinking! Sorry ......... But I just needed to vent! Stan
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Old 09-23-2008, 07:06 PM
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hammertime
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Stan sorry to hear of your bad luck. Fram has had this issue for a few years now. I have sense moved to Pure One or Puralator with good luck. System 1 filters are the best for sure. Again sorry to hear what happened hope you get it fixed soon.
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Old 09-23-2008, 07:55 PM
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superbadass532
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Hammertime, Thanks for the info on the filters . I have heard that Wix is one of the best also. I guess its more pissed that Fram wouldn't take care of my issue since I wasn't trying to take them to the bank I just wanted what was fare. What would $3000.00 be to Fram/Honeywell corp. It would be like you or I throwing a penny on the ground! Here I go again ......... This hole thing just gets my blood pressure up!! Thx
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Old 09-23-2008, 08:09 PM
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Tod74
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I wouldn't put a fram on a lawn mower..but personaly have had no trouble just base that opinion on their reputation.
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Old 09-24-2008, 05:02 AM
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tazracing
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EVERY BODY IN MY CAMP USES WIX 51061R FILTER.NEVER HAD PROBLEM. MY ONE BUDDY HAS A BLOWN ENGINE BECAUSE OF A FRAM FILTER.
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Old 09-24-2008, 05:13 AM
  #6  
gearhead1011
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I have seen the damage caused by the junk fram filters 1st hand. I think the tough guard or whatever name they use now were the worst. My business was sued by a vehicle owner that supplied his own filter. Fram wouldn't take any of the blame for that one either even though they admitted the media was too restrictive. That was about 6 years ago and I have talked to several people since then that have had problems with fram oil filters. It seems like the majority of the problems were on a sbc application. John Force was endorsing the product at the time and some of the people that I talked to said if it was good enough for him it's good enough for me. That's about the only thing about force I don't like but I know celebs endorse products for the paycheck and we should keep that in mind.

Sorry you had to learn an expensive lesson but to me this is another good reason to spend the bucks and buy a good racing filter like a system 1. If you decide to go after fram I think I still have documentation about the garbage they produce that I can forward to you.
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Old 09-24-2008, 06:14 AM
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billhendren
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I have had that happen twice to my customers even though i tell everyone of them NOT to use fram filters. the first one I filled out the forms and sent the filter in.[ BIG MISTAKE] same results as you,they wouldn't cover it and they had the filter [evidence] the second time i photographed the filter and engine damage and sent the pictures in but NOT the filter.guess what,there insurance company called me within a week,came and inspected the filter and engine and payed for the damage 100% within two weeks.I have since told several other racers who had the same problem not to send the filter in and they all have been payed Bill
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Old 09-24-2008, 07:27 AM
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zipper06
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As mentioned above, System One if you can afford it, Wix, NAPA, made by Wix is probably the better OTC filter.
Funny thing someone gave me 6 fram filters for S/BLK chevy, they are still laying on the back bench, i use NAPA/Wix only, with 3 drivers and 1 race car.

JMO


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Old 09-24-2008, 10:28 AM
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itsabird
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i have used wix for the last 4 years, no prob so far, a racer i know had trouble,s with fram, but got to it before it trashed the engine. dump the fram for sure. imo.
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Old 09-24-2008, 01:32 PM
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gungho
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Bought a wix today at work,spun off the fram and installed it when I got home,so now I can sleep tonight .I did here nightmares about fram but,there so cheap I buy em buy the half dozen.no more,thanks for the heads up
P.S. I lost my filter wrench so I now use my teeth.
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