I have no preference on choice of brands.  I stopped by O'Reillys and asked for a Fram Ph8a or a Wix 51515 as recommended by you guys and they had neither...  So I bought an Autolite FL-1a, the only one they had..

I strictly use motorcraft filters myself, ive used wix before but got away from them after I had 3 of them seize up on the motor and they had to be removed with a hammer and a screwdriver.  I went back to running the OE brand filter for the car and those problems that came up with Wix went away.  Wix might be better now but when I tried them years ago there was something with the rubber seal that even with oil in my cases locked them on too tightly.

For oil I run valvoline in everything.  I used to run Pennzoil but I switched long ago.  People dont understand that when it comes to oil, there are only a handful of refineries that produce motor oil.  What makes the oil different from brand to brand is their unique additive package that the refineries add in.  If they dont want to add unique additives then they all have the same basic additives.  I go with Valvoline cause their oil has in my opinion a better additive package that helps reduce wear and helps the oil coat bearing surfaces longer helping to reduce dry start ups.  For my '56 being a solid lifter engine I like you run the VR1 racing oil for the extra zinc.  I used to run 20w50 but have since reduced it down to 10w30 as I can source 10w30 easier now locally than I could 3 years ago where it was either 20w50 or straight weight oils.  I also like you change my oil every year regardless of miliage.  I need to send my odometer out to Bobs Speedometer shop and get it rebuilt though, the tenths work fine but the miles dont work.  Once I get that fixed I will actually try to drive the car more and will follow the 2,000 mi oil change interval for the engine.

In the name of importance, it is good filter then good oil.  The filter is more important than the oil is in many aspects but it also means you dont want to chinch running the cheapest oil you can find with the bare bones basic additive package.

1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

Mine was converted to spin on for my grandfather by my father back in the mid 70`s and it takes the FL1A filter perfectly.  I still use Motorcraft FL1A filters but seriously looking at the decal wrap to make them look like the older filters as it seems every time the filter is installed it always stops with the spanish text facing upwards that you can clearly see from under the hood.

1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

Slumlord444;  Interesting points you make re the filters & oils for your everyday drivers & then that you use Ford filters & "Race" oil for your T-bird.. Is the Bird primarly used for racing?..  


Paul

My T Bird I always use Ford filters. My drivers I use what ever is cheap. Pick up a lot of filters at swap meets cheap. Also use Wal Mart genaric oil in my drivers. Change the oil and filter evry 3 or 4 thousand miles and no issues. Use Valovilen VR1 Racing oil in the T Bird. Change it once a year if it needs it or not. Retired mechanic budy always tells me that brand is not nearly as important as changint regularly.

Paul, 
         There was a "test" in hot Rod a few years back. I don't remember the date. They compared various oil filters one against the other. I don't remember all the results but the WIX filters were one of the best. Surprisingly the Frams were among the worst. I've used WIX ever since with good results.



Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

I see that this subject is almost as controversial as "what oil I use in my engine"!  Fram filters are usually about the cheapest on the market & their filter seems to be the only one that gets bad publicity. Is it deserved? I don't know, but for a modest  price difference & for what it protects, I'll pay the difference. For my Y-Block, which is only a hobby car, so I'm not changing the filter every few months, I use the Motorcraft (Ford) FL-1A.  And when I read that Ted Eaton uses the Wix 51515 for his high perfomance engines, I'll recommend that one too.. Nuff said..       


Paul

I, too, am not on the 'Fram is bad" band wagon.  My opinion is if they are so bad, then there would be numerous stories of engines being destroyed as a direct result of using Fram filters and those stories don't seem to exist.

When watching reviews, pay attention to how the reviewer explains things.  If the review is nothing more than filter A uses lower quality materials while filter B uses higher quality materials, therefore filter B is better, then they aren't telling you much.  That review can be disregarded.  You want a person who can explain why one is "better" than the other, not just declare that it is and with some context.  For instance, if one uses cheaper materials, which R&D determine is good for 4000 miles while another uses more expensive materials which is good for 5000 miles and you change oil every 3000 miles, what does it matter to you which is used?  Both will do the job. Make sure you understand why something differs in quality from another and determine for yourself if it will have any tangible impact for your use-case.  This goes for reviews of anything, not just oil filters.





Lawrenceville, GA

Pg. 3 (They didn't waste any time in those days) of the Operator's Manual for my Truck is titled "The Value of Regular Maintenance"; after the initial pleasantries identifying me as someone who "understands value", due to my selection of a Ford, it outlines 11 of the Owner's Responsibilities, and the first 3 are

1. Check Oil Level Frequently
2. Use the Right Engine Oil
3. Use The Right Oil Filter

And sez:

"The engine oil filter is EVEN MORE IMPORTANT in preserving the internal condition of your engine."

That's almost certainly true, or at least the engineers would be in a better position to know. I'll take their word for it. Can't see any particular reason to save $.50 and use anything but the FL-1 or the WIX equivalent.

It isn't necessarily the filtering and obssessing over whether its 0.2 or 0.3 microns between brands, that we should be concerned with. One thing to note is how they are constructed, the actual location (and materials) of the bypass valve. Less expensive filters will allow dirty oil to drain back into the sump and circulate. Store replacement filters in their original box and also inspect the insides of the filter with a strong light for any manufacturing debris or defects prior to installation.

I left Fram years ago before the internet because the race engine builders I knew told me there were better ones out there for slightly more. After the internet and especially You Tube where brand new ones were cut open to see what was actually inside, ie: filter media, glue, washers, spacers, valves, etc. it showed the poor products and craftsmenship of a Fram. Granted they had more than one model to choose from. Purolater, Wix, and NAPA always seemed at the top especially when the small items of the filter were pointed out and not just the media.
I too now cut everyone open with a filter cutter my son bought for his dirt car engines looking for debris. For my street I have found very little to nothing metallic which is fine. He uses Wix Racing filters we buy by the case off Amazon. I do miss the ease of the gripping surface of the Fram but won't go back.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.