89 SSE steal

[boil359]

bought a 1989 sse..bought it for $900 canadian...ran a little rough...body and paint are in near new condition...so I bought it...needed some frontend work and 2 motor mounts..changed one motor mount, couldn't get the other one right away...needed left outer tie rod end..newer tire and alignment...$430 canadian...drove it about 700 KM..ran alright....changed plugs to AC Delco... changed PCV...changed oil to synthetic also changed oil filter..to a good fram synthetic filter....ran alittle better...then all of a sudden started misfiring and finally would start...looked at the Delco coil mod...$90 canadian from auto wrecker...got one from a 93 Buick..Installed and still no luck with running right..after all day of researching and and unplugging every sensor and replugging back in....also checked all electrical connections..it started and ran fine...took for drive and ran beautifully...even smoothed out the surging I was experiencing when I had the climate control on..better throttle response...and car starts right up now...very little cranking...not sure if I had a short or if the other coils were alright or not...but after this ICM and Coil change and fooling around with all the electrical connections, the car is running fine...I must say this little car is a little rocket...real clean in the motor area...odometer reads 345,000 KM, about 207,000 miles...not sure if that is on frame or motor..but WOW..this thing is extremly quick..real happy at the way it handles now too...can't believe the power from this engine!!! ...specs say 165 HP..man this thing runs good now....cheers

[willwren]

It doesn't look like you're having any mechanical issues, so I'll move this to the proper section for you.

One word of advice is to stay away from Fram filters. They are widely known to be of inferior internal construction and are made of glue and cardboard inside. They can collapse internally causing oil pressure issues. Change it at your next opportunity, or drain the oil into a clean pan, change the filter, then put the oil back.

[boil359]

thx...about the fram thing...I realize some are inferior...made sure I bought a good quaility..says it is metal construction inside on the box if that means anything...but thanks all the same.. cheers

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Depends on what kind of Fram he got. The more expensive ones are constructed better than the cheap orange cans.

Plus, he's in Canada. It's hard to find a filter that's not a Fram up there.

[repinS]

Plus, he's in Canada. It's hard to find a filter that's not a Fram up there.

Canadian Tire sells Quaker State filters right next to the Frams - and the QS ones are rebranded Purolator from what I've seen. It's what I use and is worth the extra buck or two.

Their private label brand USED to be made in the USA by Fram, but have since gone to a random Chinese supplier: the joke is, the Chinese filter is HEAVIER and when you peek inside, it looks like it is better constructed, based on my on-the-shelf comparison with mixed new and old inventory. The price hasn't changed and my bet is that it's a knockoff of a better filter - but I can't say if the actual filter media is any good.

[00Beast]

All Fram's are inferior to about every other filter on the market. I find it hard to believe that you can't get an AC Delco or something up there. Mobil 1, K&N, Purolator, Wix, NAPA Gold, nothing?

[boil359]

I can get any filter you can get....lol.....this was a XG3387A.......

http://www.fram.com/products/oil_filter ... oil_filter

[00Beast]

Don't get any more frams. Get something better. What's cheaper, $2 every oil change, or a new engine??

[boil359]

I am 42...been changing my own oil for about 25 years ...never had a problem with oil filters...I always change with new oil about 3000-4000 miles

[willwren]

I hope that's not your planned interval with the synthetic oil, or there's no point in changing over to it. Run at least 5-6k. Which is one more reason to stay away from Fram.

[repinS]

All Fram's are inferior to about every other filter on the market. I find it hard to believe that you can't get an AC Delco or something up there. Mobil 1, K&N, Purolator, Wix, NAPA Gold, nothing?

We can get all of those, but I don't think $10-12+ for a filter is feasible. AC Delco wouldn't be an issue to get and I doubt would be expensive, but would involve going to the dealer... Canadian Tire is much more convenient

[boil359]

thakx for all the replys...never had an issue with oil filters and I change oil about every 3000 to 4000 miles...i have put synthetic in almost everything i run including my chevy truck ...it helped with fuel econmy in my truck...anyway...have had success in any oil filter I use...in my opinion most filters are all made the same the rest is just hype!!!...and most buy into it.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

A higher-end Fram is a halfway decent filter. It's constructed better than a regular Fram. That's still like saying a house of sticks is built better than a house of straw. There are filters built like houses of bricks in comparison.

That being said, it's not going to kill his car to run a higher-end Fram for 9-10k km. I did that back when I didn't know any better. All my cars survived with no oil filter related damage over many tens of thousands of miles.

Now he knows for next time!