Larger Oil Filter

I have a '93 and someone told me that I could put a larger oil filter on it. I don't want to start on which brand is best so I'll just use the common Fram numbers. Mine calls for the PH 16, but the PH 8A will drop right in! So I did it and it does (used the K&N filter). Filter costs the same, holds about 1/3 of a qt. more oil, but most importantly,... more filter surface area... and that's good, especially if you run synthetics and keep them in longer. So it's a "free" upgrade for those who didn't know. (Like me).

Good stuff, ain't it? I've been running that mod for quite awhile.

Stand by for old_man to drop by and tell us about the Charmin filter he uses

I have a dual remote setup and I run 2 ph8a, but I switched to the purolator with the check valve to eliminate some dry start issues i was having....

Not to start a which is best fight, but really the only BAD filter you can buy is a Fram. I use the Purolator PL30001, which I believe is for small block Fords. Soon I'm going to be installing a remote filter and I can use huge 2 quart filters...

Professor Bobo said:

I don't want to start on which brand is best so I'll just use the common Fram numbers. Mine calls for the PH 16, but the PH 8A will drop right in!

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ZmOz said:

Not to start a which is best fight, but really the only BAD filter you can buy is a Fram.

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so why point out the obvious then???

There is a write up on www.madxj.com explaining all about using a larger filter.

ZmOz said:

Not to start a which is best fight, but really the only BAD filter you can buy is a Fram. I use the Purolator PL30001, which I believe is for small block Fords. Soon I'm going to be installing a remote filter and I can use huge 2 quart filters...

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please explain. ive been using frams since i bought my first car and never had any trouble with them [btw it was a 93 plymouth van that had 220k on it, 110 of which were mine when i traded on the xj and i still see it a cupple of towns over yander running around] though i always ran the reguler filter on it but im running the tough gard on the xj.

scoobyxj said:

please explain. ive been using frams since i bought my first car and never had any trouble with them [btw it was a 93 plymouth van that had 220k on it, 110 of which were mine when i traded on the xj and i still see it a cupple of towns over yander running around] though i always ran the reguler filter on it but im running the tough gard on the xj.

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There's a web site or two which rip oil filters apart and compare the construction quality of the internals. The Fram "appears" to be inferior to most others. I've cruised the web have found no first person accounts of Fram oil filter problems OTHER than a period in 1995. They had some filters made in Korea in 1994 which hit the market in 1995 which ended up being recalled. The filters were not made to Frams specs and would burst and were responsible for a few accidents. The bad rep seems to have begun shortly after.

A major number of the trucking companies use Fram filters in their local garages. One of the ones close to me uses XJ's for parts runners and they use Fram on the XJs. No problems and their mileage is close to 40K a year. Basically if you change your oil at decent intervals anything works.

A few studies have hinted that finer filtering (smaller and smaller particles) isn't really that important. Idea beng that the smaller ones fit between the metal to metal services without contact and hence cause no or very minor impact. Too large and the crap can't get in. So the idea is to filter the correct size...one which would make contact with both surfaces. Not my idea now remember.

Sarge

Do you suppose that mod will be effective on the 2.8L engines as well?

If you go to a larger filter, do you still use the same amount of oil...ie: do you still use 4 qts or now put in 4.5 qts for example?

Ok...got my J's mixed up. The PH 16 is the one I use on the ZJ. I use a 3800 series on the XJ. Even so, I imagine that you could go to a bigger filter if desired on the 2.8. Anyone know which filter to upgrade to?

to throw some heat in there... if you cut apart a fram, they use cardboard for the "anti drainback" feature and the filter material is a bit chinsy. But I switch with what is on sale usually for my dodge, but since the XJ wont be seeing alot of miles I will go with a K&N or a Napa (Wix). I also have never heard of engine problems because of a particular filter, I just go with the every 3K and seem to be fine.

I'm assuming this will work for the 97+ guys out there as well???

Professor Bobo said:

I have a '93 and someone told me that I could put a larger oil filter on it. I don't want to start on which brand is best so I'll just use the common Fram numbers. Mine calls for the PH 16, but the PH 8A will drop right in! So I did it and it does (used the K&N filter). Filter costs the same, holds about 1/3 of a qt. more oil, but most importantly,... more filter surface area... and that's good, especially if you run synthetics and keep them in longer. So it's a "free" upgrade for those who didn't know. (Like me).

Click to expand...

jeo said:

I'm assuming this will work for the 97+ guys out there as well???

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Works for the HO engines that all use a PH16-sized filter. I don't have a recommendation for the Renix 4.0L that use a PH3985(?) though. I suppose some reading on Wix' or Fram's site and comparing mounting surfaces would do it but I haven't done that in years...

I've been using the larger filter on my 93XJ for a while now. It's kinda of nice, it's the same filter my 71 Ford Torino GT and 92 T-bird V-8's both use. So I buy the same filter for all three. I use WIX 51515. Haven't had any problems with it.
Mike Harris

Sarge said:

There's a web site or two which rip oil filters apart and compare the construction quality of the internals. The Fram "appears" to be inferior to most others. I've cruised the web have found no first person accounts of Fram oil filter problems OTHER than a period in 1995. They had some filters made in Korea in 1994 which hit the market in 1995 which ended up being recalled. The filters were not made to Frams specs and would burst and were responsible for a few accidents. The bad rep seems to have begun shortly after.

Sarge

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That sounds about right, I used frams for a long time till I had two blow off my 2.8L S10 within minutes of starting them up after an oil change, that was around that time frame. I switched to AC/Delco's after that. It was not until 98 when that guy down in maryland or delaware did the 'mini-mopar' tear down study that I heard about others having the same problem. Until then I was using OEM Mopars on my jeep as I had bought a case of them when I picked up my 98XJ in Dec of 97, along with an FSM. Now I run Mobil-1 as my first choice, K&N as second, Mopar as third. When I picked up our two 97TJ's I used OEM Mopar filters in them for a baseline, wanted to check the oil pressure and such but have already switched one over to the Mobil-1 filters, second TJ to follow this week sometime when my daughter gets time to do an oil change on hers. I picked up a case of M1-204's couple of months ago when they were on sale, 8 for the jeeps and 4 for the oldsmobile, all run Mobil-1 oil.

I use a ford/motorcraft FL-1A oil filter on my 2000 4.0. It is a tight fit, but seems to be working well for me.