FL1A mystery

I bulk ordered Motorcraft FL1A filters a year or so ago and I still have 10 or so. I was changing filters pretty often due to a lot of long road trips. Luckily they are the good old style.

I also sometimes will use an FL-299, which is the longer Fl1A. Those used to be super cheap, and now they are like $15+. Sad...

Come to think of it, I also have an NOS 90's FL-1A sitting somewhere. $2 Goodwill find...

Lead batteries are almost always recycled, to the point that we aren't tearing mountains down and towns like Galena are out of work (see Leadville,CO)

It's amazing to think that in my lifetime a filthy poisonous industry like this has all but disappeared in my country. 🤯
Battery prices keep climbing, but that's the cost of inflation, more profit to the manufacturer and sane environmental regulation that keeps us from poisoning our water and children.  

The Motorcraft filters were made by Purolator for a long time, now they're made by Mann-Hummel from what I've been reading. I stopped using the Motorcraft oil filters after cutting a number of them open with an oil filter cutter. Really wavy pleats, inconsistent pleat spacing, one FL-820S I cut open the metal end cap just fell right off the filter pulling the element out of the can. That was the last one I used. I've been using Wix, some Fram ultra here and there and a lot of Protec WIX off Rockauto with good results since. I've cut a lot of those Protec WIX filters open; they've all had good construction. The Champ labs Supertech filters are not bad either. I didn't have any respect for the E core filters until I took one off my coworkers van that went 16,000 miles and the filter held up fine although the filter seal had flattened out badly. Needless to say, I'd use those with confidence now.

After 36 years, I ran away from Ford, and am now selling Freightliner parts.

In 2021, when I was last at ford, all of their filters were still made by Purolator. We hadn't seen the filters with fluted housings in years. Even the trusty old FL1A had flats around the top. I'm assuming because that's how most of the filter wrenches are shaped.

But, I've noticed the pricing of late - it IS ridiculous! I've gone to Wix for my FL1A applications, and Fleetguard for the wife's 4.6 Explorer. If you guys like Wix filters, surprisingly, Home Depot has the best prices!

Thanks for the insight Myrl!

I had no idea about Cheapo Depot!  🤯

just another possible quirk. or another mystery. yesterday morning. on the first start of the day after driving 500 miles hwy, on the latest new fl1a, as soon as I started the truck it did not make any dry noises yet there was a new sound that I have not heard before. on any vehicle. imagine the sound from holding a blade of grass between your thumbs as a reed and blowing through like a whistle. yes, I grew up outside and without devices. it makes a very loud vibrato whistle. my engine made this sound. I had good oil pressure and no other odd noises, so it ran for a minute before I shut it off. has not done it again. my imagination has me thinking it was the flat seal in the oil filter. I have no reference for anything in there to do this. why did it once? why did it stop? what does it mean? who is john galt?  

I know that "Reeeeee" well!

Quite perplexing.
You wouldn't think something as vicious as oil could reach a pitch that high.
But I suppose if there's enough pressure....

***I've had hydraulic lines 'scream' when they rupture.

Roll with it, the answer will come, you're very observant and know these trucks well

I always told customers that I have to find it to fix it. sometimes you have to catch it in the act when it comes and goes.

My brother's Altima is a prime example!  

It's really hard to catch an electron misbehaving.  

cause they're fast

And exceedingly tiny, to us humans!

I remember the first time I saw a single electron traveling on a chip through a STEM.
That was mine blowing!  🤯

Mann+Hummel bought Wix in 2016, they also own Purolator.  🤔

https://www.mann-hummel.com/en/brands.html

So Mann-Hummel is just a conglomerate.  Did the Purolator 30001 series ever have a "fluted" end, as opposed to flats?

Mann+Hummel have been making filtration products for longer than you can imagine.

I don't know anything about arcane Purolator filters.
They were never seen when I grew up back in the '70's-'80's

I pumped gas on the graveyard shift during high school.
The garage had Fram, Wix and Delco on the shelf.

I found the cause of the screeching vibrato. nothing to do with the oil filter. I started the engine this morning and it was screeching. so, I left it running. reached around to the filter to see if I could feel a frequency vibration. nothing at the oil filter but I bumped a plug wire and it was buzzing. so, I touched dist cap and it was like a heavy impedance transformer. dist body ... buzzing. base at the block not. found exccessive  play at the top bearing and its wearing on the pickup. new dist and quiet again!

Glad you found it and got it fixed/replaced.  Just couldn't imagine an oil filter doing that, but that's a lot of wear on a dizzy!

its the first time i have ever heard one buzz. especially while running so well. glad I had a new one in stock.

its the first time i have ever heard one buzz. especially while running so well. glad I had a new one in stock.