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Oil Filters
A mailing list member asked whether long oil filters, such as the AC PF2 or Fram PH-8A, could be used on a 2.5 liter engine. Both the question and replies are from 1998 and may not be valid today.
Hilary Paprocki wrote: The Purolator Pure One PL30001 oil filter is twice the size of the original filter and filters oil well. It'll fit the Shadow 2.2 and costs the same as the dinky stock number. I did notice a difference in the oil coming out.
Dan Stern wrote:
The long filter has the same internal valving as the short filter. However, on some applications with the Chrysler 40/90 or 50/120 alternators, the long filter may not quite fit. It's a "try it and see" operation.
The PH-16 is the "mid" filter. The PH-8a is the long filter.
Everyone has an opinion on who makes the best <insert name of part>, but the real-world evidence of the potential danger to your engine from using Fram (and, to a lesser extent, AC) filters is sufficient that you won't find such a filter within ten feet of any of my cars.
After reading Matt Joseph's excellent article "Inside Oil Filters" in Skinned Knuckles some years back, I bought and cut open several oil filters. Both he and I found some nasty stuff inside Frams. He found twist-ties around the filter element (which under the pulsating pressure and heat, would almost certainly saw through the element). He and I both found flaky rust inside the unplated filter can. I found a cigarette butt in a place where it was evident it had gotten in there during manufacture! He and I both found sloppy glue jobs between the filter and its end caps, with gaps in the glue that would clearly allow unfiltered oil to bypass the filter....[more problems listed but cut].
According to a recent article at Minimopars, the Mopar Severe Duty filter is now made by Fram. There was also a note on that page that Pennzoil filters may be Frams in yellow cans. It may be safest to stick to Wix, which manufactures their own filters, or Mobil 1 filters, which again are made by Mobil, rather than buying from a company that may change suppliers at any time.
S. Benson, ASE Master Tech, wrote, “For those wanting to use a bigger oil filter then the standard small filter (NAPA # 1348) I suggest using the larger NAPA # 1085.”