Is this a NOS original CA332 air filter?

Is this a NOS original CA332 air filter? There in no part number on the air filter. The screen holes are .280 diameter. It comes with a plain cardboard box with a small orange Fram sticker on it that says. Allied Signal, Fram, Made in Canada, CA332. Thanks.

I know there have been detailed posts here about the minor differences between filters. I’m not an expert, but the lack of the “V” for vintage in the part number would point towards original to me.

Take a look at the photo at the bottom of page 2 by Bill Alphin:

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2667619/2.html

Thanks for the link.

Another tell tale sign is the material on the inside of the filter.

BUT, I'll be brutally honest.
I cant remember which was which ( signs of getting old I guess )

Can you post a photo of the screen on the INSIDE of the filter?

Inside.

The box.

From my understanding the O.E. filter's mesh screen is supposed to be square in shape not "diamond" shape like the one you posted.

Square mesh screen like the photo below.

BUT there is one thing on your filter that you posted that is like the O.E. filter and is correct and that is the outer round hole screen and that is the round holes are "beveled" around the edge. Don't know if someone copied or saw that detail but I think that the square mesh inside screen is still the way to tell an O.E. CA332 air filter.

Another thing I just notice is the small "notches" for lack of a better term are "open" top and bottom on the O,E. air filter and the one image you posted shows the bottom notch is closed. Another point is those "notches" appear to be aligned with the top and bottom notches where yours seems a little offset?? May be just the image??? I know it's picky but that's what I'm seeing.

Very observant of you and helpful. Thank you for all those photos and your knowledge. Do you know what an original filter has for the screen hole diameter? The one I have is .280,

I'll look at the NOS filter I have for comparison...one note regarding the "bevel", you won't see that on early filters, because the "bevel" was the result of prolonged tool wear punching the outer shield mat'l.....that's info straight from the original FRAM engineer that did the leg work making the sixpack and oval elements for Chrysler

That is probably something from the 80's that you would get at an autoparts store.

Thanks.

Allied bought Bendix/Fram in 1985 so that is probably correct.

I always heard square mesh on the inside is always the true give away for an original filter.

I got several 6 pak equipped cars, my challenger I've owned for about 45 yrs, so I was always buying sixpack "stuff" early on, filters being one of the items as they were usually hard to find, even when FRAM production was right in my town and family worked there!....the earliest dealer NOS filter I have I bought in the late 70's, the bevel around the holes is barely present, the holes measure approx .250-.255, and the inside screen is "square" in orientation, I also have some of the over the counter Fram CA332 usually sold by Sears/auto parts stores back in the day that I bought from the late 70's-early 80's that have the outer diamond shaped screen, they also have a "square" screen configuration on the inside as well.... I also have a few of the CA332V that Rick commissioned FRAM to make in the late 90's-early 2000's, those have a more pronounced bevel that measures approx .275-.280, the inside screen is a diamond shaped/orientation however, I also have a few of the current repros (offshore repros) the bevels on the holes vary (I'll assume the same tool degradation occurred as production ramped up) hole diameter is approx .280, interior screen is diamond orientation, although the offshores have gotten better the quality of orange plastisol is always a give-a-way .....

It's hard to judge your filter, as I'm sure there may have been many variables in FRAM's production facilities, whether it was Canadian or US production, but if I was buying what you've presented, I personally would think it's a CA332V stuffed into an old distributor's/warehouse box, that housed a "NOS" filter at on time.....there's guys that "collect/buy" old/NOS empty boxes for a reason...JMO


MikeG

Thank you very much, Mike. That is the best description of CA332 filters that I have ever seen. Thanks again.

Interesting topic. I have 3 filters. One came with 6 pack air cleaner and it has the V shaped outer screen with the square nylon mesh inner. I have a hemi air cleaner with the round holes and square mesh (picture), and this new in the box example that looks just like the box picture but oval. V outer and square mesh.

So are all assembly line filters round outer hole, or did the diagonal also come assembly line depending on time frame? Or is the diagonal the over-the-counter part?

The CA332 you have in the box with the "V" or "X" shaped screen and square inner hole mesh is the late 70s- early 80's replacement sold over the counter at NAPA/Sears/etc that I mentioned above in my post

MikeG