Help: Strange Oil Filter and Findings., ...What the hell is going on? Options

[CptTripps]

Ok...ALL I wanted to do was change my oil. Simple enough?

I started by driving to Stoddard to pick up an OEM Filter. $8.65 later, I was on my way.

Got home, backed the car up to the ramps and drained the oil. Didn't seem to take that long. (More on that later)

Pulled the filter, and drained it. Oiled up the ring on the new filter and went to dry-fit the new one (just to make sure) and it is NOWHERE CLOSE to the same size as the one I pulled. I'm going to say that the one that was on there is 1/2 the size. There is NO way I could get the new one in there. If I WERE able to, the thread size was different. (New one is larger hole.)

So NOW the question was...what filter do I buy? It was an STP filter, so off I went to FLAPS to match it up. FLAPS didn't carry the brand, so I had to locate a book with a decent cross-reference in it so I could get something that DID fit. I found 4-5 filters that matched it, so I bought them all (I wasn't going back!) and headed home to look at the link to the "Filter Shootout" that I found earlier. (Interesting read!)

I ended up with an AC Delco filter that matched my size/thread. I checked the codes on it, and it's manufactured by Champion, who also makes the Mahle (sp?) filters that we get from Germany. Installed in a snap, and I started filling her back up. So Question one is ... What the hell did the DAPO do?

The SECOND question is...I only drained 1.5q of oil out of there. But the level was even with the top line. I put 1q of Slick-50 in, and then put 4 more of Mobil-1 Synthetic back in. I'm now a good 1/2" above the top line, but I have a 2.0L engine WITH an external cooler. There is NO WAY that I can only be using 1.5q of oil...is there?

I don't want to fry this thing...any ideas?

[dmenche914]

You say you have an external cooler. My guess is the strange oil filter size needed is the result of the fitting used on the engine to get the oil too and from the external cooler. That fitting is sandwiched between the filter and the filter fitting on the engine case. You are smart to stick with a OEM manufactured filter, some national "namebrand" filters are junk on 914's

You will need to fill the oil too past the dip stick mark by at least the volume of oil that drains back from the cooler. You need to verify how much extra fill is needed for you application and oil lines. You external cooler should have a thermostat, to keep it out of the loop until the oil heats up, be sure one is installed.

Best advice is to install an oil pressure gauge, very easy to install, and vital for monitoring your engines oil supply, it also will give you a clue to an over heating condition, cause the oil will thin out and pressure will drop.

The 914 can handle so well, that the factory found it had to install an oil baffle plate in the engine bottom to help prevent oil starvation in cornering, some engines lack these, an oil pressure gauge will tell you, cause you can see the pressure drop on a tight turn!

Be sure the factory cooling air deflector flaps are installed, and operable, if the automatic thermostat fails, the flaps fail in the "safe" position, some misguided "mechanics" have mistakenly removed them, or wired them in the shut position! so check the cooling system carefully on any new car. Also Valve adjustments are fairly frequent on these aircooled beasts.

Why you drained out only 1.5 quarts I do not know.

Good luck!!!!