fram Oil filter

[mirafioriman]

Well if they are not fitted then K&N obviously don't think it is needed. Personally I thought the non return valve was there in some filters to stop oil draining back out of the filter after the engine stops. On the 131 as the filter is fitted bottom down this can not happen. The mounting style is useful because you can fill the filter before you fit it eliminating the rattle you often get when starting after an oil change until the filter fills with oil.

[106usj]

Well i emailed the company months ago when their  k&n filter  first appeared on ebay and asked the queson did they do an oil filter for the 2000cc tc and i was told (Quote) they did not supply one for the 2.0l only the 1.8l

[mirafioriman]

I'm not sure I trust K&N to be honest. I ordered an air filter for my 130 from them using their catalogue. It said it fitted the 130 3200cc and when it came it was totally the wrong size! I ended up having to send it back and order a 'universal' one from them of the appropriate size based on my own measurements.

[Henk]

Theo, There is an exeption to the vertical mounted filter
cars Equipped with AC have a horizontal mounted filter (see pic)
Anyways, I bought a fram  PH2807-1 recently.
I can look down the center hole all the way into the filter...
How can I determine if there is a no return valve?
Should there be some sort of membrane covering the hole?

[david]

You can see it in the centre near the top, If you use this filter then you will cause damage to your engine, Go to Fiat.....

[Thotos]

I think what you're looking at in the centre hole of the filter might be a bypass valve and not a non-return valve.  Some (most?) filters have a bypass valve to allow oil to circulate even if the filter gets clogged and when the oil is too thick to pass through the filter on the principle that it's better to have circulation of unfiltered oil than no oil at all.

[david]

Well use this patent rubbish and run the risk of wrecking the engine or buy the proper part for the cost of a few ?s !

[Henk]

Isn't this so called anti drain valve not just a springloaded seal covering the inlet holes once the engine stops (and oilpressure = 0)?

See attached Picture from (believe it or not) Fram.

[Henk]

In addition to the above,
I found an online fram catalog
copy the following into your browser: http://www.framcatalog.com/Application.aspx?b=F
check the oilfilter box and then you can search by year and application
If you take a 1980 Fiat 131 it comes with two possibilitys:
PH3512 (With AC limited space)
PH7 (without AC)
By clicking on the partnumbers you will get oil filter specs.
as you can see they both come with the "anti drain valve"

(PS, I am not a Fram shareholder)

[david]

Henk, Its up to you what you use and I am only talking from experience that these fram filters cause the crank to rumble on start up after a day or so of sitting and I have left my sport sitting for months when fitted with a fiat filter and no noise so you pays your money you takes your choice but bearing in mind that the rumbling noise is metal to metal contact between the crank and shells and this will significantly shorten the life of an engine.

[Henk]

David, Do not think I disagree with you.
I am an automotive engineer in AC and engine cooling for 20 years now but do not know too much about engine lubrication (Except the basics we learned at school)
your topic triggered me as I am curious and want to know how stuff works.
now I know this valve is important and I am not sure if the Fram I purchased has this valve so I will not use it.

[david]

Henk,  No worries just telling people to avoid these fram oil filters and save damaging their engines.

[david]

Look at Fram oil filters on Wikipedia and at the bottom of the page under  controversy there are the findings of an engineer who took all these filters apart and rates fram as the worst,  makes for interesting reading.