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Did an oil change on the Sportster today. I've always used WIX 51215 filters. Caught a special on them on Amazon a while back and stocked up. Went to put on the new one, and it didn't fit. The threads on the filter went right over the threads on the bike.
Upon inspection, the filter I grabbed had different markings on the top and a different sized opening, even though the lable on the box and on the side both said 51215.
The one on the left with the "3" and "4" stamped into it is the one I ran all summer. The one on the right with the "13" and "16" stamped on it is the dud.
I checked the rest of my stock, and they are all good, so I guess it was just the one.
Anyway, thought that was sort of interesting. I don't know how many oil filters I've gone through in the past 40 years, but never ran into this before.
I had an oil filter that did not have threads cut on it. And years ago a spark plug that did not have threads cut on it, spent 15 minutes trying to get it started until I looked at the darn thing; pack of 8 and it was the only one without threads.
Never had that happen with a filter. Years ago I rebuilt a 351 Cleveland. Started it up. Sounded like some one shaking a can of marbles. Turned out half the lifters were wrong. Even though the right part number was on the boxes.
Never had that happen with a filter. Years ago I rebuilt a 351 Cleveland. Started it up. Sounded like some one shaking a can of marbles. Turned out half the lifters were wrong. Even though the right part number was on the boxes.
Damm! Makes me feel grateful that I got off so easy!
First thing I look at opening a new filter is the thread size, run across your issue several times between my career and bikes. Nothing like driving 140mi. out to some job site and have the wrong filter in the correctly marked box.
Most likely a 12 year old in Indonesia boxed it wrong, Have seen many parts with the numbers not matching the label on the box in the truck dealerships. Oversea parts wrong, American parts wrong, Mexicans not even putting them on so human error is a factor, we call it the Friday Effect, workers ready to get out of there and f**k it.
After 40 plus years in the automotive service industry___ seen it more than a few times. Count your blessings ya only have 1 bad one outta the bunch.
A young fella screwed one own a caddy and thought it was good. Barley caught threads ??*&^%$ We had a hellva mess Right after he cranked the motor up. The filter blew completely off and hit floor
Had a WIX once with a buggered thread. Wouldn't screw on. I brought it back to Autozone, where they kind biatched about it but gave me another. That was on the Esprit (RIP), which I eventually changed over to Toyota filters on.
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Ever Had The Wrong Threads on an Oil Filter
