Fram Tough Guard #TG3985 on sale!

[Flyman 27]

Fram Tough Guard #TG3985 on sale at Pep Boys for only $5.50 ea! Another good deal on a hard to find part many of us use.

Buy $50 worth and get free shipping. I didn't notice that in time & only ordered 6, so I paid $10 in S&H......

The "Tough Guard" from Fram was designed for use with only synthetic oils and includes the silicone anti-drainback valve.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by Flyman 27

Fram Tough Guard #TG3985 on sale at Pep Boys for only $5.50 ea! Another good deal on a hard to find part many of us use.

Buy $50 worth and get free shipping. I didn't notice that in time & only ordered 6, so I paid $10 in S&H......

The "Tough Guard" from Fram was designed for use with only synthetic oils and includes the silicone anti-drainback valve.

FRAM tough guard gets pretty mediocre reviews. There are a number of filters i'd pick before that one.

[Racinfan83]

I have had multiple bad experiences with Fram oil filters on other vehicles. No way am I putting one on the Z..

[Flyman 27]

Originally Posted by spork2367

FRAM tough guard gets pretty mediocre reviews. There are a number of filters i'd pick before that one.

I got the positive review from here:

http://www.zr1specialist.com/HAT%20W...comparison.htm

I could not find a negative review on the TG3985, where did you find one?

[32valvesftw]

Thanks for pointing out bargins to us that is always very helpful. The Fram filters seem to have struck a nerve though. My experience with them is this; my brother races stock cars at the local level and says that people learn pretty quick not to run fram filters on their engines. He has seen multiple failures with the same common thread. I used to use them but do not anymore based on his advise.

[Hog]

The uplevel Fram are fine, I would avoid the Extra Guard, the other have all the features like metal reinforced media, the nice Teflon valves etc. The mass difference between an Extra Guard and an Ultra is marked.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by Hog

The uplevel Fram are fine, I would avoid the Extra Guard, the other have all the features like metal reinforced media, the nice Teflon valves etc. The mass difference between an Extra Guard and an Ultra is marked.

Good to know. Thanks!

[Hog]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

Good to know. Thanks!

I have pulled apart quite a few low level Fram Extraguard filters and they use the unreinforced paper filter media. More often than it should IMO, the filter media is ripped thus allowing completely unfiltered oil to circulate. The Extra Guard series of Fram filters are the common Orange painted filters. The filter media is always deformed looking.


When I cut open a Fram ToughGuard, Ultra Synthetic and Fram High Mileage they all use a filter media that is "sandwiched" in a metal mesh, similar to house window screening. It reinforces the media, forcing it to keep its shape and preventing ripping.


Ultra
99% filter efficiency uses a synthetic filter media and is designed for synthetic oils and synthetic blends. The Ultra series of filter uses a DUAL LAYER type of filter media which is differed than the rest of the lines of Fram oil filters.
They feature the up-level Silicon Anti Drain Back Valve, which remains pliable, vs. the black coloured molded black Nitrile ADBV which harden and don't allow for a durable seal as the reddish Silicon based ADBV do in the other uplevel lines.


In applications that require it, the Bypass valves use an actual coil spring rather than just the simple stamped steel spring. All GEN 1, GEN 1-E(1996-2003 Vortec 305 L30/350 L31 and GEN 2 1992-1997 LT1/LT4-94-96 200hp/240lb/ft torque L99 4.3l V8s all use a self bypassing valve in the engine block itself, therefore Full Flow Filters (without filter mounted bypass valves) are used on those SBC's, I'm ASSUMING the filters for the LT5 are also FULL FLOW filters. These SYNTHETIC Fram filters have service intervals up to 20,000miles


High Mileage (HM) 99% efficiency filter media has all the good parts of the Ultra, the Silicon ADBV, the reinforced filter media, and owing to its High Mileage name, it has a "button" which slowly releases proprietary mixes of detergents and compounds that help to neutralize acids and reduce corrosive wear.


Tough Guard, 99% efficiency filter media engineered for both fully synthetic, synthetic blends and dinosaur oil. it uses a natural cellulose/synthetic fiber for extra durability for service intervals up to 10,000miles


Extra Guard
(lowest level Fram filter) 95% filter efficiency, service intervals of 5,000miles. If I was forced to run this series of filter, I would avoid pushing the 5000mile service interval, the longer those un reinforced cellulose filter media is exposed to oil, the more it seems to degrade the media. Though it is listed as a hybrid cellulose and synthetic fiber filter media, I'm guessing the amount of synthetic fibers actually contained within the filter media is quite low. When saturated with oil, it rips just like a wet coffee filter. Couple that with the unreinforced construction is inviting filter media failures.
I have found many a damaged filter medial in these filters. You can tell its their economy line of filters. It uses the Black Nitrile Anti Drain Back Valves. When I cut these open, the Nitrile valves are usually stuck in place, they are hard and have no ability to conform to the valves sealing surface. Whereas the other series of Fram filters that use the Reddish coloured Silicon based ADBVs are so soft, supple and pliable, that they will actually stick to the sealing surface by way of the surface tension of the oil. I literally have to slip it out of the way, whereas the black coloured Nitrile valves will simply fall away upon inversion as they are hardened and have lost any sealing ability.


It certainly seems as though you get what you pay for in the Fram oil filter series. The lowest cost ExtraGuard weighs substantially less than the high end Ultra Synthetic oil filter. This has to do with the metal reinforcing screens. You can tell t difference in mass by simply picking them both up with your hands.




It looks like Rock Auto is trying to get rid of these filters, they offer 33 separate filters for the ZR-1/LT5 Vettes.
Rock Auto has the Fram Tough Guard TG3985 for $5.94 but there's only 6 units left.
Then have the Fram PH4731 for $1.50
And the Fram PH3985 $1.40
Fram DL5570 (only 2 left) $1.40


Ive got quite the little collection of cut open oil filters in the garage. I use a large aluminum bodied C shaped RIGID pipe cutter. The type where there are rollers, then the actual thin cutter wheel, you turn the cutter around the pipe then tighten the cutter wheel, rinse and repeat. Only thing I do is fasten the pipe cutter in a vice, then rotate the oil filter body in the cutter then I tighten every few revolutions.
This is better than the band saw as it doesn't introduce any foreign metal shavings into your examinations.
I always open up my EFI fuel filters as well. I was surprised at the stuff Ive found in them as well.

[Flyman 27]

When I raced circle track for 3 years we always used the Fram "HP" series that were specifically made for racing. We never had oil related issues. The engines I built always lasted the whole racing season.
When I more recently researched the Fram filters, they said that the TG series were specifically made for use with synthetic oils (fiberglass was added to the filter medium) and they had premium anti-drainback valves. They also use upgraded PTFE seals. Basically, the whole filter design is heavy-duty.

I have no desire to disagree with anyone, just sayin what I researched.

ps: Pep Boys still has stock.....

[Hog]

Originally Posted by Flyman 27

When I raced circle track for 3 years we always used the Fram "HP" series that were specifically made for racing. We never had oil related issues. The engines I built always lasted the whole racing season.
When I more recently researched the Fram filters, they said that the TG series were specifically made for use with synthetic oils (fiberglass was added to the filter medium) and they had premium anti-drainback valves. They also use upgraded PTFE seals. Basically, the whole filter design is heavy-duty.

I have no desire to disagree with anyone, just sayin what I researched.

ps: Pep Boys still has stock.....

I'm pretty sure that you can get those Fram racing filters in some pretty big sizes. Some of them look like they should be used in transport truck applications. Big by Huuuuge!