June 23, 2021 • 39 mins
How much do you know about your car's filters? I've got a filter expert, Nathan Mades from FRAM on the show this week to give you the proper know-how! There's oil, air, fuel, and cabin air filters along with a few others you don't normally think about. What does each do and what are the differences in quality?
We specifically mentioned a recently released cabin air filter from FRAM called TrueAir. It features an N95-grade filter material!
Nathan wrapped up the show with a bonus segment about his DIY journey and philosophy.
**Special thanks to FRAM for sponsoring this episode!**
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tim Harman (00:00):
Welcome to the You can, man. podcast episode 102.
(00:04):
I'm your host, Tim, and ontoday's show, What You Should
Know About Your Car's Filters.
Hey guys, welcome back to theou can, man. podcast where we
elieve what one man can do youan do as well, but you got to
(00:26):
ave help from your friends andhe proper know how. On this
eek's show, I hope to give youuys some proper know how on
our car's filters, and evenome filters that you kind of
orget about. You know, we'veot oil filters, air filters,
ven cabin air filters, fuelilters, but have you ever
ondered what goes into makingaking these and the differences
(00:48):
n the quality? Does it reallyatter what kind of filter you
uy? You know, and what whateparates one from the other
ne? I've got a special guest onhe show today. Nathan from
RAM, Nathan Say hello.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (01:01):
Hello, Tim. It's pleasure to join you
on your show.
Tim Harman (01:04):
Yeah, thanks for being here. And Nathan is a
Senior Project Manager with FRAMand I do want to say that this
is a sponsored show by FRAM. Sothe frame folks reached out to
the You can, man. podcast andsaid, Hey, we'd like to do a
podcast to help promote some ofour products. And I
enthusiastically said, Yes, andhere's why. Because I've been
(01:29):
using FRAM products for years,and I love their products. And
so I would never promotesomething that I don't
personally use or really like.
And so it was such an easy thingto say to the FRAM folks - Yes,
absolutely. I literally just putFRAM oil filter in my 2012
Toyota Sienna. So anyways, it'ssuch an easy decision for me.
(01:52):
But I just want to let you guysknow on the front end that this
is a sponsored episode. But thisis something I would do anyways,
even if they hadn't reached outtalking about car filters. And
so it was a perfect match.
Because we talked aboutchanging, you know, your oil
yourself on your car all thetime. Know that, you know, Josh
and Dave guys that wererecording with me, we'd go back
(02:14):
and forth about whether or notthat's worth doing. And I was
always a big proponent. No, youhave to do it yourself. And I
have all these reasons behindthat. But anyways, yeah, I love
having Nathan on the show today.
And we're gonna get all in tofilters on your car, and
including then in N95, cabin airfilter. So you guys have heard
(02:35):
that term thrown around so muchduring all of the crazy Rona
times that we've had the in 95filters. Well, how about putting
one of those things in your car?
And Fram has you covered withthat? And then we are going to
have a bonus segment this week.
So Nathan, and we talkedpreviously so Nathan knows this
(02:57):
that I always ask my guests,where are you on the DIY scale?
Well, Nathan is going to coverthat for us and answer that for
us. So he's not he's not gettingout of that question. He's gonna
answer that for us in our bonussegment. And we're gonna talk
about kind of his DIY journey,his personal journey and kind of
the motivation behind why hedoes what he does. So Alright,
so Nathan, let's, let's getright into it. I've got some
(03:21):
kind of some questions to helpguide us along. So I wanted to
take some time first off to talkabout FRAM as a company because
they've been around since 1934.
Very long history. So talk to usabout you know, the history of
(03:43):
FRAM a little bit and howthey've been established as an
industry leader
Nathan Mades with FRAM (03:47):
Well, FRAM is Trusted since 1934. And
our main facility is located inGreenville, Ohio. We have other
manufacturing facilities basedin the US through our parent
company called First BrandsGroup. They're located in
Illinois and Michigan where wemanufacture additional oil,
cabin, air, engine air, and fuelfilters.
Tim Harman (04:09):
Okay. Yeah, I when I think of FRAM I mean that's our
Sorry, I should say when I thinkof oil filters I legit do go to
FRAM I mean, I feel like theythey are the number one filter
brand out there like it's theirtheir name has been around for
decades. I've probably beenusing FRAM since the very first
(04:31):
time I changed oil. So listenersI know you know you've seen it
when you're changing filters inyour car FRAM is there. It
doesn't matter what store you'regoing to FRAM products are
here. And to me, just highuality stuff. I don't have to
orry about FRAM messing up one. Every time I've used FRAM
tuff, it's been great. And so'm really interested to hear
(04:53):
hat Nate has to say about allf their different filters. So
ou know, we've got we've gothe basics, right? We'v
got oil filters of course. Weve the air filters, like the eng
(05:21):
ne air filters. We've got fuelfilters. So let's talk through
the different filter types thate have now. And including,
want to touch on too the differnces
Nathan Mades with FRAM (05:30):
Sure. I can help with each of those
questions. The fuel and engineair filters are similar, and
that they protect the enginefrom contaminants entering the
system. Oil filters are thesibling to the engine air
filter, and it works to take outcontaminants that get past the
engine air filter, or those thatare created in the lubrication
(05:50):
process. Most of us DIY-ers areused to the iconic spin on
filter, (Yes.) but some of usare starting to see a different
type of filter our newervehicles called the cartridge.
The cartridge styles beenintroduced on some global
platforms where Europe hasworked to improve recyclability.
And this filter is placed into apermanent housing, it's attached
(06:13):
to the engine, and works in thesame way as the can of the spin
on filter. Instead of replacingthe can every time you'll only
replace the internal components.
And I found this prettyinteresting. So for the history
buffs, listening here, FRAM wasstarted with the invention of
the replaceable cartridge. Thespin on filter actually wasn't
introduced until FRAM developedit in the 50s.
Tim Harman (06:37):
Oh, okay. So that's interesting. So what we think of
as the traditional oil filterwasn't really traditional. That
was like a new invention broughton by FRAM.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (06:47):
Right.
And, and so from its inception,FRAM has been innovating ways to
make the work easier, includingthings like adding Sure Grip
texture to the can.
Tim Harman (06:56):
Yes, yes, I was gonna ask you about that too,
because that is one thing thatwhen I think of FRAM oil filters
specifically, thatdifferentiates you guys from
others is that grip that you puton a lot of the filters. Of
course, that's only on the spinon style. It's not on like the
canister ones, obviously. Butthat's an interesting, I did not
(07:16):
know that. So I guess originallythey had the cartridge style
that would go in some sort ofhousing, but then FRAM designed
the the spin on style, so Okay,well, that's interesting. I
literally had not, I didn't knowthat yet. So the firt the first
car that I've ever owned, thathas the cartridge styles are
2012 Toyota Sienna, yes, I got aminivan now guys. I love the
(07:40):
thing. I love driving thatthing. I had to look up YouTube
videos, how to change thiscartridge style, because I had
just never, I had never done it.
I had never looked into so like,you know, you gotta you got to
drain the oil out of the...well,you don't have to. But you'll
get oil all over yourself. Butyou got to drain the oil out of
the canister first before youunscrew the housing. So that was
(08:01):
like one big thing. But yeah,it's way less waste too is
another big thing to thiscartridge styles because the
spin on ones that that's gonnabe creating a lot of waste. It's
like a one time use thing. Andthen you know, you're just
throwing out away. So you talkedabout some European car
manufacturers have they beenusing it for a lot longer than
(08:23):
the American car manufacturers?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (08:28):
I think it's just been introduced on on
these global platforms and theOEMs have been working to reduce
the throwaway content andincrease that recyclability
content. It's been aninitiative that has been going
on for quite some time now.
Tim Harman (08:43):
Okay. So let's let's talk about some of those more, I
don't know, obscure filters onthe car. So, you know, we've
kind of covered some of thebasics there. And I do want to
get to cabin air filters. Butyou know, things like the PCV
valve, I always I always thinklike Wait, is there a valve on
the on the end of that when Isay PCV and it is. So, positive
(09:06):
crankcase ventilation. But let'stalk about some of those filters
that we just don't think aboutvery often. And I guess that PCV
would be one of those.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (09:18):
PCV is actually a pretty easy filter to
change yourself. Unlike someothers transmission, hydraulic,
power steering, or coolant orbreather filters...anywhere
there's a fluid or air movingthrough the vehicle there can be
a filter. Generally these arereplaced infrequently or only as
a repair.
Tim Harman (09:38):
Right. You had mentioned a coolant filter. I
don't...maybe cars I've had havethis. I don't remember seeing a
coolant filter. Maybe my ToyotaSienna does. Is that a fancy
thing? Because I don't rememberseeing that.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (09:57):
It's not as common, and you'll you'll see
this more common on heavy dutyequipment.
Tim Harman (10:01):
Okay, okay, that makes more sense. And even like
the hydraulic stuff, I guess,FRAM makes filters for all that,
but that's gonna be more on likeheavy machinery, Maybe?
Nathan Mades with F (10:13):
Absolutely, it can be.
Tim Harman (10:14):
Okay. Now, of course, you've got transmission
filters. And that's somethingthat, gosh, not a lot of DIY-ers
tackle. I have before, but Ithink a lot of people that even
just to kind of basic work,don't think that they can do a
transmission filter. And ofcourse, this depends completely
on the type of vehicle that youhave. But I've done it before on
(10:38):
my 98 Ford Explorer. (How'd thatgo for you?) It was not bad, it
was not bad at all, I had to,you know, drop the transmission
pan, of course. And I ended upreplacing the transmission pan
the stock one with one that hada drain plug, because the
original one didn't have it. Butobviously, when I dropped the
pan, I was changing that filter.
So and then another one too,that you I think you had
(11:01):
mentioned was the power steeringfilter. And that's another one
that it makes sense, the powersteering fluid filter, but I
don't remember ever seeing oneof those on a car that I own. Is
that more of a technical, like athing on heavy machinery? Or is
that something that we're seeingon cars?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (11:23):
We do see that on cars and trucks. But
again, it's just not somethingthat you replace, as a
maintenance item. It's somethingthat you would replace as a
repair or included in the powersteering mechanisms.
Tim Harman (11:39):
Okay, so that makes sense. So like, if you have some
sort of catastrophic failure inyour power steering pump, then
you might have metal shavings,and who knows what, and then
that power steering filter,fluid filter is going to catch
that stuff. But you wouldn'treally be replacing that it's
just like a maintenance thing.
It's just if you have a failurewith the power steering system,
(11:59):
is that what you mean? (Right.)Right. Well, let's, let's talk
about you know, I, when I go, Igo to the parts store, and there
is seriously just like aplethora of different filter
choices. So what are thosethings that are differentiating
one filter from the next?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (12:22):
In filtration, you're when you're
shopping for a filter, you'relooking for durability,
capability and longevity in theproducts that you buy. Filters
are really characterized bytheir efficiency, which is the
size and percent of thecontaminant captured, (right)
their capacity, the grams ofcontaminants that that filter
(12:42):
will hold, and restrictionmeasured by the pressure drop or
the pressure differential.
Tim Harman (12:49):
Okay, and that restriction probably comes
really into play when we'retalking like something like the
the engine air filter, becauseobviously, you want as much air
flowing through that filter aspossible. But then you also want
to be catching as much junk. So,it's kind of like a trade off, I
guess, or like the betterproduct is going to be something
(13:12):
that's you know, catching a lotof the junk, but also letting
that air flow freely,
Nathan Mades with FRAM (13:17):
Right.
So it is a balance duringdevelopment of a filter. When
one of these characteristics,efficiency, capacity or
restriction are improved, theothers might be reduced. And the
filter media can be made ofcellulose or glass, synthetics
or even a blend, and blends andsynthetics are more recent
(13:38):
additions to filter media, andcan really provide a superior
filtration. There's othercritical components that
contribute to a longer life of afilter. The sealing gasket and
the anti drainback valve in theoil filter need to be made of
specific durable material sothey can last longer. Once
(14:01):
you've developed the media thathas a high efficiency to improve
both the capacity and therestriction it takes a more
expensive media and that's whywe're part of the reason you see
different prices for differentfilters on the shelf.
Tim Harman (14:17):
Right and FRAM has you know, they've got multiple
different grades. So like I'mlooking at it, I feel like I
normally gravitate towards theTough Guard, which I don't think
is like the bottom one. It'skind of like a couple up. But so
what you're saying is it justbasically all has to do with the
type of media that is being usedto capture contaminants. Yes?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (14:41):
Yeah. On the oil side, you have Extra
Guard, Tough Guard, like yousaid, and Ultra Synthetic.
That's kind of the good, betterand best. There are examples of
the tiered performers in theframe offering. With every step
up the components are improvedto provide superior protection
and extend the maintenanceschedule. So the media are all
(15:02):
rated at 20 microns. Do you knowwhat a micron is?
Tim Harman (15:07):
I do not. Especially when it comes to something like
this. I mean, I would think it'slike something like, you know,
parts per million or somethinglike that, I don't know.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (15:17):
So I'm micron is the measurement unit
used to identify the size ofcontaminants in the filtration
industry. To give you an exampleof how small this is 20 microns
is about 65 times shorter thanthe length of the grain of sand.
Tim Harman (15:35):
Okay, that's small.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (15:36):
Or imagine splitting a sheet of
notebook paper into fivedifferent layers, each layer
would be about 20 microns thick.
Tim Harman (15:44):
Okay. Okay. So each of the filters like regardless
of what you're getting, youknow, the different grade grades
of frame offers, that they'reall going to be filtering at
least 20. micro... sorry, whatdid you say?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (16:01):
Uh huh, at 20 microns thick. And so when
you're shopping for a filter,you're going to want to look for
a smaller micron size, but alsoat a high percentage of
efficiency.
Tim Harman (16:13):
Okay,
Nathan Mades with FRAM (16:13):
Some filters out there advertise a
higher efficiency, but at alarger particle size. You can
get both plus a longer filterlife with higher grades of
filters.
Tim Harman (16:25):
Okay, is that something like? Are they gonna
post? Is that like something inyour tech sheets? or something?
Or is that? Is that going to besomething I'm going to be able
to see on the box? Like, if I'mat the store, can I pick up that
box and see these micron levels?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (16:40):
Right, you will. The Extra Guard filter
is 95% efficient at that 20micron size, and that lasts up
to 10,000 miles. The Tough Guardfilter that you use is 99%
efficient. So 99% of particlesat 20 microns or larger are
being captured and that one lastup to 15,000 miles. And Ultra
(17:05):
Synthetic is somewhere abovethat 99% and last up to 20,000
miles.
Tim Harman (17:10):
Okay, so that transitions my next question I
had. So we're all familiar withthe changing oil every 3,000
miles that was for probablydecades, like the standard,
okay, yeah. Three are alwayslike three months or 3,000
miles. Now with the introductionof synthetics and engines are
(17:31):
getting way better. Oil quality,everything that's all been kind
of done away with, and I thinkit's been done away with for
like, I feel like maybe at leastlike 10 years, or plus, I don't
know, I'm trying to rememberlike when the last time was I
saw some sort of ad or somethingthat said every 3,000 miles. But
(17:51):
you know, you've got all thesenew new cars coming out. And
they will literally say, youknow, in the owner's manual, you
don't have to do that. It'sgonna be like every like, like
7,000 miles, and theneverybody's got an opinion on
how often you should be changingit. And I know, you know, FRAM
(18:11):
probably doesn't have like anofficial stance on that, because
it's probably going to have todo with the individual car is is
that the case? Or no?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (18:18):
We do recommend referring to the
owner's manual for the oilfilter change interval, (okay)
but these engines, these newerengines are built with tighter
tolerances, for example, turbos,and run at hotter temperatures,
sometimes using synthetic oil toachieve the performance and
(18:39):
those longer change intervals.
And with these tightertolerances, equipping your
engine with synthetic filters,such as a FRAM Ultra Synthetic,
you can take advantage of thelonger life of the synthetic oil
and get a change life up to20,000 miles.
Tim Harman (18:56):
Okay, now that's crazy. 20,000 miles. So you're
saying if I'm going to probablyspend the money...so okay, let's
take my situation, for example.
So I always change my own oil. Itake advantage of buying the
nicer oil, so I get like thefull synthetic oil because I
(19:17):
guess in my head, I'm thinking,Well, I'm not paying the
exorbitant amount of money totake it somewhere. So I can
afford to put the nicer oil inmy cars, so I always do that. So
I probably should be pairingthat with a higher grade filter
and then maybe even leaving thatin longer in between oil changes
(19:39):
because what you're saying itsounds like you know if I bought
this the better FRAM filter likethe top FRAM filter, I could
probably go through multiple oilchanges at least two maybe I'm
trying to think about whatintervals I'm changing at now. I
think I'm I think I met likeabout like 5,500 miles every
(19:59):
5,500 miles. And I know it couldprobably go longer, but I'm just
like, because our minivans kindof getting up there in miles and
so probably arbitrary, butthat's what I've been doing. But
so you're saying so like, if I,if I've changed in every 5,500
miles or so, if I had thathigher grade FRAM oil filter
this full synthetic version ofthat, could I go through
(20:25):
multiple oil changes with th`at?
At my 5,000 interval?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (20:32):
You would never reuse an oil filter
during oil change. When youchange your oil or change your
filter, you should change bothat the same time.
Tim Harman (20:41):
Okay. Okay, so that's good to know then.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (20:43):
But you know, the standard oil and a
standard oil filter, working intandem got you that 3,000 mile
change interval, but byimproving the materials in the
filter, and then combining itwith the improved performance
and life of a synthetic oil ishow you achieve the longer
(21:08):
change.
Tim Harman (21:09):
So bottom line, if you're going through the trouble
and the expense of using thathigher grade full synthetic oil,
you should probably be pairingit with the higher grade oil
filter to kind of take advantageof that longer mileage
(Absolutely.) that you'regetting in between the filter
changes. Yeah, so probably whatI should do is just extend
(21:32):
should probably upgrade to thebetter filter, and then extend
those time periods in betweenwhen I'm changing oil. I could
probably do that on my Toyotabut my old 1998 Ford Explorer,
burns oil, so like I literallycan't go that far in between
because I gotta just it Yeah,it's it's not good to do that. I
got changed that morefrequently. But okay, well,
(21:54):
that's good to know, probably,you guys listening that still
change your oil. I know we're adying breed. But that needs to
change. If you're usingsynthetic oil, you probably
should just go ahead and bump upto the nicer oil filter to pair
it with. So that's okay. Sothat's good to know. Let's talk
about the cabin air filters. Iwanted to hit on this because I
(22:15):
feel like that's one of thosethings that people don't even
realize they have in their car.
And I was trying to think aboutI think the first car that I
owned that had one was we had a2006 Honda Accord. That's what
it was. And it had one I was avery first time I had a car with
one and then you had to like itlike pop off like the cowl
(22:37):
cover. To access this one. Itwas really weird because now I'm
thinking like most of all thecars that I know of, you access
it through like the gloveboxdoor, so like my Toyota Sienna.
That's how you access it to theglovebox door, but talk about
cabin air filters, you know, whyshould we care? And why should
we care about cabin air filters?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (23:00):
Right.
Yeah, the first cabin air filterin its basic form was invented
in the 50s by a manufacturer ofa needle nonwoven fabric. (Okay)
And he noticed that his clotheswould get dirty from the vent
air when riding in the car. Sohe took some of its fabric and
put it over the air intakevents. And that reduce the
(23:20):
amount of debris that was cominginto the car. Sometime after
that Mercedes decided to addthis to their vehicles as a
feature. (Of course it wasMercedes) And the first time was
in 1989. And then Ford tried itin the mid 90s on the Contour.
(Really?) It didn't catch onreally widely until recently.
Tim Harman (23:48):
Yeah, that's interesting that you say that
Ford did on the Contour becauseyeah, totally owned a 97
Contour, I had no clue that Ihad a cabin air filter.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (23:57):
And now most vehicles after 2005 come
equipped with a cabin airfilter. And with good reason.
The importance of a cabin airfilter is that it removes the
dirt and contaminants from theair that you breathe inside of
the vehicle. So this isdifferent than the engine filter
which filters the air yourengine breathes, right. And the
(24:19):
idea behind this filter issimilar to the filter in your
HVAC system in the house, yourfurnace, just like your house
changing this filter will keepthe air you breathe cleaner. And
if you notice the AC or the heatnot blowing as great as it used
to, for example, or the air fromthe vents smells musty. Probably
(24:39):
a good sign to check the cabinair filter for replacement.
Tim Harman (24:42):
Yeah, cuz the first time I had changed that filter,
the thing was nasty. And like Ijust I didn't even realize it,
you know? And then you thinkback of well I like I think
about my 98 Explorer. Well, itdoesn't even have one and so the
vents You know, it's that old.
So who knows what in the worldis in all the vents, you know.
(25:04):
Especially when you're thinkingthrough like, the AC and the
humidity, especially in thesouth, and then that
condensation that can build upand then you got mildew issues.
Well, when the air iscirculating if you've got a
cabin air filter, which chancesare most of you guys listening,
your car probably has one, youknow, it's gonna be filtering
(25:26):
out some of that stuff for you.
And then, you know, another bigthing I was thinking through is
pollen. A lot of our listenersare in the metro Atlanta area,
or at least the southeast, weget crazy pollen every spring
this year, this past year wasn'twasn't actually that bad. I
don't know if it was like therain schedule of like, when how
(25:47):
much rain we got and stuff likethat. But you know, if you don't
have that cabin air filter, orif you're if you do have a cabin
air filter, and it's horrible,and it's not filtering out what
it should, you're going to begetting pollen and stuff all up
in your vents. And so that wasone thing my brain went to you
because I'll even have on myExplorer...I'll have, I'll
notice around springtime, likesome pollen, just kind of just
(26:09):
inside the vents. So you cankind of just see like a light
little dusting of yellow. AndI'm assuming if I had a cabin
air filter, I wouldn't bewouldn't be seeing that.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (26:18):
Right?
Yeah, changing the filter seasonI can really help especially if
you're suffering from allergies.
Typically I'll change the filteronce a year, but I might check
it out every spring and falljust for inspection.
Tim Harman (26:33):
Right. And, maybe it's just my car - are most of
the locations going to beaccessible from the from the
glove box?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (26:43):
Most vehicles I've looked at have
their filter located near theglove box might be behind the
glove box, you open it up andopen a door or under the glove
box towards the center of thevehicle, both of which are
really simple to get to. Andlike you said earlier others are
in this great spot under thehood near the windshield when
(27:04):
you call it a cowl,
Tim Harman (27:07):
I don't know if that's the right word or not.
But
Nathan Mades with FRAM (27:09):
That's exactly right. And just like on
your home's furnace, you removethat cover, remove the old
filter, clean out any debristhat you find, pop in the new
filter and close it back up.
Tim Harman (27:20):
Yeah. You know, you guys have got a fairly new
filter, the TrueAir filter, Ithink is what you're calling it.
And it has graded at the N95level.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (27:34):
Yeah, before this past year, not many
of us thought so criticallyabout the air we breathe, we
started wearing these N95 masksand thought what if we use this
grade of filter media for thecabin, and it could really help
a lot of people. So we developedthis remarkable filter called
the FRAM TrueAir. And itprotects against harmful
(27:56):
contaminants as small as pointthree microns at a 95%
efficiency. And it's a reallyquick and easy DIY project. You
can reference the owner's manualto find where the cabin filter
is located on your vehicle. In afew minutes, you should be able
to replace it.
Tim Harman (28:12):
Yeah, totally not hard. And then you know if
you've got if you want to justdo a quick YouTube search with
your car, make and model, you'llbe able to figure it out like in
no time. Totally a DIY job, forsure. So check out that TrueAir
N95 filters that FRAM has gotgoing on now. Well, Nathan, I
(28:33):
really appreciate your timegoing through talking about all
the differences and filters. Idefinitely learned some things.
But listeners stick around,we're gonna have a bonus segment
and Nate's gonna talk kind ofmore about his own personal DIY
journey and philosophy. I thinkhe may ask me some questions
too. I don't know. But we'll beback after the break. Stick
(28:53):
around.
Guys, welcome back. We're goingto be talking to Nathan about
(30:01):
his own DIY journey, you know,his philosophy behind doing what
he does. So you know, he's aproduct manager with FRAM, but
also does a lot of stuffhimself, and what a great
company to work for, FRAM, andyou're into the DIY culture. And
so FRAM is huge into that, youknow, people change in their own
(30:22):
oil and that sort of thing. Andso I think it's great that
Nathan is into that himself. SoNathan, what would you say is,
you know, what got you starteddoing things yourself? Was that
something you grew up doing? Orwhen did when did that start?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (30:37):
Well, mygrandpa was the ultimate
DIY-er, in our family. He seemedto be able to build just about
anything. A house, a garage, ashop, and he built restored
vintage cars. And they're reallybeautiful, and one of them, he
pulled out of a lake inMissouri. And yeah, he had to
(30:58):
make the tools to make toolsneeded to create body panels and
other parts. And it's such agreat memory, sitting with him,
and working on his cars, when Igot a chance, or using the
sandblaster, or just reallygetting the hang out with him.
(31:23):
And when I got my first car, Iwas poor. It has had some
problems. And if I wanted todrive it, I had to learn how to
fix it.
Tim Harman (31:33):
Right. So it was out of necessity.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (31:35):
Right.
It was. When I was looking athow to get something fixed, I
would look at both how much itwould cost for me to do it plus
buy the tools, or how much itwould cost for me to pay
somebody to do it. And sometimesI could buy the tools and learn
how to do it. And I just had todo that sometimes in order to
make it work.
Tim Harman (31:56):
Yep, totally.
Because a lot and we've talkedabout this too, on the podcast
before that. A lot of times whatstarts your Do It Yourself
journey is literally out ofnecessity, or just you're poor.
And you have to do this, like,you know, you're your college
student, and your cars, your carbreaks down, and you don't have
the money to pay somebody elseto do it. But you could buy the
(32:17):
tools and do it yourself andsave a lot of money. So it
sounds like that was kind of thethe way that you really got and
started doing things yourself.
So what like what do you feellike is one of those, you know,
bigger jobs that you've done onyour car?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (32:36):
Right off straightaway, I had to
replace the fuel tank and soonafter that I had a leak and had
to replace the head gasket. So,I had to pull apart a lot of the
top of the engine. And so itreally got me into understanding
how the engine works, how tomaintain it, and how to work in
(33:00):
a clean environment when openingthat sensitive part of the
vehicle.
Tim Harman (33:04):
Oh, for sure. So talk to me about that fuel tank
that you had to drop. What kindof car was that in?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (33:09):
Well, it was in the middle of winter, of
course.
Tim Harman (33:13):
And you're in what Michigan? Yes?
Nathan Mades with FRA (33:15):
Michigan.
So I got whatever little heat Icould in the garage, got the car
off the ground and and droppedit down. You know, my fingers
were just numb, but I was ableto do it and succeed and get a
new new fuel tank popped in allin the same day. So I felt
really successful with that.
Tim Harman (33:36):
And sorry, you may have said it, but what car was
that in?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (33:39):
That was a 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Sierra.
Tim Harman (33:44):
Oh, nice. Nice. So was it a was it like a rust
issue? Because I know y'all dealwith a lot of that.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (33:51):
It was a rust issue. It had perforations
Tim Harman (33:53):
Yeah, it's so foreign to us. You know, in the
Atlanta area, having thinkingthrough rust issues. I know
at the bottom of the tank.
that's like a big thing whereyou are. I don't think I've ever
had to really deal with that. Imean, I've got an old Bronco, a
75 Ford Bronco, and I had to dal with rust on that but (it
s a great truck). Yeah, it's jst because it was you know f
(34:14):
om 1975 but you guys you know yu could have a car that's a f
w years old and if you're not god about washing all that salt m
ss off of there on your udercarriage you could start h
ving rust problems you know, wthin a couple years I would a
sume of getting a new car. Gos, and then the head gasket...I
(34:35):
m trying to remember I don't thnk I've done a head gasket.
think I've helped a friend dit. But I don't think I've had
to do that on mine. But what yousaid about you know, keeping
verything that neat and clean. Tat's so important. You know whe
you're doing doing a head gaset, especially like cleaning
you know, cleaning that surfaceefore you put everything ba
(34:57):
k together.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (35:02):
Right.
Yeah, anytime you open somethingwith a seal or gasket, you got
to completely clean that off andreplace the seal, or gasket.
Tim Harman (35:11):
Yeah. So let's wrap up. I know it was a we had a
phone call earlier this week tojust kind of go over the show
notes and that sort of thingabout what we'd be talking
about. And I remember you sayingthat you all at FRAM, I kind of
noticed a resurgence, if youwill, of a lot of your customers
(35:32):
doing things themselves overthis whole COVID year that we've
had is that, that the case likeyou, you're seeing more people
get into that?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (35:43):
There was a bit of a shift. And I
think we're discovering thepride that we can gain from
developing our skills, anddisplaying the results of our
efforts. For me, and for manyothers, just learning how to do
something takes time and effort.
With all the spare time thatmany of us acquired over the
last year, it's allowed us tostart getting into more of these
(36:03):
DIY projects.
Tim Harman (36:05):
Totally. Yeah, we've seen that we've seen that a ton
on our Facebook group, just allthese people tackling these big
projects. And so that makestotal sense. Like, I would assu
e that a lot more people have ben changing their own oil, be
ause well, I don't have that twhour commute now. So I've go
(36:26):
that much more of my life bak, you know, working from ho
e. So it makes total sense to dothat. So I would encourage ou
listeners, you know, you're thnking through, you got extra ti
e now if you've if you've now swtched to working from home, I do
't know, you know, how many foks are going to be going back to
the office or not? Did you hae to go back to the office? Na
(36:47):
han?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (36:48):
We are not yet, but we do go back to
the office and meet in groupsand teams, just to get some face
to face time and work on someprojects where we need that
extra together and face to face.
Tim Harman (37:01):
Right. What was your commute like before? Like, how
much time have you got back fromyour life?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (37:07):
I've got an hour back in my life. (Okay!)
Half hour there, half hour backevery day. And while it's it's
nice not driving and thecommute, I still like to go out
and drive and just cruisearound.
Tim Harman (37:19):
Right, right. Yeah, I mean, you think about that,
just the sheer amount of timethat people are getting back.
And so yeah, just listeners, Iwant to encourage you think
through, like literally add upthose hours. think through how
many hours you used to bespending commuting. And
hopefully, you know you'reworking for a company that is
(37:40):
allowing you to work from homeand that sort of thing. And man,
take some time to take up thatnext, you know, do it yourself
project. And don't waste thetime that you've now gotten
back. Kind of the...don't wastethe time that COVID had stolen
from you. But now you knowyou've got back now having to go
into the office. I think that'sgonna do it for this week's
(38:03):
show. Nathan, thank you so muchfor coming on the show and
schooling us about all thevarious filters that FRAM makes.
And just really appreciate yourframe sponsoring the You can,
man. podcast. It says a lotabout FRAM as a company to reach
out to You can, man. We'restill kind of like one of the
little guys but we're out theretrying to, you know, promote
(38:26):
everybody doing it yourself,doing things yourself and a big
part of that is working on yourcar yourself. And FRAM has
allowed us to do that and withtheir awesome products. And so I
really, really appreciate FRAMreaching out to me and doing
this sponsored episode. SoNathan, thank you so much for
being on the show with us today.
Nathan Mades with F (38:47):
Absolutely.
Tim, it was a pleasure to joinyou.
Tim Harman (38:50):
Alright guys, check out the Facebook group page if
you haven't done so already.
I'll be posting some stuff FRAMrelated, of course, on the
Facebook group page. And if youhave any questions, specific
questions about you know, anykind of filters that we talked
about on the show today, maybejust use the Facebook group as
an outlet to do that and thenI'll kind of forward those
(39:10):
questions on to Nathan and we'llget a get an answer back for
you. But thanks so much forjoining us once again. And we
will catch you guys next time.
Welcome to the You can, man. podcast episode 102.
(00:04):
I'm your host, Tim, and ontoday's show, What You Should
Know About Your Car's Filters.
Hey guys, welcome back to theou can, man. podcast where we
elieve what one man can do youan do as well, but you got to
(00:26):
ave help from your friends andhe proper know how. On this
eek's show, I hope to give youuys some proper know how on
our car's filters, and evenome filters that you kind of
orget about. You know, we'veot oil filters, air filters,
ven cabin air filters, fuelilters, but have you ever
ondered what goes into makingaking these and the differences
(00:48):
n the quality? Does it reallyatter what kind of filter you
uy? You know, and what whateparates one from the other
ne? I've got a special guest onhe show today. Nathan from
RAM, Nathan Say hello.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (01:01):
Hello, Tim. It's pleasure to join you
on your show.
Tim Harman (01:04):
Yeah, thanks for being here. And Nathan is a
Senior Project Manager with FRAMand I do want to say that this
is a sponsored show by FRAM. Sothe frame folks reached out to
the You can, man. podcast andsaid, Hey, we'd like to do a
podcast to help promote some ofour products. And I
enthusiastically said, Yes, andhere's why. Because I've been
(01:29):
using FRAM products for years,and I love their products. And
so I would never promotesomething that I don't
personally use or really like.
And so it was such an easy thingto say to the FRAM folks - Yes,
absolutely. I literally just putFRAM oil filter in my 2012
Toyota Sienna. So anyways, it'ssuch an easy decision for me.
(01:52):
But I just want to let you guysknow on the front end that this
is a sponsored episode. But thisis something I would do anyways,
even if they hadn't reached outtalking about car filters. And
so it was a perfect match.
Because we talked aboutchanging, you know, your oil
yourself on your car all thetime. Know that, you know, Josh
and Dave guys that wererecording with me, we'd go back
(02:14):
and forth about whether or notthat's worth doing. And I was
always a big proponent. No, youhave to do it yourself. And I
have all these reasons behindthat. But anyways, yeah, I love
having Nathan on the show today.
And we're gonna get all in tofilters on your car, and
including then in N95, cabin airfilter. So you guys have heard
(02:35):
that term thrown around so muchduring all of the crazy Rona
times that we've had the in 95filters. Well, how about putting
one of those things in your car?
And Fram has you covered withthat? And then we are going to
have a bonus segment this week.
So Nathan, and we talkedpreviously so Nathan knows this
(02:57):
that I always ask my guests,where are you on the DIY scale?
Well, Nathan is going to coverthat for us and answer that for
us. So he's not he's not gettingout of that question. He's gonna
answer that for us in our bonussegment. And we're gonna talk
about kind of his DIY journey,his personal journey and kind of
the motivation behind why hedoes what he does. So Alright,
so Nathan, let's, let's getright into it. I've got some
(03:21):
kind of some questions to helpguide us along. So I wanted to
take some time first off to talkabout FRAM as a company because
they've been around since 1934.
Very long history. So talk to usabout you know, the history of
(03:43):
FRAM a little bit and howthey've been established as an
industry leader
Nathan Mades with FRAM (03:47):
Well, FRAM is Trusted since 1934. And
our main facility is located inGreenville, Ohio. We have other
manufacturing facilities basedin the US through our parent
company called First BrandsGroup. They're located in
Illinois and Michigan where wemanufacture additional oil,
cabin, air, engine air, and fuelfilters.
Tim Harman (04:09):
Okay. Yeah, I when I think of FRAM I mean that's our
Sorry, I should say when I thinkof oil filters I legit do go to
FRAM I mean, I feel like theythey are the number one filter
brand out there like it's theirtheir name has been around for
decades. I've probably beenusing FRAM since the very first
(04:31):
time I changed oil. So listenersI know you know you've seen it
when you're changing filters inyour car FRAM is there. It
doesn't matter what store you'regoing to FRAM products are
here. And to me, just highuality stuff. I don't have to
orry about FRAM messing up one. Every time I've used FRAM
tuff, it's been great. And so'm really interested to hear
(04:53):
hat Nate has to say about allf their different filters. So
ou know, we've got we've gothe basics, right? We'v
got oil filters of course. Weve the air filters, like the eng
(05:21):
ne air filters. We've got fuelfilters. So let's talk through
the different filter types thate have now. And including,
want to touch on too the differnces
Nathan Mades with FRAM (05:30):
Sure. I can help with each of those
questions. The fuel and engineair filters are similar, and
that they protect the enginefrom contaminants entering the
system. Oil filters are thesibling to the engine air
filter, and it works to take outcontaminants that get past the
engine air filter, or those thatare created in the lubrication
(05:50):
process. Most of us DIY-ers areused to the iconic spin on
filter, (Yes.) but some of usare starting to see a different
type of filter our newervehicles called the cartridge.
The cartridge styles beenintroduced on some global
platforms where Europe hasworked to improve recyclability.
And this filter is placed into apermanent housing, it's attached
(06:13):
to the engine, and works in thesame way as the can of the spin
on filter. Instead of replacingthe can every time you'll only
replace the internal components.
And I found this prettyinteresting. So for the history
buffs, listening here, FRAM wasstarted with the invention of
the replaceable cartridge. Thespin on filter actually wasn't
introduced until FRAM developedit in the 50s.
Tim Harman (06:37):
Oh, okay. So that's interesting. So what we think of
as the traditional oil filterwasn't really traditional. That
was like a new invention broughton by FRAM.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (06:47):
Right.
And, and so from its inception,FRAM has been innovating ways to
make the work easier, includingthings like adding Sure Grip
texture to the can.
Tim Harman (06:56):
Yes, yes, I was gonna ask you about that too,
because that is one thing thatwhen I think of FRAM oil filters
specifically, thatdifferentiates you guys from
others is that grip that you puton a lot of the filters. Of
course, that's only on the spinon style. It's not on like the
canister ones, obviously. Butthat's an interesting, I did not
(07:16):
know that. So I guess originallythey had the cartridge style
that would go in some sort ofhousing, but then FRAM designed
the the spin on style, so Okay,well, that's interesting. I
literally had not, I didn't knowthat yet. So the firt the first
car that I've ever owned, thathas the cartridge styles are
2012 Toyota Sienna, yes, I got aminivan now guys. I love the
(07:40):
thing. I love driving thatthing. I had to look up YouTube
videos, how to change thiscartridge style, because I had
just never, I had never done it.
I had never looked into so like,you know, you gotta you got to
drain the oil out of the...well,you don't have to. But you'll
get oil all over yourself. Butyou got to drain the oil out of
the canister first before youunscrew the housing. So that was
(08:01):
like one big thing. But yeah,it's way less waste too is
another big thing to thiscartridge styles because the
spin on ones that that's gonnabe creating a lot of waste. It's
like a one time use thing. Andthen you know, you're just
throwing out away. So you talkedabout some European car
manufacturers have they beenusing it for a lot longer than
(08:23):
the American car manufacturers?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (08:28):
I think it's just been introduced on on
these global platforms and theOEMs have been working to reduce
the throwaway content andincrease that recyclability
content. It's been aninitiative that has been going
on for quite some time now.
Tim Harman (08:43):
Okay. So let's let's talk about some of those more, I
don't know, obscure filters onthe car. So, you know, we've
kind of covered some of thebasics there. And I do want to
get to cabin air filters. Butyou know, things like the PCV
valve, I always I always thinklike Wait, is there a valve on
the on the end of that when Isay PCV and it is. So, positive
(09:06):
crankcase ventilation. But let'stalk about some of those filters
that we just don't think aboutvery often. And I guess that PCV
would be one of those.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (09:18):
PCV is actually a pretty easy filter to
change yourself. Unlike someothers transmission, hydraulic,
power steering, or coolant orbreather filters...anywhere
there's a fluid or air movingthrough the vehicle there can be
a filter. Generally these arereplaced infrequently or only as
a repair.
Tim Harman (09:38):
Right. You had mentioned a coolant filter. I
don't...maybe cars I've had havethis. I don't remember seeing a
coolant filter. Maybe my ToyotaSienna does. Is that a fancy
thing? Because I don't rememberseeing that.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (09:57):
It's not as common, and you'll you'll see
this more common on heavy dutyequipment.
Tim Harman (10:01):
Okay, okay, that makes more sense. And even like
the hydraulic stuff, I guess,FRAM makes filters for all that,
but that's gonna be more on likeheavy machinery, Maybe?
Nathan Mades with F (10:13):
Absolutely, it can be.
Tim Harman (10:14):
Okay. Now, of course, you've got transmission
filters. And that's somethingthat, gosh, not a lot of DIY-ers
tackle. I have before, but Ithink a lot of people that even
just to kind of basic work,don't think that they can do a
transmission filter. And ofcourse, this depends completely
on the type of vehicle that youhave. But I've done it before on
(10:38):
my 98 Ford Explorer. (How'd thatgo for you?) It was not bad, it
was not bad at all, I had to,you know, drop the transmission
pan, of course. And I ended upreplacing the transmission pan
the stock one with one that hada drain plug, because the
original one didn't have it. Butobviously, when I dropped the
pan, I was changing that filter.
So and then another one too,that you I think you had
(11:01):
mentioned was the power steeringfilter. And that's another one
that it makes sense, the powersteering fluid filter, but I
don't remember ever seeing oneof those on a car that I own. Is
that more of a technical, like athing on heavy machinery? Or is
that something that we're seeingon cars?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (11:23):
We do see that on cars and trucks. But
again, it's just not somethingthat you replace, as a
maintenance item. It's somethingthat you would replace as a
repair or included in the powersteering mechanisms.
Tim Harman (11:39):
Okay, so that makes sense. So like, if you have some
sort of catastrophic failure inyour power steering pump, then
you might have metal shavings,and who knows what, and then
that power steering filter,fluid filter is going to catch
that stuff. But you wouldn'treally be replacing that it's
just like a maintenance thing.
It's just if you have a failurewith the power steering system,
(11:59):
is that what you mean? (Right.)Right. Well, let's, let's talk
about you know, I, when I go, Igo to the parts store, and there
is seriously just like aplethora of different filter
choices. So what are thosethings that are differentiating
one filter from the next?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (12:22):
In filtration, you're when you're
shopping for a filter, you'relooking for durability,
capability and longevity in theproducts that you buy. Filters
are really characterized bytheir efficiency, which is the
size and percent of thecontaminant captured, (right)
their capacity, the grams ofcontaminants that that filter
(12:42):
will hold, and restrictionmeasured by the pressure drop or
the pressure differential.
Tim Harman (12:49):
Okay, and that restriction probably comes
really into play when we'retalking like something like the
the engine air filter, becauseobviously, you want as much air
flowing through that filter aspossible. But then you also want
to be catching as much junk. So,it's kind of like a trade off, I
guess, or like the betterproduct is going to be something
(13:12):
that's you know, catching a lotof the junk, but also letting
that air flow freely,
Nathan Mades with FRAM (13:17):
Right.
So it is a balance duringdevelopment of a filter. When
one of these characteristics,efficiency, capacity or
restriction are improved, theothers might be reduced. And the
filter media can be made ofcellulose or glass, synthetics
or even a blend, and blends andsynthetics are more recent
(13:38):
additions to filter media, andcan really provide a superior
filtration. There's othercritical components that
contribute to a longer life of afilter. The sealing gasket and
the anti drainback valve in theoil filter need to be made of
specific durable material sothey can last longer. Once
(14:01):
you've developed the media thathas a high efficiency to improve
both the capacity and therestriction it takes a more
expensive media and that's whywe're part of the reason you see
different prices for differentfilters on the shelf.
Tim Harman (14:17):
Right and FRAM has you know, they've got multiple
different grades. So like I'mlooking at it, I feel like I
normally gravitate towards theTough Guard, which I don't think
is like the bottom one. It'skind of like a couple up. But so
what you're saying is it justbasically all has to do with the
type of media that is being usedto capture contaminants. Yes?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (14:41):
Yeah. On the oil side, you have Extra
Guard, Tough Guard, like yousaid, and Ultra Synthetic.
That's kind of the good, betterand best. There are examples of
the tiered performers in theframe offering. With every step
up the components are improvedto provide superior protection
and extend the maintenanceschedule. So the media are all
(15:02):
rated at 20 microns. Do you knowwhat a micron is?
Tim Harman (15:07):
I do not. Especially when it comes to something like
this. I mean, I would think it'slike something like, you know,
parts per million or somethinglike that, I don't know.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (15:17):
So I'm micron is the measurement unit
used to identify the size ofcontaminants in the filtration
industry. To give you an exampleof how small this is 20 microns
is about 65 times shorter thanthe length of the grain of sand.
Tim Harman (15:35):
Okay, that's small.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (15:36):
Or imagine splitting a sheet of
notebook paper into fivedifferent layers, each layer
would be about 20 microns thick.
Tim Harman (15:44):
Okay. Okay. So each of the filters like regardless
of what you're getting, youknow, the different grade grades
of frame offers, that they'reall going to be filtering at
least 20. micro... sorry, whatdid you say?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (16:01):
Uh huh, at 20 microns thick. And so when
you're shopping for a filter,you're going to want to look for
a smaller micron size, but alsoat a high percentage of
efficiency.
Tim Harman (16:13):
Okay,
Nathan Mades with FRAM (16:13):
Some filters out there advertise a
higher efficiency, but at alarger particle size. You can
get both plus a longer filterlife with higher grades of
filters.
Tim Harman (16:25):
Okay, is that something like? Are they gonna
post? Is that like something inyour tech sheets? or something?
Or is that? Is that going to besomething I'm going to be able
to see on the box? Like, if I'mat the store, can I pick up that
box and see these micron levels?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (16:40):
Right, you will. The Extra Guard filter
is 95% efficient at that 20micron size, and that lasts up
to 10,000 miles. The Tough Guardfilter that you use is 99%
efficient. So 99% of particlesat 20 microns or larger are
being captured and that one lastup to 15,000 miles. And Ultra
(17:05):
Synthetic is somewhere abovethat 99% and last up to 20,000
miles.
Tim Harman (17:10):
Okay, so that transitions my next question I
had. So we're all familiar withthe changing oil every 3,000
miles that was for probablydecades, like the standard,
okay, yeah. Three are alwayslike three months or 3,000
miles. Now with the introductionof synthetics and engines are
(17:31):
getting way better. Oil quality,everything that's all been kind
of done away with, and I thinkit's been done away with for
like, I feel like maybe at leastlike 10 years, or plus, I don't
know, I'm trying to rememberlike when the last time was I
saw some sort of ad or somethingthat said every 3,000 miles. But
(17:51):
you know, you've got all thesenew new cars coming out. And
they will literally say, youknow, in the owner's manual, you
don't have to do that. It'sgonna be like every like, like
7,000 miles, and theneverybody's got an opinion on
how often you should be changingit. And I know, you know, FRAM
(18:11):
probably doesn't have like anofficial stance on that, because
it's probably going to have todo with the individual car is is
that the case? Or no?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (18:18):
We do recommend referring to the
owner's manual for the oilfilter change interval, (okay)
but these engines, these newerengines are built with tighter
tolerances, for example, turbos,and run at hotter temperatures,
sometimes using synthetic oil toachieve the performance and
(18:39):
those longer change intervals.
And with these tightertolerances, equipping your
engine with synthetic filters,such as a FRAM Ultra Synthetic,
you can take advantage of thelonger life of the synthetic oil
and get a change life up to20,000 miles.
Tim Harman (18:56):
Okay, now that's crazy. 20,000 miles. So you're
saying if I'm going to probablyspend the money...so okay, let's
take my situation, for example.
So I always change my own oil. Itake advantage of buying the
nicer oil, so I get like thefull synthetic oil because I
(19:17):
guess in my head, I'm thinking,Well, I'm not paying the
exorbitant amount of money totake it somewhere. So I can
afford to put the nicer oil inmy cars, so I always do that. So
I probably should be pairingthat with a higher grade filter
and then maybe even leaving thatin longer in between oil changes
(19:39):
because what you're saying itsounds like you know if I bought
this the better FRAM filter likethe top FRAM filter, I could
probably go through multiple oilchanges at least two maybe I'm
trying to think about whatintervals I'm changing at now. I
think I'm I think I met likeabout like 5,500 miles every
(19:59):
5,500 miles. And I know it couldprobably go longer, but I'm just
like, because our minivans kindof getting up there in miles and
so probably arbitrary, butthat's what I've been doing. But
so you're saying so like, if I,if I've changed in every 5,500
miles or so, if I had thathigher grade FRAM oil filter
this full synthetic version ofthat, could I go through
(20:25):
multiple oil changes with th`at?
At my 5,000 interval?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (20:32):
You would never reuse an oil filter
during oil change. When youchange your oil or change your
filter, you should change bothat the same time.
Tim Harman (20:41):
Okay. Okay, so that's good to know then.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (20:43):
But you know, the standard oil and a
standard oil filter, working intandem got you that 3,000 mile
change interval, but byimproving the materials in the
filter, and then combining itwith the improved performance
and life of a synthetic oil ishow you achieve the longer
(21:08):
change.
Tim Harman (21:09):
So bottom line, if you're going through the trouble
and the expense of using thathigher grade full synthetic oil,
you should probably be pairingit with the higher grade oil
filter to kind of take advantageof that longer mileage
(Absolutely.) that you'regetting in between the filter
changes. Yeah, so probably whatI should do is just extend
(21:32):
should probably upgrade to thebetter filter, and then extend
those time periods in betweenwhen I'm changing oil. I could
probably do that on my Toyotabut my old 1998 Ford Explorer,
burns oil, so like I literallycan't go that far in between
because I gotta just it Yeah,it's it's not good to do that. I
got changed that morefrequently. But okay, well,
(21:54):
that's good to know, probably,you guys listening that still
change your oil. I know we're adying breed. But that needs to
change. If you're usingsynthetic oil, you probably
should just go ahead and bump upto the nicer oil filter to pair
it with. So that's okay. Sothat's good to know. Let's talk
about the cabin air filters. Iwanted to hit on this because I
(22:15):
feel like that's one of thosethings that people don't even
realize they have in their car.
And I was trying to think aboutI think the first car that I
owned that had one was we had a2006 Honda Accord. That's what
it was. And it had one I was avery first time I had a car with
one and then you had to like itlike pop off like the cowl
(22:37):
cover. To access this one. Itwas really weird because now I'm
thinking like most of all thecars that I know of, you access
it through like the gloveboxdoor, so like my Toyota Sienna.
That's how you access it to theglovebox door, but talk about
cabin air filters, you know, whyshould we care? And why should
we care about cabin air filters?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (23:00):
Right.
Yeah, the first cabin air filterin its basic form was invented
in the 50s by a manufacturer ofa needle nonwoven fabric. (Okay)
And he noticed that his clotheswould get dirty from the vent
air when riding in the car. Sohe took some of its fabric and
put it over the air intakevents. And that reduce the
(23:20):
amount of debris that was cominginto the car. Sometime after
that Mercedes decided to addthis to their vehicles as a
feature. (Of course it wasMercedes) And the first time was
in 1989. And then Ford tried itin the mid 90s on the Contour.
(Really?) It didn't catch onreally widely until recently.
Tim Harman (23:48):
Yeah, that's interesting that you say that
Ford did on the Contour becauseyeah, totally owned a 97
Contour, I had no clue that Ihad a cabin air filter.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (23:57):
And now most vehicles after 2005 come
equipped with a cabin airfilter. And with good reason.
The importance of a cabin airfilter is that it removes the
dirt and contaminants from theair that you breathe inside of
the vehicle. So this isdifferent than the engine filter
which filters the air yourengine breathes, right. And the
(24:19):
idea behind this filter issimilar to the filter in your
HVAC system in the house, yourfurnace, just like your house
changing this filter will keepthe air you breathe cleaner. And
if you notice the AC or the heatnot blowing as great as it used
to, for example, or the air fromthe vents smells musty. Probably
(24:39):
a good sign to check the cabinair filter for replacement.
Tim Harman (24:42):
Yeah, cuz the first time I had changed that filter,
the thing was nasty. And like Ijust I didn't even realize it,
you know? And then you thinkback of well I like I think
about my 98 Explorer. Well, itdoesn't even have one and so the
vents You know, it's that old.
So who knows what in the worldis in all the vents, you know.
(25:04):
Especially when you're thinkingthrough like, the AC and the
humidity, especially in thesouth, and then that
condensation that can build upand then you got mildew issues.
Well, when the air iscirculating if you've got a
cabin air filter, which chancesare most of you guys listening,
your car probably has one, youknow, it's gonna be filtering
(25:26):
out some of that stuff for you.
And then, you know, another bigthing I was thinking through is
pollen. A lot of our listenersare in the metro Atlanta area,
or at least the southeast, weget crazy pollen every spring
this year, this past year wasn'twasn't actually that bad. I
don't know if it was like therain schedule of like, when how
(25:47):
much rain we got and stuff likethat. But you know, if you don't
have that cabin air filter, orif you're if you do have a cabin
air filter, and it's horrible,and it's not filtering out what
it should, you're going to begetting pollen and stuff all up
in your vents. And so that wasone thing my brain went to you
because I'll even have on myExplorer...I'll have, I'll
notice around springtime, likesome pollen, just kind of just
(26:09):
inside the vents. So you cankind of just see like a light
little dusting of yellow. AndI'm assuming if I had a cabin
air filter, I wouldn't bewouldn't be seeing that.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (26:18):
Right?
Yeah, changing the filter seasonI can really help especially if
you're suffering from allergies.
Typically I'll change the filteronce a year, but I might check
it out every spring and falljust for inspection.
Tim Harman (26:33):
Right. And, maybe it's just my car - are most of
the locations going to beaccessible from the from the
glove box?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (26:43):
Most vehicles I've looked at have
their filter located near theglove box might be behind the
glove box, you open it up andopen a door or under the glove
box towards the center of thevehicle, both of which are
really simple to get to. Andlike you said earlier others are
in this great spot under thehood near the windshield when
(27:04):
you call it a cowl,
Tim Harman (27:07):
I don't know if that's the right word or not.
But
Nathan Mades with FRAM (27:09):
That's exactly right. And just like on
your home's furnace, you removethat cover, remove the old
filter, clean out any debristhat you find, pop in the new
filter and close it back up.
Tim Harman (27:20):
Yeah. You know, you guys have got a fairly new
filter, the TrueAir filter, Ithink is what you're calling it.
And it has graded at the N95level.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (27:34):
Yeah, before this past year, not many
of us thought so criticallyabout the air we breathe, we
started wearing these N95 masksand thought what if we use this
grade of filter media for thecabin, and it could really help
a lot of people. So we developedthis remarkable filter called
the FRAM TrueAir. And itprotects against harmful
(27:56):
contaminants as small as pointthree microns at a 95%
efficiency. And it's a reallyquick and easy DIY project. You
can reference the owner's manualto find where the cabin filter
is located on your vehicle. In afew minutes, you should be able
to replace it.
Tim Harman (28:12):
Yeah, totally not hard. And then you know if
you've got if you want to justdo a quick YouTube search with
your car, make and model, you'llbe able to figure it out like in
no time. Totally a DIY job, forsure. So check out that TrueAir
N95 filters that FRAM has gotgoing on now. Well, Nathan, I
(28:33):
really appreciate your timegoing through talking about all
the differences and filters. Idefinitely learned some things.
But listeners stick around,we're gonna have a bonus segment
and Nate's gonna talk kind ofmore about his own personal DIY
journey and philosophy. I thinkhe may ask me some questions
too. I don't know. But we'll beback after the break. Stick
(28:53):
around.
Guys, welcome back. We're goingto be talking to Nathan about
(30:01):
his own DIY journey, you know,his philosophy behind doing what
he does. So you know, he's aproduct manager with FRAM, but
also does a lot of stuffhimself, and what a great
company to work for, FRAM, andyou're into the DIY culture. And
so FRAM is huge into that, youknow, people change in their own
(30:22):
oil and that sort of thing. Andso I think it's great that
Nathan is into that himself. SoNathan, what would you say is,
you know, what got you starteddoing things yourself? Was that
something you grew up doing? Orwhen did when did that start?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (30:37):
Well, mygrandpa was the ultimate
DIY-er, in our family. He seemedto be able to build just about
anything. A house, a garage, ashop, and he built restored
vintage cars. And they're reallybeautiful, and one of them, he
pulled out of a lake inMissouri. And yeah, he had to
(30:58):
make the tools to make toolsneeded to create body panels and
other parts. And it's such agreat memory, sitting with him,
and working on his cars, when Igot a chance, or using the
sandblaster, or just reallygetting the hang out with him.
(31:23):
And when I got my first car, Iwas poor. It has had some
problems. And if I wanted todrive it, I had to learn how to
fix it.
Tim Harman (31:33):
Right. So it was out of necessity.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (31:35):
Right.
It was. When I was looking athow to get something fixed, I
would look at both how much itwould cost for me to do it plus
buy the tools, or how much itwould cost for me to pay
somebody to do it. And sometimesI could buy the tools and learn
how to do it. And I just had todo that sometimes in order to
make it work.
Tim Harman (31:56):
Yep, totally.
Because a lot and we've talkedabout this too, on the podcast
before that. A lot of times whatstarts your Do It Yourself
journey is literally out ofnecessity, or just you're poor.
And you have to do this, like,you know, you're your college
student, and your cars, your carbreaks down, and you don't have
the money to pay somebody elseto do it. But you could buy the
(32:17):
tools and do it yourself andsave a lot of money. So it
sounds like that was kind of thethe way that you really got and
started doing things yourself.
So what like what do you feellike is one of those, you know,
bigger jobs that you've done onyour car?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (32:36):
Right off straightaway, I had to
replace the fuel tank and soonafter that I had a leak and had
to replace the head gasket. So,I had to pull apart a lot of the
top of the engine. And so itreally got me into understanding
how the engine works, how tomaintain it, and how to work in
(33:00):
a clean environment when openingthat sensitive part of the
vehicle.
Tim Harman (33:04):
Oh, for sure. So talk to me about that fuel tank
that you had to drop. What kindof car was that in?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (33:09):
Well, it was in the middle of winter, of
course.
Tim Harman (33:13):
And you're in what Michigan? Yes?
Nathan Mades with FRA (33:15):
Michigan.
So I got whatever little heat Icould in the garage, got the car
off the ground and and droppedit down. You know, my fingers
were just numb, but I was ableto do it and succeed and get a
new new fuel tank popped in allin the same day. So I felt
really successful with that.
Tim Harman (33:36):
And sorry, you may have said it, but what car was
that in?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (33:39):
That was a 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Sierra.
Tim Harman (33:44):
Oh, nice. Nice. So was it a was it like a rust
issue? Because I know y'all dealwith a lot of that.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (33:51):
It was a rust issue. It had perforations
Tim Harman (33:53):
Yeah, it's so foreign to us. You know, in the
Atlanta area, having thinkingthrough rust issues. I know
at the bottom of the tank.
that's like a big thing whereyou are. I don't think I've ever
had to really deal with that. Imean, I've got an old Bronco, a
75 Ford Bronco, and I had to dal with rust on that but (it
s a great truck). Yeah, it's jst because it was you know f
(34:14):
om 1975 but you guys you know yu could have a car that's a f
w years old and if you're not god about washing all that salt m
ss off of there on your udercarriage you could start h
ving rust problems you know, wthin a couple years I would a
sume of getting a new car. Gos, and then the head gasket...I
(34:35):
m trying to remember I don't thnk I've done a head gasket.
think I've helped a friend dit. But I don't think I've had
to do that on mine. But what yousaid about you know, keeping
verything that neat and clean. Tat's so important. You know whe
you're doing doing a head gaset, especially like cleaning
you know, cleaning that surfaceefore you put everything ba
(34:57):
k together.
Nathan Mades with FRAM (35:02):
Right.
Yeah, anytime you open somethingwith a seal or gasket, you got
to completely clean that off andreplace the seal, or gasket.
Tim Harman (35:11):
Yeah. So let's wrap up. I know it was a we had a
phone call earlier this week tojust kind of go over the show
notes and that sort of thingabout what we'd be talking
about. And I remember you sayingthat you all at FRAM, I kind of
noticed a resurgence, if youwill, of a lot of your customers
(35:32):
doing things themselves overthis whole COVID year that we've
had is that, that the case likeyou, you're seeing more people
get into that?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (35:43):
There was a bit of a shift. And I
think we're discovering thepride that we can gain from
developing our skills, anddisplaying the results of our
efforts. For me, and for manyothers, just learning how to do
something takes time and effort.
With all the spare time thatmany of us acquired over the
last year, it's allowed us tostart getting into more of these
(36:03):
DIY projects.
Tim Harman (36:05):
Totally. Yeah, we've seen that we've seen that a ton
on our Facebook group, just allthese people tackling these big
projects. And so that makestotal sense. Like, I would assu
e that a lot more people have ben changing their own oil, be
ause well, I don't have that twhour commute now. So I've go
(36:26):
that much more of my life bak, you know, working from ho
e. So it makes total sense to dothat. So I would encourage ou
listeners, you know, you're thnking through, you got extra ti
e now if you've if you've now swtched to working from home, I do
't know, you know, how many foks are going to be going back to
the office or not? Did you hae to go back to the office? Na
(36:47):
han?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (36:48):
We are not yet, but we do go back to
the office and meet in groupsand teams, just to get some face
to face time and work on someprojects where we need that
extra together and face to face.
Tim Harman (37:01):
Right. What was your commute like before? Like, how
much time have you got back fromyour life?
Nathan Mades with FRAM (37:07):
I've got an hour back in my life. (Okay!)
Half hour there, half hour backevery day. And while it's it's
nice not driving and thecommute, I still like to go out
and drive and just cruisearound.
Tim Harman (37:19):
Right, right. Yeah, I mean, you think about that,
just the sheer amount of timethat people are getting back.
And so yeah, just listeners, Iwant to encourage you think
through, like literally add upthose hours. think through how
many hours you used to bespending commuting. And
hopefully, you know you'reworking for a company that is
(37:40):
allowing you to work from homeand that sort of thing. And man,
take some time to take up thatnext, you know, do it yourself
project. And don't waste thetime that you've now gotten
back. Kind of the...don't wastethe time that COVID had stolen
from you. But now you knowyou've got back now having to go
into the office. I think that'sgonna do it for this week's
(38:03):
show. Nathan, thank you so muchfor coming on the show and
schooling us about all thevarious filters that FRAM makes.
And just really appreciate yourframe sponsoring the You can,
man. podcast. It says a lotabout FRAM as a company to reach
out to You can, man. We'restill kind of like one of the
little guys but we're out theretrying to, you know, promote
(38:26):
everybody doing it yourself,doing things yourself and a big
part of that is working on yourcar yourself. And FRAM has
allowed us to do that and withtheir awesome products. And so I
really, really appreciate FRAMreaching out to me and doing
this sponsored episode. SoNathan, thank you so much for
being on the show with us today.
Nathan Mades with F (38:47):
Absolutely.
Tim, it was a pleasure to joinyou.
Tim Harman (38:50):
Alright guys, check out the Facebook group page if
you haven't done so already.
I'll be posting some stuff FRAMrelated, of course, on the
Facebook group page. And if youhave any questions, specific
questions about you know, anykind of filters that we talked
about on the show today, maybejust use the Facebook group as
an outlet to do that and thenI'll kind of forward those
(39:10):
questions on to Nathan and we'llget a get an answer back for
you. But thanks so much forjoining us once again. And we
will catch you guys next time.
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