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Generic oil filter

BMW has OFFICIALLY approved using ANY filter from ANY manufacturer in their motorcycles under TWO conditions. First, you must send a payment of $20 for each non-Roundel marked filter you install on a Roundel-bearing vehicle. Note: This is not a one-time charge, but must be paid at EACH filter change. Second, you must sign a release that relieves BMW from any warranty responsibility whatsoever, INCLUDING the engine and rear differential.
hump.gif


BMWWorship.gif
 
flash412 said:
BMW has OFFICIALLY approved using ANY filter from ANY manufacturer in their motorcycles under TWO conditions. First, you must send a payment of $20 for each non-Roundel marked filter you install on a Roundel-bearing vehicle. Note: This is not a one-time charge, but must be paid at EACH filter change. Second, you must sign a release that relieves BMW from any warranty responsibility whatsoever, INCLUDING the engine and rear differential.
hump.gif


BMWWorship.gif
Click to expand...

Gee I guess I owe them $400.
 
Filter again

Some people do not have dealers 2 blocks down the street. Try 250 miles. Please do not tell me to go to Bob, Fred, Dave, Jack BMW and order online. Some folks just want to go and pick a good filter at the auto part store.
 
bikerfish1100 said:
alex, can you not see the filter core of pleated paper that is about 2x as dense as the Fram filter? think maybe there's a good part fo the weight?
Click to expand...

Yes, I've noticed that. Also, more surface area makes for a longer lived filter.

But filter media is lightweight and doesn't really add to the weight worth talking about.

Notice the filter media end caps though. The ones in the BMW filter are more substantial and are metal from what I can tell. The Fram filter media seems to be bonded to what looks like a cardboard end cap.

As for the BMW filter element, an O-ring (not shown) would need to sit atop that metal end cap and it looks like there is a groove for one. It would create the seal between the "in" and "out" going flows of the oil filter mount. The BMW spring would keep the filter pressed against the seal from the looks of it.

I would assume the bottom end caps of both filters would have a by-pass valve.

A BMW oil filter I just peered into also has a plastic plate within the filter element. I wonder what its purpose is?

There is no question that the Fram filter, as far is construction quality is concerned, is relatively cheap. Remember Fram's "Pay me now or pay me later" slogan? Sort of like Ford's "Quality is Job 1" slogan. When you have to advertize it..well you know the rest.

Maybe KBasa can get into the material and construction details, if he is the one who split those filters and took the pics.
 
GlobalRider said:
Yes, I've noticed that. Also, more surface area makes for a longer lived filter.

But filter media is lightweight and doesn't really add to the weight worth talking about.

Notice the filter media end caps though. The ones in the BMW filter are more substantial and are metal from what I can tell. The Fram filter media seems to be bonded to what looks like a cardboard end cap.

As for the BMW filter element, an O-ring (not shown) would need to sit atop that metal end cap and it looks like there is a groove for one. It would create the seal between the "in" and "out" going flows of the oil filter mount. The BMW spring would keep the filter pressed against the seal from the looks of it.

I would assume the bottom end caps of both filters would have a by-pass valve.

A BMW oil filter I just peered into also has a plastic plate within the filter element. I wonder what its purpose is?

There is no question that the Fram filter, as far is construction quality is concerned, is relatively cheap. Remember Fram's "Pay me now or pay me later" slogan? Sort of like Ford's "Quality is Job 1" slogan. When you have to advertize it..well you know the rest.

Maybe KBasa can get into the material and construction details, if he is the one who split those filters and took the pics.
Click to expand...

I got those photos off a site where a guy was comparing oil filters. http://www.tobycreek.org/oil_filters/

Worth reading, IMHO.
 
GlobalRider said:
Thanks!!!

Sure enough and I quote...

"If anything, the Fram will show you how NOT to build a high performance oil filter. Notice that the endcaps are cardboard".
Click to expand...


It appeared to be the only manufacturer that used cardboard, as well. In the text, the author describes a Fram failure that resulted in bits of cardboard floating around in the engine of his car.

:eek
 
filters

I guess I am in trouble my motor is going to blow up. !97,000 miles(97 R1100RT) and I change my oil when my lazy a?? gets around to it. Somewhere between 4500 and 6500 miles. What type of ridding I do and I always chage the filter. But the last 7 or 8 times I have used a NAPA gold the same one that goes on my PT Crusier. The fit is not perfect the sealling ring is a bit smaller. Works and I did cut one apart and did a compare. $12 cheaper. Around 35 oil changes on this bike, so 7x12 = $84 saved. Not much but almost a tire.
If I did 3,000 mile changes it would be even a bigger savings.
Oh I also cut a FRAM Filter from my car, hence the NAPA gold.

Brian
 
KBasa said:
In the text, the author describes a Fram failure...

:eek
Click to expand...

What worries me is that Fram was Allied Signal which is now Honeywell...which is the filter that I get at my local Honda dealer for my CR-V. The original oil filter that came off the car was far more substantial and also made in Japan.

But proof is in the mileage. I'm coming up on 100,000 miles and the cam lobes still look like they just came off the shelf. And that with sub-zero starting temps running Mobil 1 since the first inspection.

If one is really worried, mount a CM Filter (formerly Mecca).
 
KBasa said:
It appeared to be the only manufacturer that used cardboard, as well. In the text, the author describes a Fram failure that resulted in bits of cardboard floating around in the engine of his car.

:eek
Click to expand...


Is that a Fram 6063 in the cut away picture? No its not.

Physically compare the Fram 6063 to a BMW filter. Put a new Fram 6063 in one hand and a BMW filter in the other. Then tell me what the difference is besides the writing on the filter.

JON
 
DarkCloud said:
Is that a Fram 6063 in the cut away picture? No its not.

Physically compare the Fram 6063 to a BMW filter. Put a new Fram 6063 in one hand and a BMW filter in the other. Then tell me what the difference is besides the writing on the filter.

JON
Click to expand...

I don't think Fram makes that filter; they buy it and re-label it. Something I once read...whether its true or not, I don't know.
 
I'm curious why a metal cap on the end of the filter media would be better than a "cardboard" end cap. In both cases the glue is what bonded the end caps to the filter media. If there is a glue failure, both filters would perform the same. If there is no glue failure both filters perform the same. The media itself is a type of "cardboard" in both cases as well. If the "cardboard" were to fail it could fail in any of the pleated areas just as easily as it could at the end of the filter media. This is assuming that the micron filtering specs were the same for both filters.
 
DarkCloud said:
Is that a Fram 6063 in the cut away picture? No its not.

Physically compare the Fram 6063 to a BMW filter. Put a new Fram 6063 in one hand and a BMW filter in the other. Then tell me what the difference is besides the writing on the filter.

JON
Click to expand...

Since a stamped cover is a stamped cover, I'd suspect the only way to tell would be to saw a couple of them in half. Anybody have access to a band saw?
 
KBasa said:
When you've spent several thousand dollars (at minimum) on a motorcycle, it seems kind of lame to try and save $2 on a filter at the potential risk of toasting your motor.

But hey, that's just me.

Fram:
framopen.jpg


BMW:
bmwopen.jpg
Click to expand...

It isn't $2 anymore. That dollar Euro thing is mucking up parts and service costs. $20!!!! for an oil filter? No thank you. BMW doesn't make their own filters. The Mahle (aka Fram 6063) is specced for our bikes and as best anyone can tell is the same filter. I see no reason to give BMW an extra $10 for the pretty packaging.

Of course the Fram 3614 and other "it fits and nothing has blown up yet so it must be ok" filters are another story.
 
GlobalRider said:
As for the BMW filter element, an O-ring (not shown) would need to sit atop that metal end cap and it looks like there is a groove for one. It would create the seal between the "in" and "out" going flows of the oil filter mount. The BMW spring would keep the filter pressed against the seal from the looks of it.
Click to expand...

Well I just opened up a used BMW oil filter and it appears as shown in the pic below.

Construction quality is top notch (I can't comment on filtration performance without testing).

What I did notice was a lack of an O-ring in that groove atop the oil filter element which I believe it should have. Otherwise you wouldn't have a perfect seal between the pre and post filtration sides of the oil filter element. At present, it is metal to metal contact.

The other end of the filter element does have a rubber plug. A bypass?

bmwopen.jpg
 
Yes its very pretty. And yes, theres no saying the ugly one doesnt do just as good a job filtering the oil. My 1974 VW engine went 250,000 miles (with a valve job) with NO oil filter and just 2.5 quarts of oil in the crankcase.
 
GlobalRider said:
Well I just opened up a used BMW oil filter and it appears as shown in the pic below.

Construction quality is top notch (I can't comment on filtration performance without testing).

What I did notice was a lack of an O-ring in that groove atop the oil filter element which I believe it should have. Otherwise you wouldn't have a perfect seal between the pre and post filtration sides of the oil filter element. At present, it is metal to metal contact.

The other end of the filter element does have a rubber plug. A bypass?

bmwopen.jpg
Click to expand...

That looks like the same picture that KBasa posted back in February.
 
2BikeMike said:
That looks like the same picture that KBasa posted back in February.
Click to expand...

It is the same picture. Thats what I stated in the post...that "it appears as shown in the pic below".

The point was: the O-ring that should be there but isn't.

And since that isn't KBasa's pic, no one could comment on the O-ring; whether it was never there in the first place or if it went missing by the person who split that filter. Now we know.
 
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