Aftermarket Oil Filters

[FJrider1]

NAPA Gold 1356 — reportedly will not seal!

I can attest to this! Almost had a garage floor full of NEW Mobile 1!

(I was ready for it after hitting the start button...) :angry:

 

[Constant Mesh]

The WalMart SuperTech filters are a Champion Laboratories product. The SuperTech filters use the same numbering scheme as the Fram products -- cross referencing made easy.

Champion makes the following:

SuperTech -- 20 micron filtration, thinnest can metal

STP -- 20 micron filtration, thin metal can

Bosch -- 15 micron filtration, thicker metal can

Mobil 1 -- 10 micron filtration, thickest metal can

The backflow valve material may be different for the various filters.

 

[shuswaper]

...you might be interested what MarK Lawrence has to say: "Oil Filters come basically in three qualities. Very good, with excellent filtration; normal; and really incredibly bad. This last category, really incredibly bad, should obviously be avoided. Accordingly, never use a Fram, Pennzoil, Penske, Castrol, or Quaker State oil filter in any motor you like. All of these filters are made by Fram. " :assasin:

 

[Constant Mesh]

The oil filter commentary is generally much ado about nothing. Fram has the largest share of the oil filter market in the U.S. If their products were so inadequate it would have failed as a business many years ago.

Just about any auto parts store you visit, Fram products will have a large portion of the shelf space.

While some have cut open and studied many different filters and had negative comments about Fram construction materials I've not seen any conclusive proof that using Fram filters causes any premature engine wear or problems. The other filters just appear to be better. Truth is though, they are all more than adequate for attaining a long, trouble-free engine life.

Even Yamaha doesn't seem very concerned about oil filters. They recommend changing the oil every 4,000 miles and filters every 8,000 miles. So, it would seem that Yamaha doesn't anticipate there will be much debris in the oil for the filter to catch and hold.

How can anyone overly concerned about oil filters use an auto engine filter not recommended for motorcycle use by the filter manufacturer?

 

[C&C]

I agree with Contant Mesh. You really don't see many/any oil filter related failures(I'm sure there is an exception and I'm also sure that they aren't proportionally higher with FRAM). The more important item to be aware about is using the correct oil at recommended intervals. It wasn't too long ago when bikes didn't have filters and the oil change was the biggest weapon in keeping your bike running; still is. IMHO

 

[FJRMGM]

I use a Wix GL14610 from O'Reilly Auto Parts. It's the Purolator cross-ref number.

It's black in color.

 

[raclow]

Great Info here. Thank you for the suggestions. Yamaha filters run $11.62 in my area. I know you don't have to change them every week but it is always good to know about the "just as good" alternatives.

 

[Fallen Jim Rides again]

The oil filter commentary is generally much ado about nothing. Fram has the largest share of the oil filter market in the U.S. If their products were so inadequate it would have failed as a business many years ago.
Just about any auto parts store you visit, Fram products will have a large portion of the shelf space.

While some have cut open and studied many different filters and had negative comments about Fram construction materials I've not seen any conclusive proof that using Fram filters causes any premature engine wear or problems. The other filters just appear to be better. Truth is though, they are all more than adequate for attaining a long, trouble-free engine life.

Even Yamaha doesn't seem very concerned about oil filters. They recommend changing the oil every 4,000 miles and filters every 8,000 miles. So, it would seem that Yamaha doesn't anticipate there will be much debris in the oil for the filter to catch and hold.

How can anyone overly concerned about oil filters use an auto engine filter not recommended for motorcycle use by the filter manufacturer?

Ya know, I am having trouble disagreeing with this.

Back in the day, I built up a '74 Challenger.

Used nothing but Quaker State at breakin and Valvoline most of the engines life. And no filter other than Fram. Had to do a tear down around 50000 miles (broke a dip stick in the oil pan and despite much assurance that it wasn't possible the oil pump pulled it off the pan floor and through the sump screen and . . . . ) Any way, that engine looked exactly the way it did the day I sealed it up. So clean that you couldn't tell that it had been broken in, never mind 50000 very hard miles ( I broke three 727-a torgueflites with it ).

I don't use Fram any more, but that it largly because of community info and I know that their anti drain back valve simply doesn't work, at least not for a 3.5 liter V6.

Still, I have become a fan of purolator in much the same way I have been a fan of Autolite for 30+ years. Because it just works a little better.

Rad? Jestal?

 

[Bounce]

This'd be a great time for Jestal to step to the plate. Unfortunately I think he's gone. IIRC he even went so far as to go back to every post he ever submitted and edit out the content.

 

[radman]

This'd be a great time for Jestal to step to the plate. Unfortunately I think he's gone. IIRC he even went so far as to go back to every post he ever submitted and edit out the content.

No, he's popped into a few threads, most notably the Wilbers buy. He doesn't seem to be in a hurry to enter the tech side anymore however.

 

[shuswaper]

Good point Fallen Jim., besides the build quality of oil filters in terms of anti-drain back valves as you mentioned, what has caught my attention most of all, is the filter media and how small a particle size can be caught. I think it matters not whether a filter is auto or motorcycle specific...that ultimately will be determined by physical constraints (fitment in another word) and the size of the engine. The principals of internal combustion (gasoline only) are the same in terms of keepin oil clean, whether the engine is under a hood of a Honda si or between the frame rails of of a CBR. What matters is how robust a construction has taken place re: anti-drain and bypass valves, and seals. As well, actual surface area of filter media; volume of flow; and minimum micron size are critically important to the quality of work done. In many cases, to the average commuter, it doesn`t matter what brand of filter or oil they`ve got. All they care about is when they turn the key...it starts. But when it comes to more exotic forms of machinery like todays bikes, I think it behooves us to pay more attention to oil and filter development given the ever tighter tolerances being utilized by bike makers these days. Case in point: the premature valve guide wear issue on pre 06 FJRs...apparently caused by seals doing too good a job resulting in oil starvation. Who would have thunk it? :assasin:

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

radman  Posted on Jan 18 2006, 11:17 AM
QUOTE (Bounce @ Jan 18 2006, 09:21 AM)

This'd be a great time for Jestal to step to the plate. Unfortunately I think he's gone. IIRC he even went so far as to go back to every post he ever submitted and edit out the content.

No, he's popped into a few threads, most notably the Wilbers buy. He doesn't seem to be in a hurry to enter the tech side anymore however.

Yep, "Technical Discussions" can be a pretty rough place -- especially if you actually do know something (which I usually don't). It seems "conventional wisdom" is often(?) much more palatable and digestable....?

 

[nusman68]

I'm a waiter so I don't know yet how much the Yamaha filter costs. Is it so bad that you need to go to Wal-Mart?

+1

I've never understood the rationale of putting the cheapest possible filter on an expensive engine..

I suppose if you were changing it weekly the savings would add up, but invariably these questions arise to quality, who 'really' manufactures the filter, etc. If there is any question at all, why risk it? It seems some people want to believe that their inexpensive filter is the same quality as someone elses pricier one and feel compelled to prove it. Whatever. I doubt anyone here will be swayed from their current choice, just like motor oil... <_<

 

[radman]

I use the Pure1 and Mobil 1 for totally unjustifiable reasons, simply because I like the best in my machines. All my machines. The best rarely costs more, and even then not much more. I change it ridiculously often because it gives me something to do and makes me feel good doing it.

Years ago I had to change plugs and points and cap and rotor and change oil and filter on the hot rods nearly every other week it seemed, and they always ran better when I was done than when I began. This is a hard habit to break, as I did it for years and years. FI and electronics and modern lubes notwithstanding, they still run better when I'm done than when I started, even if only in my small, old mind.

It's a Karma thing................

 

[slapnpop]

only in my small, old mind.

That's the most accurate and easy to understand statement radman's ever made!

*rimshot*

 

[yamahlr]

Guys, watch for this special @ Auto Zone. 5 qts of Mobile1 and a Mobile 1 filter for $29.95. They have run it a couple times since last fall and you can't beat the price. Had to argue w/ the mgr. to get the MX4T oil, as he initially said it wasn't included in the sale, but upon close examination of the sale flyer, there were no oil type exclusions so he had to get it for me (the MX4T wasn't in stock). If I remember correctly, the Mobile1 filter is a M1-110 and it is a stock item.

 

[dave10450]

In the past I've given this oil filter stuff some thought (too much I might add). One of my conclusions was that, in general:

High filtration = low flow rate

Low filtration = high flow rate

Under a heavy throttle is the oil going through the filter? Depends on the flow rate of the filter. My concern with these filters that filtrate down to 10 microns is they have low flow rates. If you ride hard chances are there are times when the oil is not getting filtered so the fact that you have a filter that filters down to 10 microns doesn't mean much.

The trick is to find a good compromise. Decent filtration with high flow rates. It's a tradeoff. At this point, I said screw it and have just stayed with the Yamaha filter.

 

[sparky3008]

I have seen that on the dirt bikes they have a majority of guys that use oil filters like Scotts.

Sport/Street bikes seem to stick with the regular throw away kind.

The only difference I can see is that many dirt bike guys change their oil after almost every ride and cleaning out a Scott's become financially smart.

For someone that does it only every 3-5 thousand a cheap oil filter is quick and easy.

Same thing with the air filters, cleaning and reoiling is norm on dirt.

Many on street just use the replaceable kind...

Take it for what it's worth... 2cents

 

[raclow]

Dave and Sparky: Thank you for the input.

There is a lot of information being provided here. I appreciate everyone's responses and help with this question.