Oil Change

good tip about the o-ring, by the way thanks for the image of your avatar, really nice girl¡¡ who is she???? hope don´t botter you :redface:

 

e cabrera,
here is the link to that report. Opinions and Recommendations - Oil Filters Revealed - MiniMopar Resources

 

the filter should be pre-filled by hand about 2/3 full before installation, and it's always best to crank the engine with the RUN switch OFF until the red oil pressure light goes off.......

The main caution is not to over-tighten the drain bolt and pull out the threads.

 

DANIMAL: thank you for the fast response, I really appreciate it, I´m going to read it and think to change to a better oil filter brand, I live in Mexico and there isn´t too many options of motorcycle oils and filters, but will find the best I can to my yellow submarine ( VFR 800FI 2000)
thanks again and SALUDOS DESDE MEXICO¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡:thumbsup:

 

Dissection of a Fram PH7317 Extra Guard Oil Filter

After reading the link above, I decided to see what all the Fram-fuss was about.

The guy came up with these conclusions:

Well, I decided to open one of my filters to see what the fuss was about. And I'm a tad skeptical of the criticisms.

Overall can length : 3 3/8"
Overall can diameter : 2 5/8"
Filter width : 2 1/4"
Filter length : 44"
#Pleats : 38
Filter surface area : 99 square inches

Dissection of a PH7317
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection001.jpg

Innards assembled:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection002.jpg

The bypass valve is at the end opposite the threads:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection003.jpg

Here's the rubber seal. It serves 2 purposes. The inner ring is firmly held between the inner metal tube and the faceplate. It separates the entrance from the exit. The outer ring serves as anti-drainback. The natural shape pressing back against the face plate to cover the holes:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection004.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection005.jpg

Here's the evil plastic bypass valve.. so evil that I can't suck any air past it:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection006.jpg
it's spring loaded with a strong spring:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection007.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection009.jpg

Filter disassembled for measurement:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/OilFilterDissection010.jpg


Impressions: Filter material is thick and sturdy. The cardboard endcaps are relatively thin and dense. They are not porous, corrugated cardboard. The filter is very firmly glued all the way around. It was impossible to induce any separation without tearing the filter. The filter is structurally supported by the inner metal tube and the thick pleats themselves. The only structural function of the cardboard is to keep the pleats from bowing inwards at the very ends, reducing oil flow. And it appears well strong enough to do that. And considering the entire middle of the filter relies only on the structure of the filter material, itself, to do that, I don't see how stronger end caps will help much. And if the endcaps were made of plastic or metal, they'd still have to be "glued with thermal adhesive," except the glue would have to be a compromise that works as well on both materials.

Comment:
"The rubber anti-drainback valve seals against the cardboard and frequently leaks."
- This is a bit misleading. The rubber anti-drainback seals against the top plate, encompassing the inlet holes. It is firmly held in place by the inner tube of steel, although the end of the steel tube does have a piece of cardboard at the end. At any rate, any bit of oil that manages to filter through the cardboard would end up in the outlet (if it then got past the rubber to metal part of the seal), not the oil pan.

Does the valve really leak in practice? I dunno. Maybe it IS a bad design. But I doubt it has anything to do with the existence of cardboard. And it looks an awful lot like the valves on many of the other brands.

"The bypass valves are plastic and are sometimes not molded correctly, which allows them to leak all the time."
- The bypass valve is, indeed, plastic. And I can't imagine why it would be made of anything else. Mine was molded fine. I even gave it a "suck" test, and it doesn't allow any air to pass. There is one weak point. The metal base connects to the inner metal tube with metal-to-metal contact which is definitely not completely oil-proof. But this is hardly unique among all the other oil filters. And since the author seems to prefer stamped sheet-metal bypass valves, I guess he doesn't mind a little leaking afterall. Are they sometimes molded incorrectly? I guess anything is possible.

"The stamped-metal threaded end is weakly constructed and it has smaller and fewer oil inlet holes, which may restrict flow"
-this is just a laugh. Look at the pictures of all the other oil filters. There is NO difference. They're ALL evil, cheap, STAMPED-METAL, and the holes are no smaller on the Fram. And for the record, the weight of the threaded end plate I sawed off is 80 grams, and it feels indestructible. The weight of the rest of the empty can is only 52 grams.

I still like my Frams. Long live the radioactive orange can with the sure-grip! Oil-filter wrench? Who needs those!?

Bottom line: There is no way in hell Fram is going to let someone else take their place as the #1 selling oil filter by making a blatantly bad/dangerous product. They don't need to.

 

Klee27x,
Did you read his warning wwith his article?
did you cut open all the other manufacturers filters ?
to verify the rest of this dude's tests.
I didn't say that this was the gospel on filters, just information. the more data you have the better decisions you can make. i do think silicone would seal better than plastic. I do not like the paper (Cardboard)end caps of the filters as a sealing surface. I do know of glues that will adhere disimilar materials(paper & metal) together to the point where you would have to destroy one of the materials to separate them.
besides, assuming(something I would never presume to do), if you change your filter every time you change your oil(1000-1500mi). I don't think it would not matter whose filter you used.
as I said it was just my opinion, Take it for what it was worth. I was not trying to tell you what to think only give you information to help you decide on your own.
If you like your filters by all means keep using them.
I use Honda OEM filters and oil.
more expensive, but hell, they designed the damn thing. and I ride it. There has to be some trust involved in riding on a machine that will go 160 mph and yes, I have ridden it at that speed. at least that was what the speedo indicated. there is a 6 % error built into it. so actual speed 150.4(gps)
Life begins at 100
Peace,

PS sight glass oil level indicators started with 5th Gens

 

now go cut open a WIX filter you'll be impressed

 

There is no actual testing of anything in that article! There is one anecdote of failure. There is prejudice against certain materials and construction methods with no supporting evidence for or against these or their counterparts. There is no scientific testing of any sort. In fact, for all we know after reading it, the Fram filters work better, allowing more oil flow, filtering smaller particles, and having a longer life. Sounds unreasonable, right? But there's just as much evidence going either way.

For instance: more filter area = better? Well, you have to take into account where the oil actually flows. If it pinches off the thinner pleats and only filters through the bottom of each pleat, then more filter material could mean LESS filtration area. Where's the testing? There is next to no practical information to be learned from reading that article, except to find out who's filters are the higher priced rebranded stuff.

From what I saw, the bypass valve appears very precisely molded and solidly engineered. To say something like "plastic can be molded incorrectly" does not get me excited. Metal can be stamped incorrectly. Ohh scary. The criticisms of the anti-drainback valve seem anecdotal. But even if true, the anti-drainback valve is only there to hold oil in the filter when the engine is not running, which is only important for vehicles where the oil would normally drain out of the filter. Anyone who has filled their oil on a VFR without screwing the filter all the way down knows that on our vehicles the oil filter is one of the lowest parts in the system, and nearly all 4 quarts will happily spill out through the oil filter inlet. If his anecdotal oil filter failure is true, it's likely either a freak incident, he abused his vehicle, or he has a vehicle where the oil filter is high in the system and he installed it dry and/or the anti-drainback valve really doesn't work well.

I've seen this kind of argument before.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/klee27x/glock17.jpg
"It's made out of plastic! It's cheap! Did you know it only costs Glock $80.00 to produce each gun?"
If it works, who cares?

Personally, I don't care if an oil filter is made with gold and silver and fairy dust, hand-crafted by Santa's elves. At the end of 3 months it's in a landfill.

* yeah, I change my oil every 1000 miles or so. But I don't ride daily, and I rarely leave town. Back when I regularly rode 1-2 hours at a time, I once went 6k between oil changes. (And I did have some weird engine noises at the end of it, though I sold that bike back to the dealer so I never found out what it was.)

 

Her name is Kristen Bell - of Veronica Mars fame. She was also in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

If you watched Heroes, she was "Elle"... her power was producing and controlling electricity.

 

changing your oil is no problem:smile: just take your time and remove all faseners on fairing; so you don't crack it:frown: becuase you forgot one. I would highly recommend you get a service manuel if you are going to keep the bike it explains everything.....do you have the owners book?? Mine shows how to do oil change there. start from left bottom up inside front fairing to top side...once fairing are removed, start bike, idle 2 minutes, drain oil, put drain plug back in, remove filter, then put oil around edge of new filter, and put new filter on, you may need to buy a filter wrench. I did and it made life easier; then add oil check it start bike 2 minutes turn off check level again(window lines)let oil settle few minutes, add accordingly, then put fairings back on and run from the cops on your next ride !!!! good luck:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

Does anyone follow the manual and change there oil and filter at 8k mile intervals on the 6th gen vfr800. Sounds like a long time to go between oil changes but maybe I have been brain washed by the automotive market. I usually go 4k miles before the oil change.

 

I changed mine once. Wasn't paying attention, took off the wrong side. By the time all was said & done, took me about 1 1/2 hrs and cracked plastic. Luckily, when I went back to the dealer to shw them the cracked plastic, they called it warranty work. whew.

 

There in lies the rub.... The biggest difference between cars and bikes....Cars have a larger volume of oil, run cooler ++++'s ..... Bikes are the opposite. Plus they run the motor oil though the clutch plates .... But yet the cars call for a shorter intervals..... Myself... I like to change it more often on a wet-clutch bike.... lately I've been going with 4000m/w/filter.... after my 1st 15k I'll go with syn/oil (10x40) and run that 6/8000 ..... and see from there if I want to shorten or lengthen.... Amsoil claims about 15000.... I'm still trying to live with 8000........ Slow but sure.......

 

8k is just way too long for me. I can't handle it in my own mind. When I use regular oil, I can usually tell a huge difference in the way the bike sounds shifts around 2500 miles. Thats my sign to change the oil. Synthetic seems to hold up a lot better, but I won't go over 5k with it. Again... if I start hearing a change in the engine or feel that shifting is becomming more harsh... I change it.

The filter ALWAYS gets changed when my oil gets changed. No exceptions.

 

Not for everyone! Every passenger car I've owned and maintained has taken more or less 3.5-3.75 quarts of oil. First time I changed the oil on my VFR, I was surprised that it took the same. So I buy oil in the ubiquitous 4 quart jug, whether for my car or my bike.