[Vwdiesel] Oil Filters ---( Hot dam NOT a FRAM ? ) (fwd)

[Val Christian]

I heard my name, and am doing my duty, commenting.  You may not like
what you hear, however.

Filters.  I'd love to have filters which fit OEM fittings, and have 2, or
even 20 micron ratings.  If I ran synthetic oil, and kept it in my car 
for 50,000 miles, then I'd certainly have better filters.  

But I don't.  I change oil frequently, and use the cheap stuff you can
get for less than $1US/qt.  Well, actually, when a car is still young,
like less than 100K or even 150Kmiles, I'll use a higher priced oil.
But the reality is that I use lots of the cheap stuff.  And I change
filters often.  Purlator, Fram, the lower end filters are all about
the same.  Marginal.

The Fram Hagar mentioned is a heavier filter, specifically for the 
VW diesel application, and is a notch above the a PH-1 (which fits 
Rabbits just fine, but doesn't have the heavier canister).  I've used
probably 100 PH-1, PER-1 and similar filters, and never had one burst.
But the heavier filter canister is good insurance.

Wix, Mann, etc. are not as readily available, and seldom discounted
much.  For my 03 Jetta, I just bought a case of filters from the dealer,
when the car was new.  Last week, I bought case number 2.  About $6/filter
with my corporate discount.  

For 30 years I've been flying aircraft, where the operation of the engine 
is a little more critical than in my daily driver.  Many of those engines
don't even have a filter on them.  Yes, it's an option.  One of our planes
never had one.  It had a screen.  Seems to me the Beetle aircooled
engine did also.

One thing I do have, and I urge everyone to consider getting one...
a filter opener.  Basically, it's kinda like a big pipe cutter, and
you spin it around several times, and the filter pops open.

Recently, one of our planes had a couple of Al flakes in the filter.
We did an oil analysis, and found the Al level was just fine, as were
to other normal trace compounds.

Bottom line...cheap oil, change often, cheap filters.  If you go with 
extended oil changes, then consider an "alternative" filter, and any 
associated hassle.

Blue skies,

Val









> OK OK  --  Hagar listens when James Hansen or Val Christian or Loren  or or or speaks
> about FILTERS---Bunny Bondo deserves the BEST filter money can buy---- so ? what do I get
> her ? ---now that I have the mula . -----to tell the truth -I do not remember why I
> started to use FRAM. --
> Hagar
> 
> 
> James Hansen sez :
>  If you took an axe, and chopped off the first two inches of any Fram oil
> > filter it would be an improvement over the previous design.  They are
> shit.
> > Best advice I could possibly give is to not use such thing unless you are
> > stranded out in the Gobi Desert, a rock has ripped your oil filter off the
> > car, and a mobile shop truck drives up.  The driver of said truck then
> > proceeds to PAY YOU MONEY TO USE IT, installs it for free, and gives you
> > another handfull of money and precious gems, along with a new crate
> > longblock to install when the filter dies and ruins the motor you are
> > currently enjoying...
> >
> > But then again, I have so much trouble forming and conveying an
> opinion....
> > use whatever filter you wish.
> 
> 
> PS : And to get FRAM factory inside information --that changed my mind -for sure.
> 
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