Oil Filter

[jroon]

OK, I don't wanna come off as a cheap bugger just trying to save a few bucks, I am just curious about something. I change the oil in my 426 religiously about every 4 hours or so, sometimes in as little as 2 if I feel I've been really hard on Mr clutch(tight woods). Now, I know some guys say that its OK to change the filter every second change, and thats fine, I can see that. My question has to do with cleaning the filter. I have been buying these K & N jobs that have what looks like a copper or brass screen and up here in Cunuckland they are 9 bucks each, that sure adds up...So, why can one not clean them? Then blow them out? Am I missing something? Feel free to ridicule me if its a silly question, but whadyall think?

Thanks

JR

[brentn]

Because the brass is weak and all it takes is a couple cleanings and the screen starts to open up, allowing more particles to come in.

Grey had some great information on this. I was recently at my dealer and the local wiseguy who over-hears what you want to buy at the counter suggested that I use a yz426 filter in my 2010 as it was brass and washable.

I bought it and the stock one and then of course did some research and found an old thread on this very same topic.

The 426 filters are an inferrior filter, they won't filter lower than 80 microns which is crap IMO. You'd be better off using a 450 filter that is all paper.

Or you can get a scotts, a true washable filter that filters very well and is very strong. They are made of stainless steel and look to have many layers instead of the one crappy layer that the stock 426 brass filter provides.

[jroon]

Thanks man! That makes sense...I like the idea of the Scotts unit.

[brentn]

Like I said it'll pay for itself in the long run. Either way, start using the paper filters from the 450 or go with the scotts.

[grayracer513]

This is the post Brent was referring to:

Paper vs. Stainless Mesh Filters

Read it.

I've used a Scotts in each of 5 YZF's now, and it allows me, among other things, to clean the oil filter every single oil change without any concern at all over the expense, availability, or quality of the filter. I won't use the cheaper knock-offs, because the Scotts delivers what I expect. So for 5 bikes, I've only bought 5 oil filters in almost six years, and I bought two of those with the money the other three saved me.

[brentn]

The wise guy at my dealership said that he's had even scotts come apart. Have you heard of anything like this, or seen it yourself?

I'm going to doubt it but I have to ask. 4 Strokes are a whole new thing for me and my research has only started in the last couple months

[tribalbc]

My Scotts filter was the best investment I made in my bike. I bought one when I first got my bike. 4yrs at 25 oil changes a yr is 100 filters. At $8-$10 a pop here in Canada that's $1000 bucks in oil filters I would have spent rather than the $50 for the Scotts

The greatest thing I like about the Scotts though is you get to see what's going on in your motor everytime you clean

[grayracer513]

The wise guy at my dealership said that he's had even scotts come apart. Have you heard of anything like this, or seen it yourself?

Not once, ever.

[Eric@ScottsPerformance]

Brentn-

The only way I have ever seen one of our filters "come apart" is when I clutch GRENADES and the particulates clog the filter and the oil pump keeps sucking causing the filter to suck itself inwards. Not common on dirt bikes, but I have seen it on a few drag bikes. Keep in mind these were mostly on worked over 1000cc motors and one rider told me he normally changes his clutch every pass, but did not on this occasion. I can not say for sure that I have seen a dirt bike do it, I have seen a 700cc Raptor do it, but again, a worked over motor being used at the sand drags in Glamis.

I have seen imititation filters come apart when cleaning as the import filters are not usuing the correct material to bond the end caps onto the filter screen. I actually have one here in the shop that we use for examples of why not to buy knock off filters.

Thanks-

Eric

[brentn]

I figured it was under extreme circumstances...

Thanks for the personal reply there!

[grayracer513]

In a YZF, as with most oiling systems, the oil flows into the filter well from the outside of the filter element, forcing oil through to the interior of the filter, then out through the center hole at the outboard end (inboard end on the 2010 YZ450) and into the oiling system. Thus, in the situation Eric describes, the oil pump would tend to crush the filter with pressure, not vacuum.

Not to argue the matter excessively, because in a general sense he's right, and it does happen in some cases, but I have seen a Scotts filter from a YZ426 that someone left a piece of a shop towel in do this same thing, sort of. The filter was buried a quarter inch deep in red lint, but had still not failed. The bypass valve saved it. By the same token, I've seen several collapsed brass and paper filters, some just because there was water in the oil.

I have also seen a few of the copycat filters where the glue holding one of the end frames on failed, or the seam opened up. Scotts welds their seams, some of the others just fold them over. Another thing I've noticed is the amount of mesh in the element. By measuring the depth of the pleats, then counting the number of them and figuring the area of mesh, some of the knock offs have as little as 60% as much filter media in them as the Scotts does (comparing the Yamaha filter only). I found one that has almost as much.

My experience with them has been perfect. What I find in general with most things is that whenever someone tells you that their product is just like some more expensive one, or uses the same materials, or works just as well, the other more expensive one turns out to be the one to get in the end.

[jrny426]

This is a CRT

Even with constant oil changes and cleaning probably 2 years old