Oil Filter, What one? Options

[Tom73]

Very dumb question, but what oil filter does the 1.7 use?

tom...

[Allan]

I think it's a standard type 4 Mahle. From what I've been told, always use Mahle. I get mine from the local vw place.

[Joe Bob]

If the Texas Vdub place doesn't carry them...try GPR or the Pelican Parts....

[Tom73]

QUOTE ("Z" @ May 8 2005, 07:34 AM)

If the Texas Vdub place doesn't carry them...try GPR or the Pelican Parts....

There is not a generic Fram or other make?

[Joe Bob]

Lot's of stuff on Fram on this and other forums....they have been documented as exploding on Porsches due to a lack of a bypass that the Mahle and German made for T4s and 911 motors have....personally I think Frams are cheap pieces of crap and none of my cars have them...including American ones.

Just a personal preference.

[Tom73]

I agree on the Fram quality, at least in their base filters. I do not use them on any of my cars, including the Vettes. Was just thinking that if I had a fram number then I could cross refference to better filters. The Mahle seem hard to find and pricey.

tom...

[Joe Bob]

What's out there that is better than a Fram....well oem stuff. I use GM stuff for the Yukon and Mahle for my 356, 911 and 914......

The price of a filter seems cheap when faced with an engine rebuild due to cheaping out on good maintenence parts....

A couple of national auto repair shops warranty brake pads, starters, and alternators for life.... they are cheap pieces of crap....I'd rather replace with quality parts and worry less....

[dmenche914]

Frams are junk for the 914, I have had two of the Frams internall fail, which means they gave no filtration!!!

Also had problems with Frams on my VW Vanagon.

Stick with either Mann, or Mahle brand oil filters on you 914, well worth the little extra cost, considering that the Frams failed to filter my oil!

On the vanagon, not only do they not have a back flow valve (hence noisey lifters for first mile) they also have a bigger oil pressure drop (more restricitive filter) that is until they fail, and the guts rattle around in the can, offering no filtration (and very little back pressure)

[Rog914]

I've been using K&N oil filter. Seems to be well built and I like the sheet metal "nut" welded on the bottom, makes it easier to replace, no need for a oil filter wrench.

Ralph

74 2.0

[red914]

this is some interesting reading:

http://wetwesties1.tripod.com/oilfilterstu...dex.html#w51515

it was posted a while back in a thread by Geoff in seattle.

[Tom73]

QUOTE (Rog914 @ May 8 2005, 02:51 PM)

I've been using K&N oil filter. Seems to be well built and I like the sheet metal "nut" welded on the bottom, makes it easier to replace, no need for a oil filter wrench. Ralph 74 2.0

Ralph,
What is the number on that K&N?

tom...

[Series9]

PH2870A.

Use that number as a cross-reference to get the filter brand you want.

Same filter for all 4-cyl water cooled VWs and 914s.

[jd74914]

All the catalogs (performance, mid america) have Mahle filers. They are like $10 each if my memory serves me correctly. I agree with Mike Z; frequent oil changes and good filters are much cheaper than dry engines and rebuilds.

[anthony]

$6/each at Pelican. Whenever I buy parts from one of the usual vendors I check my stock to make sure I have at least a couple filters on shelf.

If you are stuck and need to buy a filter at the FLAPS I've noticed that other brands (like Bosch, Purolator, maybe K&N) have the spring loaded bypass valve instead of the rubber flap like Fram.

[Pugbug]

Is there anything wrong with the Bosch filters? I just bought two of them for the 914, and I use the Bosch filter made for the VW diesel Rabbit in my dune buggy. ( type one full flow) and it has worked out fine.

[Rog914]

Tom
Can't find where I put my spare K&N oil filters at. Bought mine from Performance Products $9.95 each(1-800-423-3173).

Ralph

74 2.0

[Cap'n Krusty]

QUOTE (914RS @ May 8 2005, 04:51 PM)

PH2870A. Use that number as a cross-reference to get the filter brand you want. Same filter for all 4-cyl water cooled VWs and 914s.

Same number? THAT should tell you something. There are at least FOUR different water colled VW oli filter specs, all replaced by ONE FRAM! And none of those 4 are the same as the one for air cooled engines. I wouldn't use a FRAM filter on my bicycle .................... The Cap'n

[dmenche914]

i agree with that about frams, one part number referenced for several different VW's that the VW factory says should be different.

Case in point;

Fram lists same filter for the Rabbit, as the the Vanagon. The factory VW filters for these two cars look the same size, and both "fit' either car, however the Fram filter, besides being of lower quality (like internals falling apart in my case) is not interchangable between cars.

The Vanagon requires a check valve to prefent it from draining when engine is stopped, the rabbit does not (because of filter orientation) The vanagon also requires a different bypass pressure than the Rabbit.

The result, put the Fram on the Vanagon, and the oil pressure is lower than with the German filter (better filter area no doubt) and the lifters clank like crazy if the van was parked for a week, cause it take a while for the filter to pump up. Installed the german filter, and the lifter noise stopped, oil pressure went up, and I have never seen a german factory filter fail, the frams have had at least two failures on my cars.

At anyrate, the Fram cross reference is not the bible for filters, it is printed for Fram so they can sell more filters.

Do not risk you engine on an orange fram


Now I know fram does make a higher quality filter, I beliew it is the Fram HP1 , it is a big filter, more expensive than most frams, and is made for high performance, it is often used on full flow systems, as it has a high bust pressure. It however is too big to fit on the stock 914 location.

Stick with factory recommended filters, they are high quality. The cross reference book is just a sales enhancer for Fram, and in some cases using it will harm your car (at least your Vanagon) and thats if the filter does not fail, with the qulaity I have found from frams 'cross referneced" for 914 filters, you would be just as well with no filter at all.

[Brett W]

Go up to the equivilent of a Motorcraft FL1-A. Use Purolator brand, although they make the Ford Filter. This filter will allow you to hold 1 quart of oil in the filter itself and the Purolator are a good german filter.

[Tom73]

QUOTE (Brett W @ May 9 2005, 07:49 AM)

Go up to the equivilent of a Motorcraft FL1-A. Use Purolator brand, although they make the Ford Filter. This filter will allow you to hold 1 quart of oil in the filter itself and the Purolator are a good german filter.

Are you saying that a Motorcraft FL1-A will work?

tom...