henryvotel Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Studebaker and FRAM I didn’t know this. Probably many others do. Thought it interesting. In the process of ID’ing some Studebaker Pre-War parts recently I started seeing interesting tidbits about an old odd looking Fram Oil Filter that I was putting at auction. https://www.ebay.com/itm/333548085996 I was curious because this old FRAM Filter had a decal on it showing: Fleming Mfg. Worchester, Mass. So I dug deeper and at the FRAM web site History page I learned the following: “Over 85 years ago, our original chemists, FRederick Franklin and T. Edward AldhAM, invented an easily replaceable oil filtering element at their laboratory in Providence, Rhode Island. Automotive oil filters of various types had been on the market for nearly 10 years, yet were difficult to install, change and clean. So, FRanklin and AldhAM, whose last names were combined to form the company name, set out to solve these problems with their revolutionary filters.” At the FRAM History Events page it stated: “FRAM filters became original equipment on the 1936 Studebakers. Also in 1936: FRAM introduces the F4, the first FRAM oil filter with single-bolt cover-seal construction.” The web site told about the 1st FRAM Company slogan “THE DIP STICK TELLS THE STORY - LOOK AT IT”. There it is right on the decal label pictured of this old filter. So, there it was mention of Studebaker in 1936 as the first FRAM original equipment filter and info about when the very familiar single bolt filter we all know was invented. Reading this kind of information clinched it for me that this odd looking FRAM oil filter had to be among the earliest FRAM stye filters. I am concluding it is the original style and design used on 1936 Studebaker engines. Opinions appreciated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Ash Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 If you send the filter housing to Jerry Kurtz, he can do a small internal modification to allow the use of a modern, screw-on filter element. The old lid goes back in place so no one ever knows it has a modern filter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdon Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Did that conversion myself on my 37. Then I find out from my engine rebuilder that those old filters did little to filter the oil and just not bothering at all is just as good with modern oils. Anybody disagree? PS I would love for somebody to reproduce the decal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Ash Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 I’ll disagree about filter effectiveness! While it’s true that partial flow filters don’t grab particles at engine start-up, they do continuously remove both large and small particles. An hour of running the engine will make the oil ~1,000,000 times cleaner with a modern filter cartridge. So, the oil is clean the next time the engine starts, anyway - and it stays clean. This is lots better than no filter at all. If you have a swimming pool, think how well the filter cleans the water after a few hours. We can calculate the effect with a few, simple, partial differential equations... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Ash Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 It wasn't much of a photo to work from, but here is a quick rendering of the decal. I don't know the size of the decal nor the original colors, but I'm guessing it was about 3" across and had a gold-ish background. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henryvotel Posted March 21, 2020 Author Share Posted March 21, 2020 Hi Gary, Examined the original decal here and it measures across 2-1/4" flat side to flat side. It measures 2-3.8" across point to point. The border around the deal of about 1/4" seems to have a light shaded gray over the yellow. Grayish but not overwhelming the yellow. Nice job whipping a prototype up! Henry Votel Forest Lake, MN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Here are pictures of one I sold on eBay awhile ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Ash Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 This is confusing. The stuff I found online didn’t show the octagon logo until later in the 1930s. How do we determine what is original? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 (edited) Fram made these for different manufacturers and aftermarket. The one I posted was supplied for factory installation by Studebaker and Studebaker ordered them with their label installed or installed the decal themselves. The aftermarket units were probably sold with the octagon decal. I believe I still have a N.O.S. unit with no decals at all , if anyone needs one. These used the very difficult to find C1 cartridges. Jerry Kurtz made adapters to fit a small spin on filter inside this housing. I still have a few C1 cartridges for sale. Robert Kapteyn Edited March 24, 2020 by rbk (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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