K&N Oil Filter

[Merc4ever]

I know the 4.3 liter Mercruiser oil filter has a higher oil flow than a normal auto filter. I was reading that K&N has a marine filter called K&N gold they say is better than stock. Is it as good as the Mercruiser oil filter when it comes to flow? I dont really care about filtration much on the water.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Welcome aboard !

Why put a filter at all if you don't need it to filter the oil?

 

[Merc4ever]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

The Mercruiser filter always has done a great job when it comes to keeping my oil clean so I don't need any better filtration than it has. I just worry about flow to keep things cool I think heat the biggest enemy in a marine engine and a good flow is most important.

This K&N filter would be nice because it's so readily available at auto zone...
Marine stores aren't always easy to find or open when you need them.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Motorcraft And wal-mart perfect together. Thats where i get all my stuff.

Oil also. They also have delco and ac, and all kinds of cheapo filters.

No wal-mart by you?

 

[Don S]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Marine stores aren't always easy to find or open when you need them.

Plan ahead.
Buy a couple of filters and keep one handy for when you have the sudden desire to change the oil filter and a marine store isn't handy.
Then, the next time you go past a marine store, pick up your replacement for the one you changed.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Whatever oil filter you use, it isn't going to make one bit of difference to your oil temperature.

 

[Merc4ever]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Yes, but I read the auto filters don't have the flow of the mercruiser brand filters. I compared the holes in the Merc brand they are huge compared to all the auto filters. I don't trust the flow not even the AC brand that's made for GM engines.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Even if you were running a high volume oil pump and a 10qt oil pan, the oil filter even plugged up with gunk will still outflow the pump, you engines main oil gallery feed off the oil pump I'll bet isn't 1/2" I don't know chevy specs, but on a ford big block 427 with improved oiling it's only a chamfered 1/2" right off the oil filter adapter.
I thing all the flow rating you read are just advertising and yes some may flow more than others but it's moot, who cares if one flows 10gpm and one flows 15gpm when you engine only flows 3gpm.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

I would disagree in part. They all flow "ok" when new, but they do NOT do so well as they become clogged (thats what they are there for). Cheaply built filters use a cheap spring on the bypass that can wear/fatigue quickly and as the filter becomes clogged the bypass opens allowing non-filtered oil into engine.

Thats exactly what I was getting at there, even gunked up they can still outflow the pump, didn't say filter just flow, he said he didn't care about filtering the oil just wanted more flow.

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

I personally run the KN ONLY because its very hard to get to the stock filter on a SBC with no remote filter. I only use it for the nut. But if I didnt have this problem I'd run anything but a Fram.

 

[JustJason]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

i run napa filters in everything unless the customer asks for factory parts.
I've never had a problem.

 

[QC]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

I'll add what I always add to these discussions. Please list the lack of lube engine failures that you know of first hand . . . Thought so

 

[Merc4ever]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Are you sure that the oil flow is good enough compared to the Mercruiser brand filter? Because I don't want to ruin my flawless 1989 mercruiser. If so I wasted a lot of money on filters over the years and feel like I was bamboozled by everyone that told me I won't get good enough flow from the auto filters.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Are you sure that the oil flow is good enough compared to the Mercruiser brand filter? Because I don't want to ruin my flawless 1989 mercruiser. If so I wasted a lot of money on filters over the years and feel like I was bamboozled by everyone that told me I won't get good enough flow from the auto filters.

I just worry about flow to keep things cool I think heat the biggest enemy in a marine engine and a good flow is most important.

There are some genuine differences in demand between an automotive engine and a marine engine. Worrying about the heat and oil flow is not one of them. "Bamboozled"? Perhaps. I would just say "much ado about nothing."

 

[Gazza1]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

I stick by genuine. That way IF a filter fails (splits or what ever the reason) you are covered from the OEM. I know because I say this from experience. Afriend has a 5.7 mercruiser with 439 hours on the clock and was outside fishing. The weather turned foul and got halfway back when alarms went off, he checked the engine bay and there was oil everywhere, he still had about 5 miles to the marina. Scouped what oil he could out of the bilge, put that in the engine (water and all). He made it back to the marina but the engine was rattling some what. Went to the Mercruiser dealer (who services his engine). Dealer filed a claim with Mercruiser who sent him a complete new engine with in 2 weeks.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Are you sure that the oil flow is good enough compared to the Mercruiser brand filter? Because I don't want to ruin my flawless 1989 mercruiser. If so I wasted a lot of money on filters over the years and feel like I was bamboozled by everyone that told me I won't get good enough flow from the auto filters.

If the Mfg. calls for a Mercruiser filter then thats the one you should use. Anything else is your choice too, but auto filters not flowing enough oil not true.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

You can never go wrong using oem, it's what the manufacturer calls for.

That's true for anything you buy for the setup you have.

Back to your friend, the oil filter failed or was it installed incorrectly.

ie: The rubber o-ring pulled off the old filter, and no one checked to see it was on the old filter, and they installed a new filter with a o-ring, and there was 2 o-rings on the block and the guy in the marina had to make good.

Not that merc made good. Friend didn't care someone gave him a new motor.

Moral of my long post, always check that the o-ring comes off the block when you change the filter, it should still be on the can.

 

[Jeepster04]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

I agree with planning ahead. One thing thats kept us going through the winter is buying up all the stuff we will need to open the boat in the spring.

We bought Purolator Pure One filters from Advance and Valvoline Max-life oil at walmart.

Ive never used Wix filters but Ive only heard good things about them. I like Napa for just about anything though. Been trying to buy from them more than anywhere else. We got our impellers, distributor caps+buttons, and spark plugs from them. We'll probably buy anything we need for our Volvo's from them from now on.

Stay away from Fram..

 

[QC]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Define "failure".

Broked . . . or my favortie Nascar definition, Blowed up.

Failure in most cases is noted as excesive wear

Not in the engine businesses that I've worked in for 30 years . . .

The problem is that when an engine completely fails (rods, bearings, rings, valves, etc.) most people don't equate it to poor lubrication.

I ain't most people . . .

BTW, I use OEM. Just makes things simpler, but I think Fishermark has it right, "much ado about nothing" . . .

 

[Maclin]

Re: K&N Oil Filter

Because I don't want to ruin my flawless 1989 mercruiser.

Just keep doing what you have been doing, seems to have worked flawlessly! and in my opinion doing something different now would not help longevity much....

I just think MerCruiser would have an oil cooler on it if their research and run record had showed a problem there.