"That "failing" oil pump has persisted from 116k miles (when I bought the car and first heard the rap-rap on startup) 'til now. And now it's quiet—and the car has 347k miles. Nope, not a failing oil pump. Tired, maybe, but it's truly amazing how a decent oil filter rejuvinated my "failing" pump."

Wait a minute, Don. You said in your original reply that you have put 65,000 miles on the car since you bought it ten years ago. And yet now it has 347,000 on it? Better have that odometer fixed, Don, because that's only 181k.

"OK, Rob, I answered your question about why I think Fram filters suck. So why are you still digging at it?"

Because in the original post you were very hostile, e.g. "I don't give a rat's ass if you don't like it." If you want to be an asshole, Don, two can play at that game...

"Indeed, a broken belt, sheared alignment pin, and the cam tighter'n a pig's ass. But knowing how to patiently rework and polish the bearing surfaces by hand seems to have worked for me. That cam has 5 bearing surfaces, so is very forgiving. As I said, that was ten years and 65k miles ago, and the car still runs great."

Your mind must really be slipping in your old age, Don. Let's go back to your original reply, posted today 11/26 at 15:49. I'm looking at http://www.brickboard.com/READER/?file=20115821&referer=RWD&fromindex=1

for your reference.

> About 10 years ago I bought an '81 245 with a seized cam. I figured a new head would fix it. After fixing it for $20 (turns out you generally don't need a head for that failure), I removed the Fram filter and installed a Volvo filter. The car's still running, 10 years and 65,000 miles later. <

Okay, you bought the car from the original owner with 116,000 miles on it, and now, 65K later, you're trying to tell me that you have ran up 347k? Just curious-does your nose grow when you post on the BB??

"No, I believe the 160k miles with those orange filters was severe service, and took its toll on the engine, top end first."

But Don, I thought that you said it only had 116K on it when you bought it "about ten years ago"? Just can't make up our mind tonight, can we??

Top end seized. BFD! How do you prove that the oil filter caused this? Just because the pan was clean doesn't mean that the oil was changed regularly. And even if it was, she could have let it run low on a regular basis. I know people that never check their oil between changes, drive their cars like they are in the Indy 500, and then are surprised when only 2 of the 4 qts. they poured in there drain out. Maybe one of the oil passages was blocked because she never changed the air filter and all kinds of crap accumulated in the engine?? Who knows.