oil filter

[ManagerMike]

Just an FYI crew, Napa carries our oil filter, part number PS4933 (PFI line code). No more shipping charges, my price (master installer) is $4.50 and comes with new O-rings.

[DGXSER]

I'll have to check at the local Auto parts store. They used to have the Fram one on the shelf.

[motoman]

Glad you found that out for replacement filter.........NAPA has always had this filter from the bikes conception back in 78.........

[jetmechmarty]

CARQUEST has it too. It's made by WIX. Same as NAPA. IMHO, Fram is crap.

[skids]

CARQUEST has it too. It's made by WIX. Same as NAPA. IMHO, Fram is crap.

I see nothing wrong with the Fram filters. I tried STP filters once and when I removed it it crumbled into pieces!!!

[WMarshy]

CARQUEST has it too. It's made by WIX. Same as NAPA. IMHO, Fram is crap.

I don't understand how anyone can make that statement... their all I've ever used in all my vehicles and I've never had a bad experience with them... Ive never seen any proof of filtration efficiency on any brand of filters so how does one choose what filter is better than another?

[CatatonicBug]

their all I've ever used in all my vehicles and I've never had a bad experience with them...

Same here. I will drive across town to a different store if the store I'm in doesn't have the correct Fram filter. I have absolutely no evidence to back up my brand loyalty, other than the fact that they're all I've ever used, and what my dad used when I was a kid.

[jetmechmarty]

Fram

Let's look at the filter for our bike. Take the OEM filter. Take it apart and stretch the element out. Do the same with FRAM. The element will be shorter. There are fewer pleats in it. Do the same with a WIX filter. It might be twice as long as the OEM. It's more filter!

I've done this with the automotive filters. The WIX filter has nice metal caps on each end of the filament and a heavy spring holding it all together. The FRAM spring is a folded over piece of sheet metal and the caps are paper. CHEAP!

Those oil change places usually put a filter in your car that cost them $.50. The NAPA GOLD for the same car might cost you $7.00.

Take what I say "with a grain of salt", because I'm not an engineer working in this field. It's just my opinion and I've told you why.

It's WIX for me, in all of my vehicles.

[crazy steve]

CARQUEST has it too. It's made by WIX. Same as NAPA. IMHO, Fram is crap.

I gotta go with Marty on this one. Don't believe us.... look here:
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/index.html

While these are car filters, I find it hard to believe that they would put any more quality into bike filters. I've come to the conclusion that for most items, quality is inversely proportional to the amount of advertising you see for it...

[natemoen]

I am with Marty and Steve. NO FRAM for me! I have done the same things with oil filers as Marty said and I have found the same things. Fram might not fail but they are not quality.

[DGXSER]

Well, here is they way I look at it. Lets compare it to something everyone (well, most everyone anyway) deals with, the filter in your house furnace/ac unit. Now, you can spend alot of money and get what is called a HEPA filter. It will filter your houses air down to .3 microns. Compare that with a standard pleated style filter which the good ones catch down to maybe 3 microns. Now realize the avg human hair is about 30 microns in diameter.

Do I purchase and use a HEPA filter in my home? No, because the pleated filter gets out all the contaminants I need it to for my home to be a relatively clean healthy place to live and raise my family.

So, will I spend the extra for the filter made to last years, and with all that extra filter area to catch smaller stuff? No I would not, not condemning those that do, just putting it into perspective. IMO, the filter will be tossed into the bin in a few months tops, so being made to last longer than that is pointless, and my experience with engines to date has shown the filtration provided by the FRAMs of the world will capture enough of the particles to keep my engines happy for a couple hundred thousand miles or so, which all the longer I tend to need them.

Not looking to kick anyone in the short and curlies, just putting things into perspective.

[CatatonicBug]

Well, here is they way I look at it. Lets compare it to something everyone (well, most everyone anyway) deals with, the filter in your house furnace/ac unit. Now, you can spend alot of money and get what is called a HEPA filter. It will filter your houses air down to .3 microns. Compare that with a standard pleated style filter which the good ones catch down to maybe 3 microns. Now realize the avg human hair is about 30 microns in diameter.

Do I purchase and use a HEPA filter in my home? No, because the pleated filter gets out all the contaminants I need it to for my home to be a relatively clean healthy place to live and raise my family.

So, will I spend the extra for the filter made to last years, and with all that extra filter area to catch smaller stuff? No I would not, not condemning those that do, just putting it into perspective. IMO, the filter will be tossed into the bin in a few months tops, so being made to last longer than that is pointless, and my experience with engines to date has shown the filtration provided by the FRAMs of the world will capture enough of the particles to keep my engines happy for a couple hundred thousand miles or so, which all the longer I tend to need them.

Not looking to kick anyone in the short and curlies, just putting things into perspective.

Very good point.

In fact, the HVAC repair guys that have looked at my house furnace in the past have always told me to stay away from the more expensive filters, as they reduce air flow and put stress on the fans. They always suggest that I use the 30-day filters that look like a REALLY thin scotch-brite pad, and change them often.

Since we generally do the same with our bikes (changing the filters often), I can't see how spending more $ on a filter will do any different for oil in my engine than it will for air in my home.

[dbeardslee]

The little spring loaded gizmo inside the filter housing bolt is there in case the filter gets clogged. It's a pressure valve that allows the oil to bypass the filter if it gets clogged. That being said, mine never stay in long enough to really get dirty. The manual says to change the oil every 3k and the filter every 6k. I change them both every 2k miles, and I'm not real picky about the filters I use - they're just not going to be in there long enough for the length of the filter element to make a difference. If I was going to try and wring 6k miles out of them it might be a bit more critical.

[natemoen]

It not nececarrily the fact that the filtering media filters larger or smaller particles, its the fact that there is a larger surface area for the oil to pass through. Kinda like this vvvvvvvvv in comparison to this \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ double the height of the pleats and you double the surface area for the oil to pass through.

[WMarshy]

That is a good point...

How much do the Wix filters cost. The fram's I've been getting cost almost $5. I didn't even know if other mnufactures still made filters for our bikes. Got part numbers for them?