Safe to use?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 24, 2013
Messages
7
Location
Kansas
Is it safe to use an oil filter such as a Motorcraft FL1A on a vehicle that does not call for a FL1A? For example: Can I use a FL1A on a 2009 Dodge grand caravan 3.8L V6?

I find the stock filter on the Dodge 3.8 to be tiny and wondered if there was a larger filter to use as an option? Or, should I just drop it and buy the tiny little filters that are on there from the factory....(I know bigger isn't always better) But I am curious.

I use a FL1A on my 1991 Volvo B230F engine without any issues but thats a much older vehicle I'm willing to take the risk on.

Thanks..
 
Much comes into play running non-spec oil filters. The sealing diameter, thread pitch, and bypass design and pressures can all come into play.

A google search tells me you should be fine. There are apparently lots of folks running that filter on your engine.
 
Lots of folks here use a larger than stock oil filter. You'll need to add more oil at each filter change, but as long as the gasket mates up properly on the block it should be just fine.

Are you planning to extend your OCI?
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Are you planning to extend your OCI?


Not sure what oci means?
 
Yeah, sorry about the acronym. Some get a larger filter to handle more contaminants with a longer Oil Change Interval.
 
If specs math but its not the "correct" filter you should be okay, but try use what the manufacture ( oil filter ) decided is good for your car.
 
Well, I normally use the purolator classic for the engine...I can't remember the series of numbers. I used to use the Fram PH3614 but after all the negative reviews I was reading, I switched to the next cheaper filter sold at W-mart....the Purolator classic that crosses to the 09 G-Caravan.

I change oil every 4,000 miles, sometimes less. I heard that the Motorcraft FL1A would fit the Caravan but I thought I'd check......I really don't want to ruin my engine with some silly idea of using a larger filter. It just seems to me the larger filter would offer more filter media which would filter more harmful debris.
The small filter probably does a fine job but I get paranoid and think that the car company's want my engine to die so I go buy a new car and thats why they have such small oil filters now days....
 
Go on wixfilters.com they show you all the specs. Thread pitch is important but so is bypass pressure and o-ring diameter.

Look up your stocker and the competitor cross reference FL1A.

Just seeing if it goes on is dangerous; filters have 18mm, 19mm (3/4"), and 20mm threads and the next size up will screw on then blow off when you need it the most.
 
Originally Posted By: apwillard1986
Much comes into play running non-spec oil filters. The sealing diameter, thread pitch, and bypass design and pressures can all come into play.


This is absolutely correct, but since we have two vehicles that use the same filter group I can tell you right off the top of my head.

If your vehicle is spec'd for the PH3614/FL-910S, it means the PH3600/FL-400S series, the PH16/FL-300 series and the PH8A/FL-1A series of filters will all fit and work just fine (regarding thread, gasket fit and bypass settings). The only kicker is the actual physical room that you have available, as all of those filters are longer than the PH3614 and several of them have much, much larger cans.
 
Welcome to the site!


1) is your vehicle still under warranty? If so, then I'd tend to stick to OEM approved applications. You'd not be covered by using an unapproved "alternate" filter. I'm not saying it won't work; it might even work well. But Chrysler would not be obligated to warrant any issue, and for that matter, neither would the filter company because they all have the typical legal mumbo-jumbo about "use only as directed" and "meeting OEM specs", etc. If you venture off the reservation while under warranty, you're on your own.

2) if you're NOT under warranty, then you're probably fine, as long as there are no physical barriers that would be of concern (hitting the filter against something when under engine torque, hitting the filter when it hangs too low, etc.

3) why do you care?

I suspect you're more concered about the size of the filter than it would ever matter in the slightest. This topic gets played over-and-over-and-over so much on BITOG that it's nausiating. There is a difference between wants and needs. You might "want" a bigger filter, and if that is simply an emotional attachment for you, then you might just have to scratch that itch, so to speak. But I really doubt you "need" a bigger filter.

Yes, at first, bigger makes sense. There are, by now, literally hundreds upon hundreds of threads here about how a larger filter slows the fluid flow, and that results in a "better" capture rate, etc. Frankly - I don't care about that.

I care about results. For all the banter we see about how "better" filtration comes from a "bigger" fitler, it never manifests into tangible results in wear data in real world applications. I always challenge folks to show me real proof, with good hard data, where a bigger filter clearly shows a statsitically significant shift in wear reduction, and it never happens. It's all hype and no substance. What can be shown in the lab, and what truly manifests into reality in your driveway are two separate things.

While filtration is very important, it's ONLY important up to the point that it provides a level of filtration that is "good enough" for the other contributors to have large effects; OCI duration and add-pack chemistry resulting in tribochemical boundary layers are what really matter to wear. Once that minimum threshold of particulate reduction is reached, then anything past that has a very large drop in ROI; the concept of the law of diminishing returns, as it were.

One also has to consider the OCI and FCI (oil change interval and filter change interval) into this as well. My 2000 Galant 2.4L I-4 takes the tiny little 51356 Wix filter, and yet Mitisubishi actually recommends FCIs every other OCI, and the OCI is 7.5k miles for normal use. That makes the FCI every 15k miles! So, what's your FCI interval on your van? I seriously doubt that you're overloading your filter media to a point where you're always running in bypass. And if that's not the case, then you're fine. Typically, OEM OCI/FCI intervals are predicated on a "fail safe" mentality; they are typically done more frequently than necessary as a matter of precaution. Your oil and filter can often last way longer than the OEM limit. So your tiny filter really is not nearly as stressed as you might think.

Buy don't take my word for it. Rather, take this challenge; why not run a series of mico-analysis UOAs? Run 30 UOA samples with the normal filter, and then 30 UOAs with the larger filter. That is what it would take to get real, conclusive proof (and not the typical BITOG manure banter). At 5k miles per UOA, it would take you 300k miles to find your "proof" if it really matters or not. In addition, it would be a good idea to do a complete teardown analysis for mearurements at the 150k and 300k mile points; that way you can correlate the wear data to the physical attributes of the bearings, journals, etc.

And now you understand why folks shy away from this topic when real data is the issue, and not theory ... People will chime in when it comes to "thinking" about it, but no one (to my knowledge) has ever done a real micro-analysis test regime with good DOE criteria.

As for macro-data, all you have to do is compare/contrast your data to the known UAs (universal averages). And that is where I hang my hat; I'm a statistical process quality control engineer in my day-job. And I can tell you with certainty, after seeing literally many thousands of UOAs, that filter selection really does not matter, as long as you follow a reasonable OEM recommendation, and that minimum level of particulate reduction is maintained.




So to directly answer your question, is it "safe" to use the filter? Probably so, depending upon your threshold of warranty risk.

Is it going to achieve what you hope? Possibly - if your goal is to sleep better at night.

But it's not going to make one iota of difference to your engine.




.
 
Last edited:
To Quote = dnewton3

So to directly answer your question, is it "safe" to use the filter? Probably so, depending upon your threshold of warranty risk.

Is it going to achieve what you hope? Possibly - if your goal is to sleep better at night.

But it's not going to make one iota of difference to your engine.




. [/quote]

Very well put sir,

Or as I like to tell the guys around here "It doesn't know !!"
 
Well, that all sounds reasonable to me. No warranty on van anymore. I've been using the Purolator L10241 filter. Perhaps I'll just stick with that one or move up to a better quality filter such as a Purolator plus or Wix in that size. It was a funky idea since I keep Motorcraft FL1A's on hand you know....I also keep Mann W917's since either will fit my Volvo's. The Mann is a really nice filter but harder to get in my neck of the woods....

Is there a Purolator Plus L10241? Those plus models aren't sold at W-mart so I'm not sure where I'd even get one to be honest...

Thx...
 
Originally Posted By: Indy452
Well, that all sounds reasonable to me. No warranty on van anymore. I've been using the Purolator L10241 filter. Perhaps I'll just stick with that one or move up to a better quality filter such as a Purolator plus or Wix in that size. It was a funky idea since I keep Motorcraft FL1A's on hand you know....I also keep Mann W917's since either will fit my Volvo's. The Mann is a really nice filter but harder to get in my neck of the woods....

Is there a Purolator Plus L10241? Those plus models aren't sold at W-mart so I'm not sure where I'd even get one to be honest...

Thx...


You asking about PureOne PL10241's? They are on sale at Kmart right now for $2.94.

If you want the longer Puro for your vehicle it's the 20195 series.

We have always run the shorter L10241's on my son's Chrysler since his filter actually projects down near the ground, we DON'T want the extra length there. As you'd expect, the OEM spec filter works just fine.

Not near as fun though!
laugh.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top