I know at least one other person had a problem with a K&N oil filter (Olive), so I thought I would post my recent issue with them as well. Olive's story is the only one I have heard of like this, so thought it was just a fluke with her filter. Last year at the Women's Sportbike Rally at the gap, they were giving away K&N oil filters, so I ended up with a few of them. I have never bought them before.
At T-Mac this weekend, our group was heading back from Tellico Plains and decided to go the most direct route instead of back over Cherohala, 143, 28, etc. because it was after 3 pm and the dinner and events were happening that night. We stopped for a break at a gas station and we noticed my girlfriend's rear tire was shiny on the left side, so we started looking around and there were oil drops under the bike. After pulling as much of the fairing loose as we could (didn't have a socket to remove the frame slider), it was determined the oil filter was the cause. We cleaned up the tire, fairing, pan, etc. the best that we could and decided the next 40 miles were pretty straight to Franklin, so we would limp it back. By the time we got to the Microtel, it was shiny again, although when we checked the oil level it was still at the high mark. I'm glad we had decided to take the straight way back to Franklin instead of the twisty way, or it might have ended badly.
I had a friend pick up a filter Saturday night when he ran to the store and we changed it out Sunday morning. We rode all day Sunday with no more issues. I plan to check my filter this week. I can't remember if I used one of the K&N's or a Honda filter I had on the shelf last time, but if it is a K&N I plan to change it out. I know better to use the nut to tighten them as well, so that couldn't have caused the issue. It has also been on the bike for about 4k miles. If I cracked it during install, it would have leaked a long time ago.
The 2 or 3 brand new K&N's I have on the shelf will be going in the trash as well, The risk isn't worth a $10-15 filter for me. I have used their air filters in the past, but won't ever be using their oil filters again.
I had a similar issue with my last K&N filter. luckily the seal went right as my service interval was coming up. I bought another K&N since that's the only filter I ever use on anything. Ill see how this one does after a couple thousand miles. But i'm certainly disappointed to hear about these failures from such a well respected brand.
though I'm also thinking the nut on the end has caused me more trouble than its worth. it's just too easy to over torque the filter when installing. then when it comes to removal the socket isn't an exact enough fit anyway and it just strips it off. had to bang a screwdriver through my last one to get it off.
Seriously, you replaced a known bad filter with another of the same brand? There's no way I would do that. If I ever had a bad filter, never have BTW, I would not be buying that brand again. Accidents do happen, but why take a chance when there are so many alternatives. And K&N filters are getting a pretty bad rep. They are on my "Do Not Buy" list. That's a shame because I do use a K&N air filter.
For a little additional information, the K&N filter in questions has a "nut" made of stamped steel that has several spot welds around the perimeter to hold it to the filter housing and a hole through the "nut" to safety wire the filter.
It appeared that the filter was compromised at one or more of the small spot welds that attach the "nut" to the filter.
I am looking through my filter inventory as well. At this point I will only use a filter with this " nut" attached on lawn equipment.
As Ken said, not worth the $10 to keep them in service for me.
Seriously, you replaced a known bad filter with another of the same brand? There's no way I would do that. If I ever had a bad filter, never have BTW, I would not be buying that brand again. Accidents do happen, but why take a chance when there are so many alternatives. And K&N filters are getting a pretty bad rep. They are on my "Do Not Buy" list. That's a shame because I do use a K&N air filter.
I've been a K&N customer for years, so i figured one bad gasket doesn't ruin the batch for me. I love all their products, and since i ordered on Amazon i came to a somewhat similar conclusion regarding the gasket. 1) it had probably been sitting on the shelf for too long before I bought it. 2) i compromised the seal by over-torquing it. these two reasons, in addition to my love of the brand gave me enough reason to try again.
what brand filter do you guys run? just the OEM one?
Nice heads up on this. I'll have to get one to cut it open. Hopefully they are using the good wire backed synthetic media as opposed to the fiberglass/paper/synthetic stuff. It says they are, but I like to keep em honest...
well, it happened again. rode I5 90 miles straight home yesterday and when i pulled in, was beyond annoyed to see several drops of oil on the bottom of the fairing and the center stand. pulled the left fairing and sure enough, another k&n filter seal seeping the life-blood. I was willing to give them a second chance but no more. I simply don't understand. I have run full k&n filters in all my vehicles for years and never once have had an issue until this bike. i think i'm going to email them and see what gives, but I'm disappointed in a company who otherwise seems to make only the highest quality product. If any of you have insight on this particular failure, id be very interested.
with all that said, whats a concrete answer?
what filter do you all run?
and what is the advantage (if any) of the longer 3.25 inch ones?
KN oil filter = generic champion oil filter with nut welded to the end
I think a lot of people are having issues with these filters, because they are torquing them down by the nut at the end. The nut is there for removal, not install.
In the end, it's a generic filter that people buy for the name and the cool nut.
ok, fair enough. and im not torquing the filter down with a wrench. this isnt amatuer hour :laugh: . but, so what is the best one out there then? i dont need to be spending $20 on an oil filter, but at the same time there has to be something better than stock.
See post #7 and #12 of this thread. I'm a Purolator fan, but any listed those posts are excellent. I like the longer filters for the extra filtering material, added oil capacity (yes, it's minimal), and added external surface area which provides a little more oil cooling (which is also minimal, especially with the headers being so close).
KN oil filter = generic champion oil filter with nut welded to the end
I think a lot of people are having issues with these filters, because they are torquing them down by the nut at the end. The nut is there for removal, not install.
In the end, it's a generic filter that people buy for the name and the cool nut.
and suddenly this is nothing more than generic over priced filter. Do some research people. There are much higher quality oil filters out there...
I get your point about people paying for a name or a nut... but Champion makes 75% of the filters on the list that are rated for superior filtration... are the K&N on the CalSci list for poor filtering performance?
I too had leakage at the distal nut on the one and only K&N I have run, on my 600RR, circa 2009 or 10. I promptly threw away the other two I had sitting on the utility shelf in my garage.
Clearly they haven't sorted out this potentially life-threatening flaw.
Motorcycle oil filters are a joke. You have to take a trip out to a motorcycle shop to pay 3 times the price, for half the filter. I can drive 50 feet down the street, pay 6 dollars for a Purolator pure one PL14610, That has much more surface area/capacity and last but not least the pure one is much more efficient at catching the 5-15 micron particles than the kn oil filter.
I live in a small town so I have to drive to the "big city" about an hour away to pick up an oil filter. I just go the the shop because it's convenient and it's an opportunity to check out bikes and stuff. But maybe I will check out the Lordco or NAPA next time.
I just always go to the nearest discount auto for a pl14610. It had the highest ratings on all the studies I read through. I have not read anything on the PL versus the PSL, so I can't add anything there.
Maybe, although I've had two Honda cars with 250,000 and 400,000 kilometres and several bikes between 50-90,000 kilometres without a hiccup.
I'm not sure that the oil filter is the 'weak link' that I need to worry about. I'd hazard a guess that my VFR with 92,000 kilometres has nearly identical wear and tear to one that has used a pricier oil filter - still have used high-end oil and changed it within specs.
CandyRedRC46
superfunkomatic
All the alternative filters posted will work. I've only ever done cars or bikes hand tight and have never had a leak.
I use the cheapo Fram filters, Purolator or Bosch - all do the same job.
Yes. $6.00. The Fram works and the K&N leaks. Easy choice for me. Which will cause more motor damage, no oil or a filter that is cheaper? Easy decision for me. I agree with you.
CandyRedRC46
Right and with all that said, performance aside, the pure one is like $6 and the kn is like $15? No?
I too had leakage at the distal nut on the one and only K&N I have run, on my 600RR, circa 2009 or 10. I promptly threw away the other two I had sitting on the utility shelf in my garage.
Clearly they haven't sorted out this potentially life-threatening flaw.
People may not recall Olive's travails with a K&N filter at the outset of her 6 week trip in 2011. It could have killed her. Fortunately it ended well. Post #72 by her friend Daisy and #79 reveal what happened with it. I'm not sure it was ever completely clear what caused the nut to leak though she implied it was due to the way she installed it.
Mobil 1, Purolator Pure One, Bosch, and the old Walmart Supertech that aren't available anymore, all used without incident and hand tight with a quarter turn with a strap wrench only because my hand strength ain't what it used to be...
I used the K&N oil filters for more than a decade on both cars and bikes and never had an issue... in my Acura it used to amaze me how clean and golden the oil looked even after 5 - 6 even 8 thousand miles.
Just ordered the M1-110 EP oil filters ($8.50) along with jugs of 5w20 (car) & 5w30 (bike) M1 Extended Life oil ($28.68 for 5 qts) off Amazon with free ship for Prime. No more K&N oil filters for me after hearing all y'alls problems.
Rush - depending on which track you go to, you may or may not have to safety wire the filter. Just use a large worm clamp to go around the filter and safety wire the clamp. It actually works well and you don't even have to put new safety wire on every time you take the filter off. Just loosen the clamp, slide it off, let it hang there while you change the filter, then put it back on when you screw the new filter on.
Its pretty universally excepted that fram is garbage.
I find this a bit strange as most,classic 12 cylinder Ferrari engines I've seen proudly shows off two Fram filters (I think some of their racing engines had them too) mounted topside on the engines next to the front or rear ends of their engine blocks..... but then maybe that's why they needed two of them??..... :rolleyes:
Rush - depending on which track you go to, you may or may not have to safety wire the filter. Just use a large worm clamp to go around the filter and safety wire the clamp. It actually works well and you don't even have to put new safety wire on every time you take the filter off. Just loosen the clamp, slide it off, let it hang there while you change the filter, then put it back on when you screw the new filter on.
Rush - depending on which track you go to, you may or may not have to safety wire the filter. Just use a large worm clamp to go around the filter and safety wire the clamp. It actually works well and you don't even have to put new safety wire on every time you take the filter off. Just loosen the clamp, slide it off, let it hang there while you change the filter, then put it back on when you screw the new filter on.
Great idea!
Nahh that's no way to safety wire an oil filter! You have to drill a hole through it and run the wire through so it looks really clean!! Worm clamp??!.... sheesh!!
A very long time ago I only used Fram oil filters, until I had one in which the media had collapsed. Another w/ a bad bypass valve. I've used Purolator and UFI on everything since. (6 Italian bikes = UFI). I've always been skeptical of K&N being more marketeer's than engineer's. Studies done by competent engineers, who are also serious motorcyclists found K&N air filter claims were essentially bogus regarding filtering capability and more dependent on oiling technique than oil type. Do you use the K&N oil? (all testing was done on one dyno. All bikes were K series bmw's). In one challenge K&N denied test results because the oil used could not be proven to be K&N's. Oiling air filters? A bit archaic, no? Do they (K&N), still do that? I must admit to using K&N or similar pleated metal screen filters for 'show' on bikes that are used less. They keep the larger bugs and stones out. R3~
I was on a group ride today - one of the regulars owns 6 bikes, one a 5th gen he uses for long trips. We're sitting at lunch waiting for our orders to arrive and he starts recounting a trip he took through Idaho this summer with several others. He went on about being outside Grangeville, Idaho where one of his buddies pulls up along side him and motions for him to pull over. Getting off the bike he sees that his rear tire is soaked with oil. Closer inspection reveals that the lower fairing is also oil soaked.
As he's talking he paused, and I asked if I could ask a question. "Sure . . . " I said "It was the oil filter leaking, wasn't it?" After a moment of silence he replies "yes. " Then I went on "And it was a K&N, wasn't it?" Somewhat in dis-belief he again said "yesss . . . " I finished " It was leaking at the nut - right?" After an even longer silence he asked "How . . . did you know all that??" I said "easy - I've read several accounts on-line of the exact same thing happening - at least two of them on VFR's".
He said "the tire was completely soaked with oil . . . . it could have killed me!" I asked him if he plans on using any more K&N oil filters. The look on his face said more than anything he could have verbally. I would have to completely agree. YMMV.
I should add that the happy ending to this story was that he went to a nearby NAPA store where he secured a replacement. It was a Sunday, so most everything was closed. Asking if he could work in the parking lot, the clerk / owner whoever, said "we have a service bay - I'll open it up and you can work in there." Once inside both tunes and coffee were offered while they worked. There still are nice people in the world!
Makes me wish I would have read this before changing my oil while replacing the stator. The bike had a K&N on it when I bought it and I replaced it with the same one. I will keep an eye on it for sure and have a spare in the side case in my tool bag.
Makes me wish I would have read this before changing my oil while replacing the stator. The bike had a K&N on it when I bought it and I replaced it with the same one. I will keep an eye on it for sure and have a spare in the side case in my tool bag.
boy... i really recommend you just change it out with a different brand before its too late... IMHO
when they start leaking it gets all over the rear tire quick... baring an accident it's also a huge pain to clean up.
Makes me wish I would have read this before changing my oil while replacing the stator. The bike had a K&N on it when I bought it and I replaced it with the same one. I will keep an eye on it for sure and have a spare in the side case in my tool bag.
boy... i really recommend you just change it out with a different brand before its too late... IMHO
when they start leaking it gets all over the rear tire quick... baring an accident it's also a huge pain to clean up.
Agreed on both counts. Most filters are under $10 - cheap insurance.
End of thread · 50 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 12 Sep 2017