Russell, I obtained great satisfaction from reading your oil filter survey. I worked for two years as the oil-filter production line engineer in an Allied-Signal FRAM facility and I can confirm every bad thing you have said about FRAM automotive filters. That's from the horse's mouth, as it were. I'm also a quality engineer and can confirm that FRAM applies no quality control whatsoever to any of the characteristics for which we buy oil filters. I frequently saw filter designs which were barely capable of meeting J806. Many of FRAM's designs will block and go to bypass after trying to filter very little contamination. There were often leakage paths at the paper end discs when these were not properly centered on the elements. Some designs had the pleats so tightly packed against the center tube that they would block off in no time. I had discovered that the FRAM HP1 that I had been buying for about $20 Cdn was EXACTLY the same as a PH8 inside - the only difference being a heavier can - no advantages in flow capacity. The paper filtration media was of apparently poor quality and the process of curing the paper resin was very inconsistent - elements would range from visibly burnt to white. FRAM's marketers admitted that there was just about no way the public could ever prove that an oil filter contributed, or did not prevent, engine damage. The only thing FRAM tested for was can burst strength. Another problem that they have from time to time is in threading the filter base - often there are strands of metal left behind on a poorly formed thread. I have not used a FRAM filter since I started working there. Their claims are entirely and completely marketing bullshit. If people really want to protect their engines, a good air filter is vital (which excludes FRAM from that list as well) and a combination of one depth and one full-flow hydraulic filter, together in parallel, will do the job of filtration to perfection. Thanks for doing a great job in trying to get the truth out! You can quote me anytime. [name omitted to protect submitter]