Oil filters have the hard job of trapping the carbon, metal shavings and other particulates that circulate through your motor oil. Without the oil filter, all those contaminants would build up in your oil pan, oil pump pickup screen and rotating assemblies like bearings, and then you'd have a nice accumulation of sludge that would shorten engine life.
People tend to not think of the oil filter until it's time for an oil change, and then they don't really give a lot of thought to the brand and design of the filter...but not all oil filters are created equal. That's where FRAM's Titanium® and Force® filters come in.
FRAM Titanium®
The FRAM Titanium® filter uses a durable synthetic media blend that traps 99% of dirt and contaminants. It's also specifically designed for the longer oil change intervals that go with synthetic motor oil. The media is contained in a metal screen frame for extra rigidity and resistance to pressure.
Titanium® filter media is contained in a metal screen frame for extra rigidity and resistance to pressure.
FRAM Force®
FRAM Force® filters offer a synthetic media blend with 20% more pleats. There are multiple benefits to this design, like increased dirt-trapping and dirt-holding capacities. That means longer filter life and, of course, higher levels of protection for your engine.
The Force® filter uses a synthetic media blend with 20 percent more pleats.
FRAM Innovations
Now that you have a quick overview of the FRAM Titanium® and Force® filters, it's time to get into the nitty-gritty. FRAM has been around since 1934, but they are by no means stuck in the past. Both filters have some great innovations you won't find elsewhere, so let's learn more about what makes them so different.
TOTAL GRIP
Most of us have been there before, struggling to remove a greasy, slippery oil filter. They're hard to get a grip on, and a filter wrench doesn't always fit. The new FRAM Titanium® and Force® oil filters both feature a rough, grippy surface that's easy to grab, even when wearing gloves or when your hands are dirty. As if easy removal and installation aren't enough, these filters feature impressive new technology inside, too.
PRECISION RELIEF VALVE
The relief valve prevents oil starvation by letting oil bypass the filter when the filter restricts flow or when oil is thicker due to cold temperatures. The Titanium® and Force® filters both feature an improved relief valve consisting of a precision coil spring and glass-fiber-reinforced nylon poppet for more precise operation, even in cold conditions.
IMPROVED MEDIA
The media inside the filter housing does the real work, trapping particles as small as a couple of microns and preventing them from making their way around in the oil.
ANTI-DRAINBACK VALVE
One thing you don't want is for oil to drain back out of the filter when the engine is shut off. This requires the oil pump to fill the filter again as the oil pressurizes at startup and starves other engine parts for oil. The new and improved silicone anti-drainback valve in the FRAM Titanium® and Force® filters offers superior engine protection and three times the resistance to drainback, even with hot, low-viscosity oil.
FRAM POWERFLOW™ TECHNOLOGY
The FRAM Titanium® filter uses innovative, high-flow inlet holes that allow for higher controlled oil flow over the full media surface. This ensures optimal filtration performance.
GASKET
The gasket is as important as any other part of an oil filter, and the Titanium® and Force® filters both feature an advanced nitrile-blend gasket that maintains a positive seal regardless of temperature. It's specifically designed for longer service intervals and ease of removal when it's oil change time.
Most new vehicles are designed for synthetic engine oil and often a low-viscosity oil that circulates more readily through the engine and requires less energy to pressurize it and keep it moving. The flip side of synthetic oil is the longer interval between changes, and you need an oil filter that's specifically designed for more time and mileage between changes. That's where the FRAM Titanium® and Force® filters shine. There really is a difference between oil filters, so why not get what's best for your engine?
Do you think about the brand of oil filter you use on your vehicle? Let us know in the comments.
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About the Author(s)
Jerry Renshaw is a veteran journalist, gearhead and guitar player, and cultivated his mechanical skills by 30 years of turning wrenches to keep one piece of junk or another on the road. He's owned everything from a Chevette to (three) minivans to a fire-breathing Dodge muscle truck, and is constantly keeping up to speed on what's going on in the automotive world.
