oil filters

[yogist]

I pickrd up an 01 426 and want to change the oil this week...Can the stock oil filter be cleaned and reused or should it be replaced?? I ordered a manual but it hasnt arrived yet and I want to ride this thang..!!

I did the bk mod this week 3rd kick cold fires right up..2nd kick hot fires right up..sweet.. !!

[Chris_from_Oz]

As long as you are very careful to remove ALL the metal chips/shavings from the oil filter, and as long as there are NO rips/tears in the brass filter screen, then you should be fine to re-use your oil filter. I use brake cleaner, then blow it out with compressed air. I usually have to clean it a couple of times before it's fully cleaned.

[BergArabia]

I have purchased a stainless steel oil filter.

As the bike is still new and I am still on my supply of paper filters I haven't put it in yet but will do next oil change..

The theory is, clean it every oil change and it will last as long as the bike does..

Hope that is true.. The only concern I have is that the filtration might not be as fine as the paper filter.. But I am hoping it will be OK...

[fast426]

I have purchased a stainless steel oil filter.

As the bike is still new and I am still on my supply of paper filters I haven't put it in yet but will do next oil change..

The theory is, clean it every oil change and it will last as long as the bike does..

Hope that is true.. The only concern I have is that the filtration might not be as fine as the paper filter.. But I am hoping it will be OK...

Who makes paper filters for the 426? Mine came stock with a stainless mesh one. I've only changed out mine a couple times since new. I clean it with brake clean every other oil change. (I have yet to find anything major stuck in it). I only changed it because I was worried the rubber o-ring may deteriorate. BTW be very careful and clean any peices of metal out of the bolt hole threads for the cover. If you don't you'll gall up the threads when you re-install the bolt.

[grayracer513]

If yours is a stainless mesh, and you don't want it, send it to me.

The stock filter on all YZF's prior to '03 was a Bronze mesh type. They can be cleaned IF you are very careful not to stretch the mesh open. The trouble with these filters is that they only filter to about 80 microns. Not very good, really.

Paper elements can filter to as fine as .25 microns and will catch some of the stuff finer than that. However, they will sometime allow objects as large as 100 microns to pass. Furthermore, they restrict flow to the point that they bypass on virtually every cold start, sending unfiltered oil through the engine, and if any water ever gets in the oil, it will close the filter off entirely.

The best solution is the Scotts stainless. It filters to 35 microns, is very rugged, and can be cleaned every oil change for a couple of years without a problem. Besides that, they flow extremely freely, and will very rarely ever bypass. As to the cost, I change oil about 18 times a year. If I used $5 cheapie paper elements, that would cost me $90 a year. The Scotts cost me $65 one time, and it's in it's second year, so which is really cheaper?

[fast426]

If yours is a stainless mesh, and you don't want it, send it to me.

The stock filter on all YZF's prior to '03 was a Bronze mesh type. They can be cleaned IF you are very careful not to stretch the mesh open. The trouble with these filters is that they only filter to about 80 microns. Not very good, really.

Paper elements can filter to as fine as .25 microns and will catch some of the stuff finer than that. However, they will sometime allow objects as large as 100 microns to pass. Furthermore, they restrict flow to the point that they bypass on virtually every cold start, sending unfiltered oil through the engine, and if any water ever gets in the oil, it will close the filter off entirely.

The best solution is the Scotts stainless. It filters to 35 microns, is very rugged, and can be cleaned every oil change for a couple of years without a problem. Besides that, they flow extremely freely, and will very rarely ever bypass. As to the cost, I change oil about 18 times a year. If I used $5 cheapie paper elements, that would cost me $90 a year. The Scotts cost me $65 one time, and it's in it's second year, so which is really cheaper?

I like the screen. I was just wondering if the paper filters were aftermarket. Thanks for FILTER 101. Very informative. I like the filtering specs of the Scotts filter. Think I'll get one next time I swap mine out. It's suprising how much paper filters bypass even with cold oil. I change my oil after every ride anyway, so the stock filter/screen will probably do for now.

[grayracer513]

The paper elements were introduced as original equipment in '03, when the oil capacity went down to 1.2 liters.

[fast426]

The paper elements were introduced as original equipment in '03, when the oil capacity went down to 1.2 liters.

Man, Dude you're an encyclopedia. Is that when they went to the wet sump system? I thought it was in 04'. Judging by your expertise, it probably was 03' on the 450 and 250.

[unibrow]

If yours is a stainless mesh, and you don't want it, send it to me.

The best solution is the Scotts stainless. It filters to 35 microns, is very rugged, and can be cleaned every oil change for a couple of years without a problem. Besides that, they flow extremely freely, and will very rarely ever bypass. As to the cost, I change oil about 18 times a year. If I used $5 cheapie paper elements, that would cost me $90 a year. The Scotts cost me $65 one time, and it's in it's second year, so which is really cheaper?

My friend used a SS filter and it didn't bypass or he was able to install it wrong and he seized his engine. Cost him $$$ to rebuild it. I like the 5.00 Fram filters from Napa. If you add up the amount of time you you spend cleaning your used SS filter. The amount of a can of spray cleaner. Plus the times you accidentally get cleaner in your eye... Which is cheaper??

[grayracer513]

My friend used a SS filter and it didn't bypass or he was able to install it wrong and he seized his engine. Cost him $$$ to rebuild it.

Your friend's engine blew up for a completely unrelated reason. If he got the cover on, it was installed right. The only reason a Scotts would need to bypass is if it was more than 50% clogged with debris. Then again, if it was a filter other than Scotts...

If you add up the amount of time you you spend cleaning your used SS filter. The amount of a can of spray cleaner. Plus the times you accidentally get cleaner in your eye... Which is cheaper??

It takes me 30-35minutes to change the oil and clean the filters on both bikes, getting nothing whatsoever in either eye, and I don't really use carb cleaner for the purpose, thanks.

Is that when they went to the wet sump system?

No YZF was ever produced as a wet sump system. The filler was moved to the crankcase cover in '03, maybe you were thrown off by that. It is a very odd approach frankly, filling the engine rather than the tank where the feed oil actually comes from, but I like to think they had a good reason...whatever it was.

[SXP]

The paper elements were introduced as original equipment in '03, when the oil capacity went down to 1.2 liters.

I'm curious what the relationship between 1.2 liters and paper filters is?

[grayracer513]

What they said was that since it takes less time for the smaller quantity of oil to reach any given level of contamination, they felt that they needed to increase the level of filtration along with that. And apart from the disadvantages I noted, paper does do a better job than the old OEM brass screen types.

[SXP]

I've been using the paper filters exclusively in my 400s ever since I found out that the 450 filters would work in the 400s (for the superior filteration). However, what you said in one of your earlier posts about the paper filters bypassing everytime on cold starts has been really bothering me. Am I better off sticking with the mesh screen? Damn, I wish I hadn't seen your post....it's really bothering me.

[grayracer513]

My opinion is and has been that the Scotts stainless filter, not the brass mesh screens, is a superior filter to paper elements. None of the three are perfect. Just all things considered, Scotts is my choice.

You can get around the bypass issue for the most part by letting the bike warmup more before you fly off into the woods in a hail of roost, but I don't know how long that takes, and I'm sure the my son could never do that.

[fast426]

I've been using the paper filters exclusively in my 400s ever since I found out that the 450 filters would work in the 400s (for the superior filteration). However, what you said in one of your earlier posts about the paper filters bypassing everytime on cold starts has been really bothering me. Am I better off sticking with the mesh screen? Damn, I wish I hadn't seen your post....it's really bothering me.

Sorry to make you paranoid bud. Unfortunatly it's true with cold oil in any engine with a bypass filter. Like gray said, just let it warm up before ripping it. If paper comes stock on the '03's and up I'm sure they've thought it out in design.

Thanks for clearing up the wet sump/dry sump thing Gray. For some reason I thought they took the oil tank out of the frame and turned them into a wet sump. I think a magazine poisoned my mind.

Boy have we beat the filter thing to death. Shall we move on to the oil pump?