The proliferation of cheap oil filters seems to have paralleled the introduction of the quickie lube places.... maybe not connected but the advent of $20 oil changes drove a need for decreasing the cost of the components. Name brand oil filters used to be of reasonable quality and then there were the KMart filters that were of questionable quality. At some point, the "name" brands were pressured to lower their price; hence lower their quality so they could be sold at the quickie lube or at MegaMart.

I visited a Fram factory once, they were even having problems with pin holes in their metal cans....thin metal problems. If you wholesale a filter for less than $1, how much quality can their be in the housing stamping, the painting, the mounting ring, the check valve, and the filter material? Answer: not much. Fram said that (at that time) they didnt want to add cost to the filter so they instead paid claims for blown engines if the customer proved it was the filter's fault....

mike in tucson