FRAM for allot of folks means " F-ram R-uined A-nother M-otor"... and I tend to agree. In my own experience ( and in a moment of weakness) I got a top of the line Fram XG filter for my daughters BMW, and the thing fell apart like it was made with oil soluble glue. Here's a photo of the unraveling mess....
This Fram XG9100 is cut from the same cloth. Total junk.
Let start with the box...because how do you screw up a box...right? Its such low quality cardboard that it feels like it's damp, even though it isn't. It barely holds itself together, let alone protect the filter inside. The filter itself has blurry text on it, like the stencil has been used 200,000 times. It has that nice Fram grip texture, but thats the only redeeming quality.
The baseplate has really small inlet holes. I mean, how much does it cost to stamp a bigger hole?
The filter media looks like crap. The pleats are spread all over the place, and the metal clip is too long, so when the filter is smashed together at assembly, the metal clip buckles and part of the flap lifts up...
The bypass valve is crappy plastic, and isnt even part of the element. It's part of the assembly plate and just sits on the element ! Their is nothing stopping oil from seeping past this connection, and entering the engine unfiltered.
Here's the bypass in the open position ( sorry about the blurry, one handed photography) Those 4 tiny ports between the plastic legs are the only way for oil to flow through it... total joke for Frams "Top of the Line" filter.
Specs? Here's what they sent me....
I asked a follow up question in another email, for 10 micron numbers. He stated Fram does zero testing, below 20 microns.
The anti drain back valve is really soft, really thin silicone, and its shaped like a funnel and just drops into the top of the element. Look at the other filters and you will see a plastic coupler or the valve will sit on a metal nipple on the top of the filter element.
There's nothing the stabilize it, and there's nothing to keep the oil from pushing it out of the way. It if does, their is unfiltered oil going straight into the engine! Its the biggest design failure in any of the filters, and of course, its completely unique to the Fram. No other filter has a anti drain back valve like this.
This filter is total crap at $10. Its still total crap at $2.00