Purolator corporate b.s.

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dustyrains

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Someone recently posted the disclaimer from the Purolator website that tries to direct motorcyclists away from their Pure One product for use with motorcycles and towards their motorcycle specific product.

I went to Purolators website and copy/pasted that paragraph into an email to Purolator asking them to explain. What follows is the email thread with two of their employees.

From me to Katrina Hull:

May I interpret the disclaimer below, pasted from your website, to mean that your motorcycle filters are not as efficient as your auto filters? What exactly are the "specific needs of a bike", as opposed to an auto? Thanks for any help on this. Ron.

"If you're thinking you want to install a PureONE oil filter on your bike, please think again. PureONE oil filters are designed for vehicles, not bikes. Because of PureONE's high efficiency, the motorcycle oil pump may not be able to handle the pressure. The Purolator motorcycle filter line is designed to meet the specific needs of a bike; therefore we highly recommend the use of a Purolator ML filter over a PureONE oil filter."

From Katrina Hull to me and someone named Brian Crawford:

Hi Ron,

Thank you for your inquiry with Purolator. According to a couple of websites, the Purolator PureOne filter is the best filter for motorcycles, however, these filters are designed for only for cars and have never been tested on motorcycles. In this scenario, these filters will not have a warranty. I've read on a few sites about this situation and have read the statement "not responsible for any damage". This should make you leery of using the PureOne filter on our bike. One motorcycle mechanic summed it up by saying that PureOne filter is so restrictive, it may not be able to handle the pressure. We do have a line of Purolator filters that are the equivalent to the OE filters. All I would need is the year, make, model and engine size (cc's) of your bike. These filter's are found at Pep Boys and participating Advance Auto Part stores.

Brian,

Can you add to this concern please?

Thank you for your assistance.

From Brian Crawford to me and Katrina Hull:

Katrina,

You pretty much covered it. The main issue is non warranty using a PureOne in place of the motorcycle cross. The PureOnes are designed to meet requirements of passenger cars/ trucks. The varying engine designs from motorcycles to passenger cars is enough to require a separate product line.

Are there similarities, yes....but the specific crosses from autos to bikes may require something different. Some of these specific needs for example may be different OE requirements for a filter's burst pressure, initial restriction, and relief value settings.

Hope this helped.

Best regards,

Brian

Sr. Product Engineer, IAM Product Engineering | Purolator Filters NA LLC

3200 Natal St. | Fayetteville, NC 28306

I know a lot of the forum members including myself use the PureONE filter. The comments from Katrina Hull and Brian Crawford strike me as marketing bull. Neither one of them offers a solid, specific reason not to use the PureONE. Just vague statements designed to scare/steer bike owners to one of their other products. Does anyone know if their motorcycle filters cost the same or more than the PureONE?

 
I wouldn't say marketing bull, more cma bull. The engineer said it, the filters haven't been tested on a bike, so they're not going to warranty it. Makes sense to me, anything else and they are opening themselves up for a lawsuit.

 
They're not obligated to give you a reason.

They sell filters for cars.

They sell filters for motorcycles.

If one of their car filters happens to fit your lawnmower engine are they obligated to give you a reason for why you shouldn't use it on your lawnmower?

No.

 
Dunno. :dntknw:

It is possible that the filter media is very restrictive. Why an auto engine oil pump would generate higher pressure is questionable to me - the Feej has 4 cylinders, 16 valves, and a lubricated gearbox. Surely there are many oil passages and it has a high volume oil pump to match. But think about this - if the filter media is too restrictive, the bypass valve will open, rendering the filter less useful, or worse, technically non-existant.

I have used this filter, and the wally-world model for all my changeouts (every 1k miles or so, as you can tell I don't ride it enough). Reading that reply from a product engineer definitely gives me pause, though he has generalized *all* motorcycles. So, probably won't use it on the next round, to be honest.

Damn, first the beloved Synthetic Rotella T, now this!?! Is anything sacred anymore?

-BD

 
Dunno. :dntknw:
It is possible that the filter media is very restrictive. Why an auto engine oil pump would generate higher pressure is questionable to me - the Feej has 4 cylinders, 16 valves, and a lubricated gearbox. Surely there are many oil passages and it has a high volume oil pump to match. But think about this - if the filter media is too restrictive, the bypass valve will open, rendering the filter less useful, or worse, technically non-existant.

I have used this filter, and the wally-world model for all my changeouts (every 1k miles or so, as you can tell I don't ride it enough). Reading that reply from a product engineer definitely gives me pause, though he has generalized *all* motorcycles. So, probably won't use it on the next round, to be honest.

Damn, first the beloved Synthetic Rotella T, now this!?! Is anything sacred anymore?

-BD

7800 miles? You've spent more on oil and filters than gasoline! I'm just sayin'... when you gonna break that bike in? :lol: ;) :p

 
I have read the spring pressures are not the same on auto filters vs motorcycle filters somewhere. Can't remember what company or where. But makes sense to me. Like BrunDog said previous. But I have used the PureOne though with no issues but do I know it was really working correctly?.......PM. <>< :unsure:

 
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I've used PureOne filters for probably 40K of the 42K miles on my bike. No problems, no ticks, no exploding engine. Guess I'm living on the edge.

 
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Marketing? Probably, but who knows?

That's why I use the Yammie OEM filter. As Jestal once pointed out, the vehicle manufacturers spend a fair amount of time/$$$ to spec a filter spefically for that engine. Could be BS. But for a few $$$, it's worth the peace of mind for me.

 
I've used PureOne filters for probably 40K of the 42K miles on my bike. No problems, no ticks, no exploding engine. Guess I'm living on the edge.
Ohhhh ****.

Wait to you hit 47361 miles! Then, all matter of **** will hit the fan in your engine! Cats and dogs, living together kind of stuff I say!

:****:

 
I still have 8 14612's to use... :unsure:

I will not be buying anymore of those filters... Have you seen the baby **** yellow? :puke:

All jokes aside, The FJR community as a whole have used thousands of these filters with no known issues... I don't think we have anything to worry about besides the ****** yellow. :rolleyes:

 
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Has anyone put a pressure gage on the FJR? I would think the pumping pressure would be in line with that of a car. Aren't the oil pressures of four bangers in the same ballpark for a V-8? Viscosity is viscosity, right? Volume demands may be different, but that would more effect flow rates.

 
I got tired of changing my oil filter so I hollowed out one of those pretty yellow Pure One tins and stuck it on there. I'll never have to buy another oil filter. ;)

 
I've used PureOne filters for probably 40K of the 42K miles on my bike. No problems, no ticks, no exploding engine. Guess I'm living on the edge.
Ohhhh ****.

Wait to you hit 47361 miles! Then, all matter of **** will hit the fan in your engine! Cats and dogs, living together kind of stuff I say!

:****:
dustyrains: Groo and GalaxyBlue know a lot about our machines and their high mileage on their personal FJR's is very reassuring using a Pure One is not detrimental to your Yamaha. However, my illegitimate ******* son SG is always harping on me about using the OEM filter, so my 2003 Miss Lucy Liu has only ran the stock Yammie filters for her 40K+ sweet miles.

Off thread comments to Doofus: Are you packed for Mexico yet? Have you done a pre-ride check on GSJane's BMW; adjusted the chain, etcetera? Did you get dates properly changed on your Mexican Insurance? Did you contact Ensenada San Felipe hotels and get correct dates confirmed? Stop jerking off here and get ready for Mexico: El Pendejo Grande!!!

 
The comments from Katrina Hull and Brian Crawford strike me as marketing bull. Neither one of them offers a solid, specific reason not to use the PureONE.
Oh he sure did.

[SIZE=12pt][/SIZE]

According to a couple of websites, the Purolator PureOne filter is the best filter for motorcycles, however, these filters are designed for only for cars and have never been tested on motorcycles. In this scenario, these filters will not have a warranty

If for some strange reason the PureOne fails on your bike, your going to be S.O.L. as far as Purolator is concerned.

That's the only thing the company is trying to alert you to.

I think that's a very wise move from Purolator. They are trying to protect you.

 
I can't understand why anyone would try and save $4 or $5 on an oil filter, when they spend around $12,000 to buy the bike. Doesn't make sense. What are you gonna save over the life of the bike? $100 or $200 dollars. For what, to risk engine failure on a filter not designed for motorcycles.

If your cheap, seems to me there are better things that are less risky to be cheap about. Tires anyone??? ;)

 
If your cheap, seems to me there are better things that are less risky to be cheap about.
I don't think folks use the pure one because it's cheap, they use it because the pure one is supposed to be the best. It just happens to be cheaper than the OEM.

 
Just protecting their perceived potential problems. Apparently they haven't tested their filters on a m/c and don't know what problems they might have. That said, I couldn't help but wonder who would ever sue a maker of oil filters?

 
In the early '80s, Honda sent out a tech bulletin to dealers warning them of using "too restrictive" (read: filters too well...) oil filters on their motorcycles of the day. In fact, some Honda models had the oil-filter part # changed for that model (one suspects a less restrictive filter?). Notably, the 6-cyl. CBX models, among others.

At issue, sometimes -- and especially with filter leak-down, is getting proper oil supply to the cams and followers upon start-up (it can be a rather long way from the sump (and pump) to the top of the cyl. head -- especially on cold start-up and with high viscosity (thick) oil (now add-in an especially restrictive oil filter) and problems may ensue?

Manufacturers have attempted to side-step this issue by casting-in oil pockets in the heads for the cam-lobes to dip into.

And, at the time Honda's filter tech bulletin was issued another, similar, tech bulletin advised dealers/shops to stay away from overly-viscous motor oils for many of the same reasons.

 
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