Oil Filters for Hexheads

[TGA57589]

I for one am not impressed with the oil filter prices for my R1200RT. I have done some research on the issue and have come up with some information and would like to share more with other frugal R12 people. It seems the oriinal euipment short oil filter is a MANN MW-75 for which at this time is about $17-18 at the dealer. I have found that K&N makes a # 164 for about $14-15. I have been researching WIX and a few foreign car filter makers for an answer. I know this may sound like I'm cheap but this is ridiculous for what you have to pay for something that is such a small item. The only reasonable place I have found so far if I must get OEM is Beemer Boneyard. If anyone has any reasonable findings, please post them.

 

[SUEME]

14$ Grassroots BMW Cape Girardeau Mo..

 

[ANDYVH]

WIX makes good filters, as does Bosch, NAPA and others. There are good articles about filter choices on the net. Some people feel $18 for a filter from the dealer is reasonable given the bike they are riding and its cost at over $16 large ones.

Others, like me, feel $18 for a filter is too much. I've had no problems (126,000+ miles) on my 94 R1100RS while using Purolator PureOne filters or Bosch filters. I regularly pay $5 to $8 for my filters and can get them at any of the major auto supplies retailers while doing shopping for other goods. However, I will put any Fram products in my bike.

Your choice, your money.

 

[GregoryT]

I'm sorry I don't have anything cheaper to offer, but I think if you spend about 18 bucks on an oil filter every 3 to 6,000 miles wouldn't put you in a poor-house. Consider that. You have a enough money to buy yourself a 18 to 22 grand motorcycle than spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars to customize your ride. You are crying about an $18 oil filter?
You mentioned about different brands of oil filters, they are like everything else, you can buy them cheap, or you can buy OEM. But, the difference lies in quality.
Don't compare cheaply made automotive style pureolator filter to a BMW motorcycle filter. If you don't believe me, open up both of them and checkout what they are made of, and the quality of material. It would speak for itself.
Not to mention, that oil pressure check-valve, which is built into a filter itself is set up totally different. Happy hunting for bargains! I'll stay with my OEM filters.

-Gregory Turek

 

[thtduck]

I like the black one

If I found an alternate filter on a parts shelf I would use it. Wouldn't go out of my way for an approx $10 - $15/year savings though. It's really a deal buying my BMW filter from the dealer because I get to see the new eye candy for free.

Every 6000 miles and doing the service myself the black BMW oil filter is not that much. Plus they tape the little crush washer to the box for free so I don't lose it.

 

[kbasa]

Not to be too pointed, but when you spend $20K on a bike, how can you complain about $2 on a filter?

 

[The_Veg]

The cheepest part on a BMW is the rider.

 

[TGA57589]

I plan to cut a stock filter open to see what the check valve looks like. I agree with the spending of 20-22k on a BMW an oil filter price shouldn't be a problem. What I do know is companies like WIX made almost all of NAPA's filters for quite a few years. The problem I see is Mann filters makes the filter for BMW and it seems quite hard to find a dealer who sells Mann in the US. I like to keep things on hand for sevice for my cars and the motorcycle so I just wanted to find if there was a good LIKE replacement. So I now see the best place to get my filters will be Beemer Boneyard since they offer the Mann filter which is what BMW uses as OEM. This filter stuff aint rocket science, the big deal IS the check valve and I haven't opened one up yet but I intend to.

Just fell off the turnip truck...

I have to laugh how it looks cheap to price shop, I worked with a guy who asked why I shopped at a discount store for some food items so, I asked him if he went to a name brand gas station for gas or if he went to a convenience store that was .10 a gallon cheaper than name brand? I was told to go &*%$ myself that I was being a wiseass?

 

[bmwdean]

I'm sorry I don't have anything cheaper to offer, but I think if you spend about 18 bucks on an oil filter every 3 to 6,000 miles wouldn't put you in a poor-house. Consider that. You have a enough money to buy yourself a 18 to 22 grand motorcycle than spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars to customize your ride. You are crying about an $18 oil filter?
-Gregory Turek

What he said.

I remember one post years back when someone complained that a crush washer cost 50 cents. Huh? Sheesh, with inflation that could be 60 cents now!

The cheepest part on a BMW is the rider.

What he said.

 

[The_Veg]

And maybe after spending $18-22K on a bike, these guys are now broke.

 

[DARKCLOUD]

I plan to cut a stock filter open to see what the check valve looks like. I agree with the spending of 20-22k on a BMW an oil filter price shouldn't be a problem. What I do know is companies like WIX made almost all of NAPA's filters for quite a few years. The problem I see is Mann filters makes the filter for BMW and it seems quite hard to find a dealer who sells Mann in the US. I like to keep things on hand for sevice for my cars and the motorcycle so I just wanted to find if there was a good LIKE replacement. So I now see the best place to get my filters will be Beemer Boneyard since they offer the Mann filter which is what BMW uses as OEM. This filter stuff aint rocket science, the big deal IS the check valve and I haven't opened one up yet but I intend to.

Just fell off the turnip truck...

I have to laugh how it looks cheap to price shop, I worked with a guy who asked why I shopped at a discount store for some food items so, I asked him if he went to a name brand gas station for gas or if he went to a convenience store that was .10 a gallon cheaper than name brand? I was told to go &*%$ myself that I was being a wiseass?

I have several aftermarket BMW filters, including the correct Fram filter the 6063. If you'd be interested in disassembling the filters and posting pictures let me know.

JON

 

[jimvonbaden]

Just an FYI, the stock and aftermarket alternative filters from the R1100/1150 will fit and work. There are many who use them, and some as cheap as $5 each or less.

I wont attest to their complete suitability, but hundreds of thousands of miles have been done on them.

Here is the list I have:

Oil filters:
FRAM is the correct FRAM but hard to find at WallyWorld. PH6063
FRAM is readily available and works PH3614
AC DELCO PF-53
NAPA 1348
Mobil-1 M1-102
BMW 11.42-1 460 843 or 845
Mahle/knecht/microstar/tecafiltre (original part) OC91
Champion (of motorcycle range) C301
Purflux LS188B
Tech9 (France only, made by Mahle in fact) n??16
Hiflofiltro (from Thailand) HF-163
Mann-Hummel MW712
Detlev Louis (Germany) 10050195
Toyota 08922-02004 or 90915-YZZB9
Perf-form (on www.perf-form.com)
BMW-1
UFI makes one too (italian)
Donit (www-motobins.co.uk) 43 10 133
For After May, '97, 1100RT
Purolator P/N11421460845
AMSOIL SMF122
Bosch 3330
WalMart ST3614
Purolator L00241
AC PF53


Jim

 

[TGA57589]

Okay, so now we have come to the conclusion I am broke and can't afford a BMW oil filter for my $20k RT. Well fact of the matter is...I buy gas at convenience store not knowing who refines it...Why do you ask? Because it is a bit cheaper than the Name Brand stations...Does this ring a bell? I was thinking for a while that this was pretty cool how guys will come to each other's aide by revealing info how we did this or that with our BMW machines. I'm really fine with the posting of some that only believe the BMW store know's the true answer for any BMW related issue.

I have a confession to make too, I take my tire changes to a guy locally that does 99% all Harley work but, he charges me $20 to mount and balance MY tire bought elsewhere. So, why do I go look around for a deal? I paid $256 for my 600mi. service for my new RT which included an oil change and rear end gear change. What me shop around for a deal for anything?

I make fun of this because I loved my '96 RT and love my '2007 even more by the day but I do have my spending limits and I am Pennsylvania Dutch which, for those of you that don't know what that is I'll explain..CHEAP!

 

[The_Veg]

FWIW TGA, I'm with you here- my comment about brokeness was merely an attempt at humour.

And I'm not of the opinion that something with the BMW name on it is the be-all, end-all of engineering. BMW do not make oil filters, and oil filters are not designed specifically for any particular engine. Just like bearings and seals, oil filters are designed to various specifications and enough different specs are available that an engine designer can easily pick one out that will work well with the engine.
While you can't go wrong using the BMW filter, the idea that you can't go right using anything else is pure lunacy, and the passionate statements of such preferences I read here whenever such topics arise strike me as pure snobbery.

But the rub is that nobody seems to know for sure EXACTLY which other-brand filters are compatible.
I'd bet dollars to drain-plugs that anything that physically fits will do the job of filtering well within specs, but that leaves the matter of bypass-pressure. In the name of science, as soon as my bike needs an oil-change I will dissect the old filter and see what I can learn about the bypass valve. I also then will purchase some physically compatible filters and see if I can determine whether or not their bypass valves are made to similar specs to the BMW-branded item. I'd wager that at least one of them is.
Here's where I need a suggestion: Assuming that the bypass valves use springs to do their thing, what's the best way to measure the force of a spring? I'm envisioning putting the spring on a scale and taking the reading with the spring compressed to a certain measurement. Anybody got a better idea?

 

[pglaves]

I love questions for which there is no single answer.

I can say with assurance that the BMW OEM filters are reasonable quality and do the job. I can also say with absolute confidence that some of the filters you can buy which will screw on correctly are complete crap and inadequate.

The big problem is making a sound decision about which aftermarket filter is as good as the BMW filter and which ones are not. I have recently read that Wix, Purolator, Mann, and at least two other manufacturers I forget are the ones that really make the BMW filters. I suspect this changes over time as BMW changes suppliers, and maybe is different for different filter types. I don't claim to know.

I have seen some "tests" which are really observations about various filters on the Internet Some of these pages seem reasonable. Some scream bias and self interest so loudly I want to turn my computer off, cancel my DSL, and read fiction books.

I have been using Bosch filters lately on our Oilheads. I still use the unpainted OEM filters in our K75s because I haven't figured out how well the paint fares buried in the oil sump.

I've got some OEM and old Purolator Airhead filters. Haven't found a good substitute for the OEM one for our F650s. (I know I should scour the Chaingang site - somebody has, I've sure).

Spec's are tricky. Given the closed end down orientation of the filters on Oilhead, Hexhead, and traditional K bike filters the anti-drainback valve feature isn't critical, but the bypass pressure relief valve pressure is. And of course the filtering media is, as well as overall construction to prevent collapse of the media.

While I adhere to neither the "only OEM" nor the "big bucks is better" philosophies, one thing I have learned in life is "real cheap is probably real cheap."

 

[pglaves]

Here's where I need a suggestion: Assuming that the bypass valves use springs to do their thing, what's the best way to measure the force of a spring? I'm envisioning putting the spring on a scale and taking the reading with the spring compressed to a certain measurement. Anybody got a better idea?

Measuring the spring only works if the "valve" (probably a ball) obstructs an orifice of the same size. You are looking at a pressure at which it releases which is a composite of both the spring linear tension and the area of the orifice blocked.

 

[deilenberger]

I'd also comment on The_Veg's comment - that BMW doesn't make oil filters.

True - they don't - but they have been know to work with manufacturers of parts used on their engines and come up with unique designs.. the oil filters appear to be one of these designs since while you'll find other filter manufacturer's doing a cross-reference and telling you they have one that fits - in the case of Purolator and I believe Fram - the one they tell you to use is ONLY spec'd for BMW bikes.. and is made in Europe.

The people telling you to use some automotive filter on your bike are likely making assumptions based on size/thread/whatever that close is good enough. I would argue that close isn't good enough, or BMW would have used an off-the-shelf filter. I've never seen one of these recommendations that went much beyond "Well - it screwed on OK, and the bike hasn't blown up.." (yet..)

Until someone can provide me with proof that the automotive filter they're suggesting to use meets all the flow requirements, bypass pressure, particle capture size and built quality of the BMW filter - I'll continue my wastrel ways and pay BMW for filters. Sometimes being a spendthrift results in saving $$$. And if your bike is under warranty, and you have engine problems - use of an automotive filter would give BMW excellent and justifiable grounds to deny you warranty coverage.

YMMV - and it gets close to a religious thing - but for sure BMW filters are compatible with the engines they're made for - can't say that for certain on the automotive filters people have advocated using.

 

[FredRydr]

While you can't go wrong using the BMW filter, the idea that you can't go right using anything else is pure lunacy, and the passionate statements of such preferences I read here whenever such topics arise strike me as pure snobbery.

No, just practicality. The BMW dealer is 5 miles away, I get a discount, the part will be up to spec, and if anything is amiss it'll be BMW and the dealer who has to make amends. It's lunacy to waste time and fuel running all over the place to save two bucks. Wal-Mart is further than the dealer, anyway.

Show how to save hundreds or thousands on parts and then you'll get my attention. How about testing an aftermarket rear, instead?

Fred
'07 R1200R

 

[burnszilla]

I bought 5 filters online at Chicago BMW and got 20% off and no tax.
PN Description Qty UnitCost Extended Cost
11427673541 OIL FILTER S 5 $12.08 $60.40
SubTotal $60.40
Tax $0.00
Total before Handling $60.40
Handling $handling
Total with Handling $68.15 = $13.63 per oil filter.

 

[The_Veg]

Great points guys. I was firing from the hip so to speak, although I still don't see the 'religious' value that often gets brought into these debates.

I do still think though that finding substitutes is a worthwhile project (although not an urgent one). Let's say your filter (exposed on the bottom of the bike) gets damaged someplace hundreds of miles from the nearest Temple Of BMW...

And on a purely humourous note, I'd like to know how many oil-changes Burnzy did before Chi-BMW actually shipped his filters, based on my experiences with those guys.