Fram transmission Filter + Gasket

[purplesignal]

It is available from Amazon for ~$22. http://www.amazon.com/FRAM-FT1...r=1-1 Get to $25 and I get free shipping. OEM is ~$37 + shipping (~$7). Is the Fram that much worse than the OEM?

[driverdriver]

If you want your transmission to last stick to OEM.

Fram makes a lot of products of very poor quality. Simply stay away from them ( and there other associated brands-basically Frams branded as Quaker State or Honeywell).

[gr8scott72]

Is the Fram that much worse than the OEM?

YES!

[purplesignal]

OEM it is then. I didn't know FRAM transmission filters were that bad...

[gr8scott72]

I wouldn't put anything that says Fram on it even in the back seat of my car.

[Defiant]

So it goes. Forty years at this, and I've heard tale after tale about how awful Fram filters are. I've yet to track one down to a person it actually happened to, nor have I had any issue with them myself. Everyone tells the horror stories, and talks of quality issues, but I've yet to meet an actual victim.The only oil filter failure I've seen was a Motorcraft that split its case in one of a pair in a Mangusta.

Perhaps your mileage varied.

[gr8scott72]

Here's some info on different oil filters. I know it's not transmission filters but anyway:

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters.html

[Defiant]

The filter study is fairly good, except it doesn't address the situation that you don't know where a give filter is made, nor whose it actually is. Filters are bid out on contract, and the best bid gets to make that batch.The only advice I've really gotten from all the filter discussions is that I put much stock in is that you won't go wrong with Wix filters. They don't seem to sell out to little guys like car companies, and are more concerned with their place in the heavy industries. I've not heard of them having filters made for them instead of making their own. Of course, in today's economic chess game, there's no telling what you're buying, nor where in China it was made.

[driverdriver]

I have ancedotal Fram filter failure evidence. I gave there a filter a "spin", twice.

The valve that allows dirty oil contaminate twice failed on my old Civic when I was using Fram Oil filters. Fram filters are held together by glue. Its very poor glue. You go a few hundred clicks over and the glue in the filter is known to give(I found this out after I started perusing internet auto forums-I'm not alone, other gearheads had the same issue too). You can have failure in multiple filter sections. I stick to filters that are known to be held together with screws. No more Fram for me!

[Defiant]

I honestly can't quite make out what you're saying. But what are these "held together with screws" filters you're using?

[driverdriver]

I'm talking about the Napa (aka WIX) premium gold oil filters(its the one with "used by NASCAR" approved seal on the box). Use a set of shears and cut one open. Metal caps are affixed with small screws to each end of the filter element. The filter itself is attached to a metal support structure to prevent collapse by what kind of looks like small rivets . On the Fram oil filters, cardboard end caps are glued crudely to each end of the filter. There is a metal support structure, but compared to the Napa filter its positvely flimsy. On the Frams the filter is glued to the metal support structure.

The Napa's are stamped on both the inside and outside "Proudly crafted in the USA". The Fram's wherever the last "cheapest" batch was produced.