....Run Fram higher grade oil filters because of the convenient sticky stuff on the end. Fram is tied in with Cummins so they know their filtration.
Don't believe the pictures of construction on filters pointing out plastic parts because they are percieved as poor quality. Its all about media performance and integrity....
Fram is not tied in with Cummins. Cummins filtration division is fleetguard, which makes extremely good filters that are always my first choice.
Years ago Dodge and Cummins issued a technical service bulletin advising against using Fram's filters on Cummins diesel engines, specifically the Fram PH3976. The filter was poorly made with glued parts inside that were coming apart due to the strong oil pressure output of the cummins engines. The filter parts were clogging the oil passages and causing bearing failure. Fram eventually redesigned the filter to the PH3976A to fix the issue.
It's not all about media performance and integrity if the filter is so cheaply made that it comes apart. There are much better filters at the same price point as Fram, purolator is an example of a much better filter costing roughly the same as a Fram.
I don't care what grade Fram it is, I won't use them.
It would take some digging, but I think there is cummins filtration ties to Fram at a sub-brand level somewhere. It may be on the air filter side as part of cummins buying up nelson. Fram could be the consumer level line where fleetgard is kept as the industrial side. Some of these filter brands will have up to a dozen brand names hiding under them because filter companies grow by buying each other out.
Most people don't realize that many filter companies make filters for each other to round out their product lines and you really don't know whose filter you're getting many times.
As far as "glued parts" coming apart... ALL filters have the media potted to a end cap whether it is cardboard, metal, or plastic. Most people think a good oil filter is one that doesn't leak!
The media is glued together at the seam or heat bonded with monoplastic or metal clips and sometimes plastic endcaps are the best because steel platings can be hard to bond to.
The filter media is "glued" together too. Most engine lube filters are cellulose media which is wood fiber with resin glue holder the fibers together. If you think about it - A common facial tissue is a higher grade of resin bonded cellulose that doesn't break down when wet unlike toilet paper that you want to breakdown and it has less resign in it. Synthetic medias trump cellulose medias BTW.
If given a choice, I would only use filter companies that publish an engineering applications catalog and not just a cross reference book. A company that publishes engineering data does its homework and probably really tested the aftermarket product offerings. Going with a Donaldson or Mann would be better because they supply to Deere, case, and Cat and know rough applications. A lot of time the automotive companies go for the lowest cost and the industrial filter companies don't even play in that market.
Too bad you had a bad experience with your Fram filter and it sounds like Fram missed a application parameter when they made the crossover line. Its proof that a person should stay with the OEM filter because you know its "application approved". Like most consumers, its hard to pay the dealership price when you know they really don't make the filter and you really want to find the real manufacturer and not pay the dealership markup!
