I still run fram on my jeep. Im out to prove them wrong hahaha

 

good point

 

Hey I've seen trucks use Fram filters for 300k miles without a problem. My father's company trucks got Super Tech oil and Fram filters (The $12 oil change) and several have over 300k miles on them. I personally don't use the Fram filters on my Dakota, but I don't think they're as big of a deal as people think. I wouldn't be using a regular Fram filter on a drag car or something like that, but I would use it on a daily driver.

 

There are different schools of thought when it comes to flushing engines. I would personally NOT do it. You risk breaking loose particles that may have otherwise stayed stuck to the engine and were not doing any harm. Those particles can now clog up the oil pickup screen, or possibly get in between a bearing, clog up a lifter, etc... If you are going to do it, I would say do it from when the engine is new or at least very young, and do it consistently so that the risk of larger particles developing is low.

Big problems with the dodge engines that have belly pan (plenum) gaskets is that the gaskets don't last very long, and if not replaced when they go bad, you cross contaminate the oil in the crankcase with gasoline and get oil vapor into the intake stream. I'm running a rebuilt motor in my 98 Dakota now because of this issue. Everyone should make it a habit when changing oil to take off the inlet hat, open up the throttle blades and look down into the throttle body with a flashlight. If you see oil puddiling in the bottom of the intake, you probably have a bad plenum gasket.

 

I have use seafoam about 100 miles before a oil change.

 

I do believe that I don't need to worry about a blown plenum gasket because I have the 4.7L not the 5.2 or 5.9 I did have problem with that gasket in my rams though, as do all the 5.2 and 5.9 magnum motors. Only fix is the hughes plenum kit and that's not even a guarantee fix. My friend did one on his ram and a year later it was blown again so he went to the air gap intake, the only true fix. Guess thats a little off topic but made me feel good to rant about a bad dodge design.

But I do see where if you clean your motor out all the time it could get that gritty stuff clogged somewhere. I think maybe I'll do this every other oil change maybe run 200 miles with it in before I change oil like I did this time.