Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Performance Tune up time

Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:

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... But I run it very hard with a lot of race time, so it's worth it. ... sitting next to it on the shelf at Wal-Mart for the same price is a much better filter. Why take chances?

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Some of us don't drive our vehicles hard, let alone race on weekends. And some of us don't like to drive 20 miles to the nearest Walmart when Advance or Autozone is less than a mile away. Of course, if the Motorcraft is the same price on the shelf, it would be advisable to pick it up rather than Fram or whatever generic brand but I am of the opinion that changing the oil and filter on a frequent/short interval makes more sense than trying to drag it longer just because "they" say the oils can last longer. I still think that iffy ube filters are of poorer quality than Fram (eventhough I don't have lab results to prove it). But will I use iffy ube again? Of course, during the winter (better than not changing the oil and filter). But that is my opinion and my "regularly driven" Contour.

Originally posted by joker93:

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My peeps, can't we all agree to disagree! All I wanted to know is what would be the best spark plugs, spark plug wires and fuel filter I should use. C'mon guys.

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Originally posted by ToasterOven:

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.. what about the actual oil?what should we use?
I used Valvoline Synthetic Blend of some sort( cant think of it off hand right now)

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Originally posted by rearden:

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..Oil/Filter: You might as well ask which religion people prefer, or which political viewpoint is best. ..

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This is good. .

Originally posted by Tony2005:

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Would I use Fram/or some other lesser advertized oils like Shell or whatever? Sure.

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Quote:

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Fram Extra Guard PH8A

This filter cartridge has a small outside diameter with a rather low filter element surface area (193 sqin), and features cardboard end caps that are glued in place. The rubber anti-drainback valve seals the rough metal backplate to the cardboard end cap and easily leaks, causing dirty oil to drain back into the pan. If you have a noisy valve train at startup, this filter is likely the cause. The bypass valves are plastic and are sometimes not molded correctly, which allows them to leak. The backplate has smaller and fewer oil inlet holes, which may restrict flow.

The telltale signs for a Fram Extra Guard are: It has 8 small holes for the oil inlet and a thin, cheap looking backplate, and is currently stamped with a "2Y". There are 5 very small crimps holding the gasket in place. If you look into the center hole all the way to the top of the filter, you will see a kind of "button" in the end cap of the cartridge (which looks like it's made of metal from there). This is the plastic bypass valve.

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Quote:

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Fram Tough Guard TG8A

This filter has an improved filter element with more surface area (248 sqin), a heavy silicone anti-drainback valve with a good sealing surface, the same plastic pressure relief valve but with an integral screen to keep out large particles, and enough inlet holes for good flow. In my opinion, the only real drawback to this filter is that it is capped on each end with cardboard instead of metal.

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Quote:

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Fram Double Guard DG8A

This is one of the most expensive filters you can buy. Inside is a basic Fram Extra Guard (PH8A) filter element that has larger diameter holes at the end and has been pre-oiled. You can see this in the picture above (far left). I assume this is to hold the Teflon particles in the filter element before the unit is installed. Don't put Teflon in your engine. It does not belong there! DuPont does not recommend using their Teflon product in internal combustion engines.

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Originally posted by joker93:

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My peeps, can't we all agree to disagree! .. C'mon guys.

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Mike (joker93), don't worry, nobody's going after the jugular yet. It is just a regular good spirited day on Contour.org

Originally posted by hetfield:

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..Hey, its your car, but when you see a Fram filter disassembled and the components consist of cardboard and glue you think twice, especially when there are filters at similar or lower prices that perform better.
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Hetfield, like I said earlier, if the filter is there, sure, why not pick what is recommended on this site. But I am not going to drive 20 miles out of my way just to pick up a Motorcraft for the same price or lower price. And I still think 3k/3 mths is a good interval/schedule for oil/filter changes.