Thor, to answer your question, yes, Jaime says he works at Polaris.

I personaly use EMGO motorcycle filters. All the cycle and quad dealers around here seem to use them. My Polaris dealer supplies EMGO filters and uses them for ALL of his oil changes. They are identical to the Polaris filters in every way including stamping (date stamps?). The only difference is the Polaris silk screened name is missing. My dealer claims that EMGO makes the Polaris filters. The EMGO part number is 10-82230. This is the same filter that is used on many Honda motorcycles.

Jaime, you are pretty dead set against Fram filters, as I noticed some others have been in the past. Personally I have used them on everything but my ATVs for 25 years. My '73 Chevelle ran to almost 400,000 miles before the body dropped off. The engine was pulled and put in someone elses 86 Caprice. It is still running strong today. My '84 Caprice Wagon just rolled 385,000 kms and has also had no engine failures. Same for my '86 Jetta Diesel at 360K, my '85 Buick SkyHawk at 363K, my '80 Buick Riviera at 80,000 miles, and my '84 Ford Thunderbird at 100,000 miles. There have been many other cars in my stable over the last 25 years with the same successful results.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I have never had an engine related failure due to oil filtering. Admittedly I am a fanatic about oil changes. The longest I ever go between changes is 5000 km (3000 miles).

You indicate that WIX is the better filter. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Were you around in the days when the WIX filter was built with a bypass valve that didn't work? It was cooking engines left right and center. Many garages wouldn't use them for years after that. My father-in-law, a mechanic of 45 years, still won't. I suspect this WIX problem was well before your time.

Changing the oil is the best, and cheapest, maintenance anyone could do to extend the life of an engine. Where people get into trouble is when they don't do this. Then the engine wear failures start to show up. It is more important to change the oil and filter, with any compatible filter and oil, than to not change it.

DJ

 

Jamie,
Polaris (or any other machine manufacturer) cannot void a warranty for using a different brand oil and filter other than the factory brand UNLESS they are willing, AT NO CHARGE, to supply you with the oil and filter for FREE!!!.. Thats a FEDERALLY MANDATED LAW!.
NOW, if you take your machine in cause its smoking/rattling and your oil is of the wrong viscosity for what it states in the owners manual, or the oil filter you have installed has the wrong "pop out" pressure or filtering capabilities... They have a good chance of voiding your warranty!.
As for FRAM Filters... Why bother running one at all if thats what brand you want to use.....
Fram Filters are worthless.
Cut a Delco, Wix, Fram, Napa and Fleetguard open and compare construction materials.

 

What criterion do you use when you judge the interior of an oil filter?

Do you personally flow test them with and without accumulated particulates?

Do you actually test their anti-siphon valves and calibrate them against a known standard?

Is there a special thickness which all sheet metal covers must have?

Does the application of Teflon on the sealing rubber washer have an effect on overall filtering performance?

I do not believe that looking at the interior of a filter has anything to do with end performance and the way that the filter was designed.

A filter that is densely packed for instance could be passing more oil out through the bypass valve than one that has less filter paper.

IMHO opinion merely gazing at the inside of a filter does not tell the whole story.



But I do realize that "oil beliefs" are very deeply rooted in the male psyche.

My mother always said. "If you don't want to offend anybody never discuss, politics, religion, Ford vs. Chevy or motoroil"

P.S. My Daddy drove a Chevy truck

 

Thor,
Just cut a Fram open. You will find cardboard construction, and very few pleats when compared to Wix, A/C Delco and others. (less filtration area) The materials used arent as high of quality, the filter just isn't as good as others at the same price... NONE of the local Auto Parts Stores even carry FRAM filters..
Guess it just comes to personal preference. I am always willing to try and save money, but I don't want to get too cheap and end up with a trashed engine. I wonder if I can use some of that Cook's brand re-formulated engine oil? Or maybe some of that Gilco Engine oil.... Ya'll know the stuff I'm talkin about, its that stuff found on the bottom shelf on the isle with the bread and animal crackers at a gas station...... How old r those crackers anyway?

 

Double post.

See I don't have these filter problems with the Sportsman 400

 

Mudmachine,

Well now that we know you don't care for Fram oil filters, would you put your stamp of approval on a NAPA 1358?

I checked out the Purolator 4620 and 4622 models last evening at Fleet Farm but noticed that they did not have the recessed thread. Would it make a difference?

How about that Fram TG1737? That looks like an exact fit, anti siphon valve, etc. (hehehe)

While we are at it....

Are motor cycle oils tougher than turbo-diesel rated oils such as Rotella T and Delvac etc. etc.

It seems to me that if they are tough enough to stand up to the heat of diesels and turbochargers that they should be good enough for an atv or a cycle.

They do not contain the friction modifiers of "Energy Conserving Oils" that some say causes clutch slipping in cycle and atv applications.

(Momma said not to get involved in "oil conversations"... you might as well ask some one to change their religion")

 

In the parts store I used to work in we had a cut-open Wix, AC-Delco and a Fram oil filter. With out a doubt the Fram is the cheaper made of the three. The fram uses cardboard end plates and the pleating is real uneven. The Wix and AC- Delco use metal endcaps and the pleats are spaced equally, and they use a coil spring. However cheap a Fram is made, it will still protect your warranty. I have been through the warranty worries before. The only way you are required to use a certain filter and oil, is if it is offered free of charge.
Something else I found out when working in the parts business is that the CV boot kit for some small cars will fit the polaris quads at about 9 dollars each compared to (I think) 20 dollars each.

 

If it doesn't have the recessed thread(dished in) the filter will bottom out on the threaded adapter before the gasket seats. The only ones I have found locally that are "dished in" are the Fram's. Purolator,Castrol,Delco don't work. At least the ones I've tried.

 

So all we need to know now is if the NAPA 1358 is dished in or out.

That would satisfy the needs of those who dislike Fram filters.

I looked at the local Wal-Mart 2 nights ago but they were no longer handling the Quaker State or the Pennzoil filters so I guess that we can rule those out.

 

I just checked out the price of the NAPA 1358 and the price is $7.88. That brings us back to square one on that filter, might as well buy the Polaris unchromed Victory filter instead of that one.