Which Oil Filter

[ofblong]

Ok on my honda I am given the following choices which supposedly will all work with my 1996 VT600CD Honda Shadow Deluxe VLX.

BOSCH……………………….3300
K&N………………………….KN-303
NAPA GOLD………………...1358
PUROLATOR……………….ML16817
STP…………………………...SDF13
WIX…………………………..51358
FRAM………………………..6017A
HASTINGS…………………..LF-113
HI FLO………………………HF-303
EMGO……………………….10-82220
PER-FORM…………………J-503

which ones do you guys recommend? I am thinking K&N or WIX. I know Napa Gold and Wix are the same company but I dont know about the rest and I was reading no on the FRAM filter.

[9000white]

i run the purolator filters on my hondas.
reasonably priced and supposed to be one of the better filters out there.

[ZooTech]

+1 on the Purolator.

The K&N is actually a poor filter with a $6.00 nut welded to it.

[ofblong]

well until the store that is being built opens here in a couple weeks the closest purolator dealer around me is a 2 hour drive.

[hot_shoe_cv]

I have been using the Super Tech from Walmart. As you can see from the chart below it is rated among the best at about $2 apiece. However not all Walmarts cannot stock this filter in every size. Good idea to check by phone first.

Oil Filter Options
List Applies To All Vulcan 800, 1500 & 1600 Engines
Link to Oil Change Tips Page

Note: The shorter 2.5" length is stock, 3.5" can be used after measuring to be sure your model has enough clearance. These filters can not be used on Vulcans that were subject to the factory oil filter recall and now have the canister style filter installed. That filter (until someone notifies me they've found a direct replacement someplace) Kawasaki is part number 99999-0032 which includes the oil filter element, relief valve and o-ring.

These Oil Filters have 20 x 1.5mm threads, 14 psi by-pass valve, anti-drain back valve, 2.3" O.D. gasket and are 2.5" to 3.5" long. ( in this case longer is definitely better 'if' you can get your oil filter wrench in the space.

A quick Gadget tip: Something you'll discover sooner or later (better sooner) it is actually simpler to reach and remove/install your oil filter from the left side of the bike. Check it out while you're removing the oil screen bolt.
Filters Specifically Marketed For Motorcycles
Highly Recommended Replacements
Here's Why Note the grading based on construction and filtering mediums

Kaw OEM # 16097-0004 (number supercedes 16097-1072 or 16097-1068 that your manual might show)

AC Delco PF2135
AMSOil SMF103
Carquest 85358
FRAM PH6017A
Honda 15410-MCJ-000
K&N KN-204, about $13. Metric nut on end for easy removal.
NAPA Gold 1358
Purolator ML16817. Imported, not made by Purolator.
STP SMO 17
WIX 51358
About 2.5 inches long (best if your goat belly (pre muffler) is still installed)


Purolator Pure One PL14612, about $6.
Mobil M1-108, about $12.
Made by Champion.
Bosch 3300, about $6.
Made by Champion.

About 3.25 inches long (better with aftermarket pipes or goat belly is bypassed and removed)


Purolator Pure One PL14610, about $6.
Mobil 1 M1-110, about $10 Made by Champion.
Bosch 3323, about $6.
Made By Champion.
WalMart SuperTech ST7317,
about $2. Made by Champion.

[hot_shoe_cv]

Well, that wasn't the link I wanted to post. I'll try to find the right one.

[hot_shoe_cv]

http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/FilterXRef.html

[mydlyfkryzis]

While the oil filter site has a lot of good info, not all of it is entirely accurate. In addition, some of his conclusions, while sounding reasonable, may not be as good or bad as he states it.

For instance, the purolator one filter has a drainback valve twice as thick as all the others. This, at first, sounds like a desirable feature. But is it? I don't know. But I have questions. Does a 2X thick valve really work better or more reliably than a thinner valve? Maybe. Maybe not. It the valve is supposed to be flexible, a thicker valve is less flexible. Without a test of the valve, mere thickness does not necessarily make it better.

Also, the drainback valve is not for keeping the dirty oil in the filter. It does this, but it is not the purpose. Any oil draining back to the oil pan will not get to the bearing, it has to return through the filter and oil pump. So it would just be filtered again anyway. The antidrainback valve is there to keep the filter filled with oil so that on start-up, you get oil pressure sooner. With a bad oil drainback valve, you would take a few more seconds to have oil pressure, shortening the life of the bearings.

Another place you can misjudge some of his results is on surface area. It seems that a larger surface area would be better, but as he mentions, the depth of the media is important. Also, filtering down to a smaller particle seems better. But small particles pass through the system without doing damage. A filter filtering really small particles clogs faster and will bypass dirty oil sooner. So the right filter will filter particles that cause damage and ignore the rest.

The criticism of filters with mismolded, ill fitting parts is valid to me. I do not like the fram filter and avoid it. But I am not sure if all of his criticisms of the other filters are entirely valid, or praise of some. It would be nice if someone actually tested these filters for filtering and bypass. Looks can be decieving. The best looking filter may not be best at all.

Just some "Caveat Emptor" (Latin: Let the buyer beware) on the article and the filters.

[jonnythan]

Basically, it's filled with meaningless data.

Show me data about actual effectiveness, actual reliability, and actual filtering ability. Data about surface area of the media and thickness of the anti-drainback valve don't necessarily translate in any way to anything meaningful.

[ofblong]

well I went with bosch because

1. I couldnt find the place that sells wix. I even had the address but coudlnt find it cause well there was no sign for the place.

2. it was either bosch, stp, fram, or mobil 1 cause the place that sells purolator is well only halfway done being constructed lol.