EDIT: See this thread( http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f113/subaru-oil-filter-comparison-99130/ ) for all the filters being talked about here in the discussion thread.


I hate to do this to you guys,I really do, I hate oil and oil filter threads more then most. But here is what I have. Since the disappearance of the black Roki filters like many of you I have been in the search for a equivalent filter(hangs head low here, says under breath), not made by HoneyWell/Fram that has the correct bypass pressure of ~23psi.

Here is the best I have found,

Beck/Arnley Oil Filter
Beck/Arnley is Part No. 041-8181

It is a rebrand by Beck/Arnley made by Nippon Micro Filter CO.
Nippon Micro Filter Part No. T600

Specs:

OD: 68mm
Length: 64mm
Thread: M20x1.5
Bypass Valve: 20-25 PSI
Has Anti Drain Back Valve

Locally available at Advance Auto for ~$7

A pic can be viewed by going through the Beck Arnley Online Parts Catalog

What do you think guys, Do we have a winner?

 

Have you done an analysis of the Wix 57712 for your oil filter thread?

 

I switched from pure-one to fram last oil change, because I got tired of the pure-one's leaking. I'm experienced enough to know how a filter goes on, but it leaked every damned time on both cars. Since switching to fram, no leaks. Do you know what the bypass pressure is set to on frams? I'm not opposed to beck-arnley, but I like shopping the sales. I come from the school of thought that if you change your oil often enough, pretty much any name brand oil will do. I actually swap up on purpose. I used valvoline and a fram filter on the 04 today.

 

Do you know what the bypass pressure is set to on frams?

12 psi's.
FRAM - Application Look-up

I've been running the Honeywell's since day one in a 99 Outback, 99 RS, and my FXT (6-8,000 mile intervals) with no issues.

-Dennis

 

I had a supply of the Roki, that supply is now dwindling down to 2-3 Hence the searching today.

The Subaru Honewell/Fram filters are correct with the relief pressure. My issue here, is well just that it is one I have to deal with, I have been down the Fram road many times and not had a issue personally, however I have rebuilt an engine that failed due to a fram coming apart, element came away from the cardboard end cap and a piece blocked a main bearing passage. Some of the owners of cars I service just wont use Fram... They have served me well personally.

Most every other filter has a relief pressure of <18 PSI which I am not comfortable with.

These are a few I have tracked down so far.
By-Pass Valve pressures(in PSI)
Blue Subaru/Honeywell 15208AA12A - 23
Wix - 51365, 8 - 11
PureOne - PL14612, 14-18
Purolator - L14612, 14-18
Mobil1 - M108, 11-17(not verified via Mobil1)
Fram - PH6607, 13

 

I am down to 7 Rocki's right now. Probably not a big deal going with the filters with the lower bypass. WIX could be a good choice even with the lower bypass bc if it bypasses it does not bypass the junky trapped particles. It bypasses near the top of the filter.

 

Sweet! I have about half a dozen of the Tokyo Roki fllters left, but it's good to know that there's a very similar filter still available.

Looks almost exactly like it (except maybe the lip looks a little sloppier):

 

^^ thats the plastic shrink wrap protecting the gasket... until you use it.

 

Oh I see!

 

Well I got 10 on order, store only had 1 in stock so I choose just to have them shipped to the house. When I get them I will do the obligatory cut one open and post pics. Unfortunately I am not about to cut my last Roki apart, so there will be no side by side comparo.

 

What was the shipping charge? I checked it out. Shipping to house was the only option. If you ordered 11 filters then shipping is free. :icon_frown:

But yea..great option. Thanks.

 

Excellent, keep us posted!

 

I had other items in the order also.
>$75 = free shipping
Discount Code "DEALIO" for $10 off $30, $20 off $50, or $40 off $100 or more.
http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f109/40-off-100-advance-auto-parts-97563/

 

Well here is what I have. Minus the ADBV, I left that on the work bench.

Basic packaging.

Comes with a static cling reminder sticker.

Now we get into the guts.

The bypass valve is spot welded in place on the endcap.

has 82.5 square inches of filter media.

Has the same shrink wrap over the base plate as the Roki did.

Also has a "P" gasket vs a round or square O-ring that are known to leak on some filters.

All in all, construction feels top notch. It is a heavy little filter, the can mics out at .019" thick on the sides and and .0209" on the end. So it more then likely started out as 25ga sheet metal prior to stamping. Threads are roll-form threads with no burrs, nice and clean. Only thing that stands out to me are the pleats are spaced uneven being grouped more towards one area. Based on the specs, the feel and visual quality I would buy again.

I wish I had a Roki(my last one left Sunday) so I could do a side by side but I don't. Here is a thread where one was cut open 5 different Subaru filter options - cut open pics - Bob Is The Oil Guy

 

Nicely done, maybe the gods will smile down on you and someone will send you a virgin Roki for sacrifice.

Now what we need is our own comparison of the available filters with a breakdown like you have done. :N_poke::biggrin:

 

The gods smile upon us.

Great post. I have 15 15208aa100's sitting in my shop. Can I send you one to cut up and compare.

 

2014 ForesterXT Premium oil filter- FA20 DIT

Great post. I have 15 15208aa100's sitting in my shop. Can I send you one to cut up and compare.

Hello,

can the 15208AA100(black) oil filter be used on the 2014 ForesterXT Premium oil filter- FA20 DIT to replace the original 16208AA160 (black) oil filter?
Thanks

 

Glad you did this, I am down to 2 Roki's left and was curious what I should move on to. I might just cut open the Roki I take off and see if I can get matching photos for each of the ones you took. Will be used but could show us a little more than the other link shows.

Nevermind, SuperRu beat me to it.

 

I have no issues doing a mass filter comparison. Admittedly my pics are OK but could be better, uploading them to a site that allows the full hi res image would do wonders too instead of photobucket.

So the big question,
- What are the points I should hit?
- What are the spec I/we should gather/list for each.
-Criteria for pics? Angles, particular shots, close ups of parts.
- How do we want this laid out? My first thought is a chart style with each filter on the left and each category of specs/characteristics going left to right. But that gets a little detail intensive. It could also be broken down to one post per filter in the thread with each sub post titled with filter Brand, sub description like pro/select/clasic..., and then the filter number. My thought in this is it allows the filters to be done one by one but it also makes the thread search-able for each filter via the "search this thread" button.

Basically if I do this I want a set standard that has all the information that we as a group want and I want to have each one in the same format.

But back to the Beck filter. As far as I currently know this is the only filter that both meets the bypass spec and is small enough to clear Borla/replica headers.

I will send Superru a PM shortly about his donation of a 15208aa100 to dissect.

 

I will send Superru a PM shortly about his donation of a 15208aa100 to dissect.

A black Roki filter is heading your way to dissect.

 

I found a nice little gift in my mailbox today. Dissecting it is going to have to wait for a bit as the oil filter comparison project is a "as time/funds permits" kind of thing.

 

This is slowly moving forward.

Got my filter cutter modified to cut down to about a 1/2" diameter now. Previously it only effectively cut down to around 3" diameter filters, which was fine for the what I wanted it for then. But there was no way I was going to hacksaw or take a cutting wheel to a dozen plus filters.

Have these filters currently waiting to be dissected:

Factory Subaru
15208AA100 Tokyo Roki (Thank you SuperRu)

Beck/Arnley
041-8181

Fram
PH6607
TG6607
XG6607

Super Tech
ST6607

Purolator
PureOne LP14612

Any one who wants to see their favorite filter dissected sooner rather then later, is more then welcome to send a virgin oil filter my way. You only need to PM me for my address.

At present I am collecting all the specs I can on each filter I have in my possession and figuring out a format to organize it in a post for each filter so it flows smoothly and is functional for comparison sake.

 

If Frams are made with paper, what are the other ones made of?

 

The cheaper Frams have "engineered media"(paper/cardboard and glue/epoxy) end caps. The higher grade Frams and most other filter manufactures use stamped sheet metal end caps.


I do have the following filters cut apart. I just need to get pics taken and hosted before starting the thread.
- OEM Roki
- SuperTech ST6607
- Pureone PL14612
- Fram PH6607
- Fram TG6607
- Fram XG6607

 

The cheaper Frams have "engineered media"(paper/cardboard and glue/epoxy) end caps. The higher grade Frams and most other filter manufactures use stamped sheet metal end caps.

So is it just the end caps that are paper? (I never thought I would be so interested in learning about oil filters!)

 

The lower cost Fram filters have the "engineered media" end caps and use a paper type filter element.

Most other manufactures use metal or plastic end caps with a paper filter element.

As you get into the premium filters from many brands, the filter media progresses into blended synthetic to synthetic fiber filter media. Moving away from the paper. The synthetic media can have a higher flow, better filtration and capacity vs the cheaper paper.

The synthetic media stands up better to coolant/water/fuel contamination vs the paper media. Still doesn't solve the fact that if you have a coolant/water/fuel contamination issue you have other bigger issues then what crappy filter you are running.

Doesn't do much good to have a high quality premium filter with boat loads of synthetic media if your bearings are washed out in coolant, water or fuel. The only thing you can say is that your filter stayed together to catch all the bits, pieces and particles of you engine that now still needs a rebuild.

 

I did get the thread started with about a half dozen filters or so. http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f113/subaru-oil-filter-comparison-99130/ Takes a lot longer then I thought to get every thing together for each post. I figured 15 to 30 minutes, I was wrong, more around an hour each post. I figured this thread could just continue on being the discussion thread for the comparison thread to keep that thread clean.

One of the issues around the bypass pressure that has been on my mind for a few years now is that while in bypass you effectively have unfiltered oil going through the system. Though in small amounts this has to add up over time, initially I couldn't think of a way any damage could point to this.

Then a thought had crossed my mind about the turbo filter screens. Where is this debris plugging the screens coming from? It is a closed filtered system, or at least it is when the filter is not bypassing oil. A little bit of searching and it seams I am not the only one to have this idea/connection that yes indeed the bypass pressure is important.

AWDAuto.com Turbo Filter Screens and Bypass They are looking at it from the stand point of the oil filter getting clogged and going into bypass. But there is also the issue they don't touch about all the after market filters with bypass valves rated at low pressures in the 14-18PSI range and some as low as 8-11PSI. A low pressure bypass setting is just as detrimental at allowing oil to bypass as as a plugged filter with a high bypass pressure setting.

This raises a question in my mind. ?How many turbos that have had plugged turbo filter screens and or failed turbos as a result were running after market filters with bypass valve set at low pressures at the time or before the turbo failed?

?If the screens were pulled and they had a turbo fail, was there an after market filter in use at the time or prior to the failure?

Some thing to think about.

Sadly the NAs don't offer us the ability to see the damaging effects as readily as the XTs appear to be able to. They lack that secondary screen that the XTs have for the turbo to catch debris so on it goes to hit other major items and be returned to the pan.

Food for thought.

 

I had my factory turbo replaced at 60k with another OEM turbo due to excessive oil getting past the seals. That turbo lasted only 20k and failed (typical P0011 code). It was also the only time that I was running an aftermarket oil filter, which was an Amsoil with a setting of 8-11 psi's. The dealer was puzzled since he usually sees sludged oil screens when a turbo fails and mine were clear (still running all of them).

-Dennis

 

I just did my oil today. I got a PureOne for "free", but bought a Mobil1. The Mobil1 and the K&N where identical as far as what they look like inside and how they're assembled. I also looked at a Bosch, I liked it better overall, but it was longer, so I decided to go Mobil1. I have also used Mobil1 filters in my Benz and never had a problem, compared with the Purolator ones which I had to ALWAYS buy the gasket form Mercedes because the ALWAYS leaked, Another reason for using the Mobil1.

 

The Mobil1 and the K&N where identical as far as what they look like inside and how they're assembled.

They are not the same. The filter media is different and the wall thickness is thicker on the K&N filter.

They are both made by champion labs.

 

Have now added Mobil 1 M-108 and Royal Purple 10-2876 to the thread.

Mobil 1 M-108

Royal Purple 10-2876

 

Has anyone been using the Beck/Arnley filter now that can off an opinion as to whether or not they have been happy with it?
I have a 2012 FXT and it's the filter I'm leaning towards. I'm not comfortable using one with a lower bypass pressure and I also like the P gasket.

 

Has anyone been using the Beck/Arnley filter now that can off an opinion as to whether or not they have been happy with it?

Unless it has leaked. I would guess that opinions are gonna be pretty subjective. ie..there is no way to objectively to determine if filter 'A' is better than 'B'

I have read hundreds and hundreds of Used oil Analysis. And have yet to see a difference based on the filter. I am fairly certain that the life on an engine would not noticeably change if there were no filter at all.