Featured Folks Of Interest Fram & Autolite belly up?

I wonder if that’s why I can’t get things shipped to off Amazon? I needed a low PSI electric fuel pump. And exhaust manifold I can buy up town as well, no dice.

 

My daily OT driver is at 450,000 miles and counting with Fram filters and the closest thing to engine work has been new spark plugs and a water pump. Either Fram's "junkness" is exaggerated or I'm just the luckiest person in the world.

Lynn

 

never had a failure and used them since probably 1980. that motor was built around 2000. I just took his word for it that wix was a better filter. he surely knows better than I.

 

Wix was bought by Mann filters who make high quality filters as I have used Mann filters in my BMW since I bought it. Wix are still made in the US while the Napa gold that used to be made by Wix now has questionable origin.

 

Wix makes filters all over the world including China.

 

unfortunately Wix isn’t what it once was. Mann Hummel has not been a good transition for Wix. Supply and Quality issues caused NAPA to drop them for those reasons.

 

there may be good filters and bad filters but if you change the oil and filter at regular intervals there will not be any noticeable difference in engine life on a daily driver. we've all seen the mechanic videos where a car with 100,000 miles comes in with the oil light on and the original filter in place and black mud like oil comes out the drain plug.

 

So true and so sad!

 

Back when engineers ran the automotive companies, things were fine. Some time the last 75 years, the accountants somehow got into control, and this is the result. I have my own opinions about the government getting involved, but they are O/T here.

 

Truth^^^^^^^^
Engineers have a passion for products and processes. Bean counters have a passion for the bottom line.
If left to the engineers we would have excellent products how ever without bean counters the companies may not survive. If left to bean counters the product may become second rate without engineering input. It comes down to a balance, and I absolutely believe if all involved have some passion for what is being produced then the final product will be excellent and meet a sensible price point. I really can’t understand working for a company that produces something that you have no interest in. Maybe I’m dumb and naive but I always worked in industries that excited me. My dad used to tell me that making money is easy if you don’t give damn how you make it.
Dan

 

Deecades ago while replacing the canister element P-141 in my '65 Chevelle, I showed my buddy the bucket and asked him "How long do you think Chevy expected this to last?"
He took a moment and said " Forever "

I've always thought we lost a lot of durability when computers overtook slide rule technology.

 

Work in a GM body shop and open boxes marked maid in China all the time, worked on a car last week with front damage the new bumper and grilles would not fit had to make them fit 70 % of the new US cars and truck parts are maid in China and over seas maybe more. Has anyone noticed the quality of SnapOn tools in the past ten years or so not the same as back in the day most maid in China like all of big tool found that out from the dealers them self.

 

I’ve used plenty of Fram filters too, for decades, never an issue and plenty of miles on my new or used cars and trucks, beaters, and even the 6-71 blown 350 in my coupe.

 

GM’s Electro-Motive locomotive division held 80% of that market for 40+ years, that is until Detroit decided that the General Manager of the division would no longer be an engineer, but rather an accounting type.
For a while the general managers came and went like through a revolving door. Groups of employees would go to the lunchroom to meet the new guy and one was particularly memorable for talking about the cost of employees. When a fellow blue collar guy asked about the cost of direct labor he replied with a figure that I’ve long since forgotten. I saw my opening so I asked about indirect labor. His answer? Sorry, I don’t have that at my fingertips.
Bull shit.

 

I had thought Fram was top tier for a long time. I cut the thing open after my race engine break-in, never used one since. Cardboard and foam rubber, cheezy paper element, I was not impressed. Took back the replacement Fram and got a Wix. Mid season I cut that open. Metal rings, spring instead of foam, paper element seemed more fitting. Did Fram have a cheapo line in the 90s and that's what I got? The Wix was a little more money but well within market. I felt a little nauseous that I had to put a Fram on the 352 when I flushed the oil because that was all they had on the shelf and I didn't want to wait. Did I ever lose an engine to a Fram? No, never used em before or since. Wake up call received.

 

but then again, I've worked on engines that were 80 years old and never had a filter at all, and they still have their innards intact.

(neat how discussions of financial malfeasance lead to talking about oil filters...)

 

The Fram Filter debate has been raging for decades. If you want to see why they developed a bad name, the articles, pictures and experiences are out there.
I will also mention that I seriously doubt ANY filter line is made in a single country/factory. Every maker has to have a different size/shape/thread/seal. See filters and batterys for easy stuff made difficult. So your results for one product will not apply to the entire brand/product. Also over time, the products change without notice. Marketing isn't about sharing hard facts, it's about selling what they have.

 

Time to stock up on some Autolite Platinum spark plugs for my big blocks.

 

Agreed. All I work on is old stuff, some with filters and some without. Many with the sealed cans and hard line plumbing too. Trivia, a 288 C.I. Auburn 8 takes two gallons of oil plus a qt for the filter.

 

The accountants took over because the shareholders(us) demanded a greater return on their investments = We did it to ourselves ..

 

After reading 80 posts, I never saw a single observation that the reason products were manufactured off shore was retail buyers wanted cheaper prices. That, and pressure to make money for stockholders (and CEO's) goes hand in hand.

 

I’ve never tried to send a letter demanding a greater return on any of my investments, never even considered that. And even if I had does anyone really think they would listen to me, Joe Public or listen to the Wall Street types?

 

That and no one wants manufacturing and the attendant pollution involved in their backyard, problem is we live in a closed system, someone farts on the bus we all breathe it

 

This bankruptcy is possibly more than stock holder greed or offshoring since the DOJ is involved it could be out and out theft and fraud. What a shame. The worst thing is for us is that if these companies go away or are interrupted for any length of time that their competitors will be overloaded. This means we may not be able to get parts easily.
Dan

 

I understand the point of investors wanting a return that outpaces inflation, otherwise you might as well assume less risk and bank your money. However, I also understand that constant growth is unsustainable over the long term.
Short term goals over long term sustainability has incentivized poor choices from top management eager to meet their bonus goals.

 

Yep, there's been several internet guys who have done oil filter comparisons by cutting them open and seeing what's inside, Fram was bottom of the barrel almost every time, especially among the 'name brands'.

When Harley came out with their 'Screaming Eagle' bolt-on performance line, they subcontracted the air filters out to K&N. About 15 years in, Fram wanted to make a showing into this market so approached Harley about furnishing these filters. At a considerably lower price... and Harley bit. They quickly had issues with hanging throttles and ignition missing, all traced to the filters. Seems the flimsy high-flow paper elements were disintegrating and being ingested into the motors...

 

If the corporations would put their executives bonus checks back into their products quality control…

 

Article in Wall Street Journal today tells that the CEO was doing a lot of shady business. Perhaps someone will go to jail!

 

I crossed over to NGK from Autolite 3924’s. Cars never ran better.

 

I guess nobody bothered to check out the link I posted...many of those brands they are arguing about may be gone for good as the companies/inventories/manufacturing facilities will be sold off to satisfy creditors.

Billions “vanish” in First Brands bankruptcy as creditors demand independent probe
Link:
Billions “vanish” in First Brands bankruptcy as creditors demand independent probe – NaturalNews.com