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To Fram or Not to Fram

On the 95 (actually, on most 4.0L HO) you can use a larger, 1qt filter that gives you more filtering area and is more commonly available. The Motorcraft FL1, Fram PH8A, Wix 51515 (also sold under NAPA names) are direct fits that are longer than the stock filter but tuck up nicely along the block.
 
I actually did my own experment several years ago on this very subject. I went around town and bought most of the local filters I could find. Fram, Purolator, AC Delco, Wix etc....
After I cut them open I was very dissapointed in the Fram filter. To make a long story short, the Fram filter was junk. The Wix filter however was EXCELENT. The only draw back was that Wix filters are a little pricey. So to combat the cost I use NAPA silver line filters exclusively. They are manufactured by WIX and don't carry the full name brand price. I've been useing Napa silver lines for years and have never had any problems. I just replaced the oil filiter on my wifes 95 XJ. I belive it was only like $3.50.
Just my .02!
Good luck,
Jason
 
I have a 99 XJ Classic with the HO 4.0L automatic. I have noticed that my oil pressure sucks, especially when I'm wheeling or idling once it's warm, the pressure gauge drops 25% and that's huge if you're doing alot of low RPM driving like I do. Bye bye Fram, hello anything else! Can I use the Ford 5.0L filter on my 4.0L? I know you all said it fits the 2.5L 4 banger but what about the I-6?
 
JBM said:
I actually did my own experment several years ago on this very subject. I went around town and bought most of the local filters I could find. Fram, Purolator, AC Delco, Wix etc....
After I cut them open I was very dissapointed in the Fram filter. To make a long story short, the Fram filter was junk. The Wix filter however was EXCELENT. The only draw back was that Wix filters are a little pricey. So to combat the cost I use NAPA silver line filters exclusively. They are manufactured by WIX and don't carry the full name brand price. I've been useing Napa silver lines for years and have never had any problems. I just replaced the oil filiter on my wifes 95 XJ. I belive it was only like $3.50.
Just my .02!
Good luck,
Jason
Click to expand...

Just so you know when we went to get another NAPA Silver for the '89 last week they had been discontinued. I forget what the one we wound up with was labeled as (professional series or sumthin') but I think it's just a change in the label, not the filter itself.
 
Yep, I've pulled a Fram (that's what the previous owner used) off of my XJ and not a drop of oil ran out of it. Yep, it would take 5 or more seconds to build pressure when started after sitting overnight.

I'm using a Mobil 1 M1-204 on it now. I get instantaneous pressure when I hit the key and overall pressures idle to highway, cold to hot, are better.

Fram oil filters will never again touch any of my vehicles.
 
I think the only reason fram is still in business is that #1 every single place carries them, kudos to their awsome marketing and sales reps and #2 people don't know any better. Actually #1 could also be tied to the parts conglomerates carrying all the other that honeywell sells...
 
Well, I did the best of both worlds on my oil filter today. I got the Mobil One (very good filter, great pressure in the 4.0L) and it's the one made for the Ford 5.0L Mustang engine. It takes another half quart of oil therefore increasing the oil capacity by that much, always good to hold more clean oil. As soon as I started it up, a few seconds later it got to pressure, and it's much higher than before. It sits at 5/8 on the gauge at cold idle and just a hair above half at warm idle. Very big improvment over the Pure One filter I took off. My pressure was crap before, now it's great!
Also, I changed both 02 sensors and just in the 30 or so miles before I filled up, I noticed an increase in mpg. I usually don't get more than 220 miles to a tank, I changed the sensors and oil at 1/8 of a tank and when I filled up with just 17.866 gallons, the usual, I had 238.8 which is an acceptable improvment over the past tanks of gas I've put through it. I can't wait to see how much I get out of this tank!
 
Now go ahead and fill your tire presure to 35-38 PSI and really see how many miles more you get out of a tank. My pressure was low and I was getting about 250 miles out of a tank. Made some adjustments with it and now I get about 330-340 miles from a tank. And thats refilling it again with about 18.5 gallons.
 
I've been using a second line Purolator for years on my xj. Always have a bunch of oil gush out of the filter when I take it off so I assumed the valving was doing its job...but on a related note...when I filled up with 20w50 and the new second line purolater my pressure is 60 when I crank up at idle, 80-90 when I hold it at 2000rpm but pressure starts to drop as I rev above 2000...down to a hair below 60 at 3000 rpm...is that the filter not being able to handle the volume or normal drop in pressure? Thats all pressures cold but hot pressures are pretty high too.

On a related and embarrasing note...it takes 40lbs of oil dry to clean 6 quarts of oil off the asphalt at my shop...I got distracted by phone calls and customers while in the middle of changing my own oil after hours at the shop and finally, in frustration at not being left alone to work on MY heep, I slammed the hood and cranked up to leave, only backed out about 20 feet before I noticed no oil pressure and a nice stream of oil following my jeep...so I pulled back up and put my filter on. :wierd: Filled back up with oil again...atleast its really clean in there.
 
Bustednutz, it sounds like you've busted your nutz driving down the road with 36 psi in your XJ tires! j/k If I wanted my teeth to be rattled out by vibrations, I'd get a subwoofer! I would like to run that kind of air in my tires, but it rides like crap with 28 or 29 in them.
 
I noticed something interesting today, while I was at the parts store I had a fram PH16 ? [whatever the one for the 4.0 is] and a Mobil-1 filter, the mobil 1 filter was much heavier than the fram one, same with the K&N, about the same weight as the mobil-1 filter. I was comparing the two to see if the oil filter socket I was picking up was the right size. The fram though was alot lighter to the point when I picked the box up I at first thought it was empty....
 
coderedxj said:
Bustednutz, it sounds like you've busted your nutz driving down the road with 36 psi in your XJ tires! j/k If I wanted my teeth to be rattled out by vibrations, I'd get a subwoofer! I would like to run that kind of air in my tires, but it rides like crap with 28 or 29 in them.
Click to expand...

It is somewhat harsh. But not too bad. The CD player skips a little till they warm up, as well as the interior. But when gas is 2.10/gal here in NY I'll suffer a little.
 
all i've ever ran was fram but after reading this and other threads on here, never again. everynow and then my jeep has a tendency to lose pressure. only happens about once or twice a month and usually comes back at the next crank. hoping a new filter will fix this
 
bjoehandley said:
I decided to not Fram on this one after reading some of this stuff on Knize sight. Never thought to compair weight of the filters.......Good Idea RichP
Click to expand...

I don't know if weight has anything to do with it, lighter vs heavier materials are not always a way to judge something. I just thought it was interesting and something I had never noticed before, I mean how often do you normally use weight as a criteria for picking an oil filter...
 
I was thinking more the weight difference was do to contents of the filter (or lack there of), than the weight of the materials that they are made of. Sorry about the grammar in my last post, I posted late last night (didn't look THAT bad 9 hours ago :dunno: )
 
coderedxj said:
Well, I did the best of both worlds on my oil filter today. I got the Mobil One (very good filter, great pressure in the 4.0L) and it's the one made for the Ford 5.0L Mustang engine. It takes another half quart of oil therefore increasing the oil capacity by that much, always good to hold more clean oil. As soon as I started it up, a few seconds later it got to pressure, and it's much higher than before. It sits at 5/8 on the gauge at cold idle and just a hair above half at warm idle. Very big improvment over the Pure One filter I took off. My pressure was crap before, now it's great!
Also, I changed both 02 sensors and just in the 30 or so miles before I filled up, I noticed an increase in mpg. I usually don't get more than 220 miles to a tank, I changed the sensors and oil at 1/8 of a tank and when I filled up with just 17.866 gallons, the usual, I had 238.8 which is an acceptable improvment over the past tanks of gas I've put through it. I can't wait to see how much I get out of this tank!
Click to expand...

Try resetting the engine computer. Disconnect power, etc. You may find more improvement if the ECU can relearn parameters for the new sensors.
 
Thanks for the tip XJXJ, anything is worth a try if it means better mileage and performance. I'm still liking my Mobil 1 filter made for a 5.0L V8, I think it just runs better overall!
 
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