Deal on Fram oil and air filters good to 12/31/12

[Conner]

I was looking for oil and air filters for my truck and found this Fram rebate that is running through the end of the year. You get $4 back if you buy an oil and air filter. You can submit up to two rebates per household.

 

The correct air filter for the 320 is CA352. Currently $5.99 from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co...qid=1346937047

 

The Extra-guard cartidge-style oil filter element for the 320 is CH820PL. When I ordered it was $6.87 from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co...ds=Fram CH820PL

 

If you order two of each the total is $25.72, which qualifies for free shipping (and no sales tax at least for now). After you send in your rebate (form found here: http://fram.com/site...56bkrbt11cr.pdf) and get $8 back ($4 times 2) you are netting under $18 for two oil filters and two air filters delivered to your door.

 

I thought this was a good deal so I thought I'd share.

 

 

FYI if you have a later-style spin-off oil filter the Fram part number is PH3639 and Amazon had those for $8.31 when I looked.

http://www.amazon.co...rds=Fram PH3639

[thisismatt]

People who care about their engines don't use fram oil filters

[Amerikilla]

People who care about their engines don't use fram oil filters

THIS...

[Sealik]

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/39405-fram-vs-napa-wix-comparison/page__hl__fram

[datzenmike]

Long long ago in the 50s and 60s Fram was a respected name. The company was a proven money maker and was sold many times and passed around like a 14 year old at a biker party to other buyers willing to cheapen the product while continueing to live on the past reputation. They continued to make them cheaper and of poorer quality to keep profits up.

 

Not only are Fram filters crap but I believe they are made in China now.

 

Your engine oil is the lifeblood of your engine. You're going to risk it to save $4?

[flatcat19]

Trollololol

[datzenmike]

 

 

I'm renewing my opinion that you could gut a filter, throw in a sock and do about the same job as a FRAM filter. And now I'll have something to show those people who insist on using FRAM when they come into NAPA looking for one. Without further ado, here are the pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Conner]

Sorry. I've never bought Fram before but I figured they were an okay product because it's a major brand. I use Nissan filters on my other vehicles but couldn't find the element style filter from them. If someone has part numbers for a better brand please post. Mods please delete this thread. I didn't mean to open old wounds on Fram.

[DanielC]

It is OK. You did not really open new wounds, you just allowed a few more people to get educated, including yourself. Now you know.

[KFunk740]

Sometimes the guy at Autozone tells me that if I buy a 5 quart jug of oil, along with a Fram filter, then the filter is free, and it takes a couple bucks off the cost of the oil. So, I just grab a random Fram filter off the shelf, get the couple bucks off my bill, then pitch the Fram in the trash as I walk out the door.

 

Seems wrong, doesn't it?

[DanielC]

"then pitch the Fram in the trash as I walk out the door.

 

Seems wrong, doesn't it?"

 

Unfortunately, the conglomerate that imports Fram filters still gets another sale, because the auto parts store has to replace the filter if you use it on an engine, toss it in the trash, or use it to filter solvent in your parts washer.

 

Buy the oil, grab the random Fram filter, and get the discount. Leave the Fram filter on the counter, that way the auto parts store will not reorder another Fram filter to replace the one you used for a discount.

[datsunaholic]

See, now I use them for masking off the block when painting. Or as a dust cover. Less messy than a used filter.

 

 

The non-Fram replacement oil filter for a 320 is a NAPA 1302 (WIX 51302), or a Baldwin P174. It's actually a pretty common industrial filter. The Baldwin is really expensive- like $8 if you know where to look. (that's really cheap for a Baldwin, usually they run $20+).

 

Besides, that CH820PL from Amazon? That's $2 more than the price at Rockauto. Yeah, I know, you got a discount. The cartridge filter probably isn't as bad as the spin-ons, as NO one has improved the cartridge filters in decades.

[Conner]

Yeah, Fram sucks!

 

Rockauto is great but I find shipping charges eat you up. Shipping on that oil filter from Rockauto is $5 to my zip code. Now if you are ordering more stuff from the same warehouse it can make more sense. Amazon actually has a pretty decent inventory of parts now, and I like the fact that if you spend $25 you can get free shipping. It makes a big difference on things like brake drums.

 

Thanks for the part numbers on those other filters.

[john510]

Ok,what is it that leads everybody to believe Fram filters are so bad? Ive had quite a few cars in my time and put over a 1,000,000 miles on them combined.I often use a Fram filter and have never had a problem.Ratsun is the only place ive ever heard anybody complain about them.Please explain.

[datsunaholic]

If Ratsun is the only place you've heard bad about FRAM, you haven't looked very hard.

 

1) The lack of surface area should be one clue. It's true that larger number of pleats isn't always the best if they're crammed into too small an area, but when properly spaced more pleats means more fluid gets through when they start to catch debris.

 

2) Notice the CARDBOARD ends in the pictures? These de-bond, warp, and otherwise let oil around the filter element. It's a cost-cutting measure that doesn't last long after heat cycles.

 

3) The bypass valve is the real issue. Add the lower number of pleats to a very weak bypass valve and you have oil no longer being filtered at all. The valve body has a bunch of plastic parts which soften and deform in the 200+ degree heat of engine oil.

 

4) The anti-drainback valve is pretty useless as well on the standard filter. However, I've seen worse filters for that. Some folks say Datsuns don't need the anti-drainback, but use a filter without one and tell me the difference in building oil pressure after a cold start. It's anecdotal evidence, but most folks see a big reduction in valve clatter time at startup using a good filter.

 

I've never had a FRAM fail on me on a Datsun (I used them for years) but we did have a huge spin-on lube oil filter fail in one of our boats when I was in the Navy. Burst can. You had no choice in the military, you got what Supply shipped you. We had a couple Frams and when you revved the engines (which boosted the oil pressure from 15PSI idle to 60PSI cruise you could see the fram cans expand and contract. It was... scary. And a huge mess when one burst. Never had that with a Baldwin.

 

Remember, back in the 1970s the FRAM filters were one of the better items. But they haven't IMPROVED the design since then, and have actually gone cheaper on construction. As Mike said the company has been passed around so many times because it's a recognized brand, but it's just basically been corporate raiding. R&D is gone. They spend their money on advertising, not development.

[datzenmike]

I used them for years too but always changed very regularly. Much more often than needed and always at the oil change so they were never 'over used' like an average owner might do. They were the Canadian Tire Moto-master brand which I found out later were made by Fram and stopped using them. Two years ago I heard they were starting to make them in China.

[RadioRedline]

Not defending fram. But if you think made in USA = not made in china. You could also be wrong. That "made in" can technically apply to the box not the filter. Happens all the time. I converted to Wix. The test for me was a fram on friends Z24 D21 actually not allowing the oil to drain back properly and starve the engine, making a loud tick noise. When it was replaced with a wix, the tick went away.

 

Where it's made has zero to do with how good or bad it is. The design of the item is the issue and the quality of the workmanship is what matters.

 

Made in USA doesn't necessarily guarantee quality.

 

If you don't believe me than why are a bunch of Americans on a website talking about Japanese produced cars.

 

Radio

[DaBlist]

I wont use Fram either but I can't tell you how many pictures of vintage Ferrari engine compartments look like this. Baffles me too.

 

 

Maybe they got them on sale? lol

[datzenmike]

There was a saying that if you built the perfect mouse trap the world would beat a path to your door. Capitalist competition should make a product both better and cheaper. At one time, 40 + years ago Fram was just that, well known and respected. Since then it's reputation has been sold over and over again because people continue to buy them and they make money. Lately that had dwindled, so to keep the profit line up you make them poorer quality, when they get as poor as you can make them, you move them to China where labor is cheap and pollution laws a joke. I don't know how much lower they can go.

 

If I had the choice of using a Chinese parachute or just jumping from a plane... I'd just jump. At least it would be over quicker than being strangled by the cords on the way down.

[RadioRedline]

Mike,

To assume your parachute won't open because its Chinese is just dumb. Theres 1.3+ Billion people over there driving millions of chinese factory assembled cars and motorcycles and they're getting from A to B.

 

Radio

[ggzilla]

Agreed about chinese products. ALL american cars have China parts in them. Most Japanese cars too these days.

 

USA, "made in USA" on a box applies to the contents, not to the box alone. Maybe the laws are different in Canada ... ?

[datzenmike]

Mike,

To assume your parachute won't open because its Chinese is just dumb. Theres 1.3+ Billion people over there driving millions of chinese factory assembled cars and motorcycles and they're getting from A to B.

 

Radio

 

That's the trouble, I assumed it would open... and I would get tangled in the cords and be strangled all the way down.

 

Radio they have Chinese government excess parachutes for sale. If I buy you one, would you jump out of a plane with it???? If so I'll write an apology or an obit for you.

[MicroMachinery]

:lol:

[I'm BLUE]

:rofl:

[DAT510]

Maybe the Chinese parachutes are the reason they made this song..