Wrong oil filter
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 291
Likes: 3
From: buffalo, NY
Wrong oil filter
I just did a oil change on my 05 883c and used amsoil oil and a drag specialties filter. I really wanted a kn oil filter but no one had one locally so I just got what this local shop recommended. He has been in business for over 30 years and only works on harley's so I figured he knew his ****. But after looking up info on the filter, its made for big twins and vrods and only has a 10 micro filtration and sportsters call for 30. Is there a real problem with me using this filter? And if I do change the filter, am I going to be able to swap filters with out draining the oil. If I have to drain the oil is there any concern with draining the oil into a clean pan then putting it back in? I really dont want to buy new oil because 3 quarts of amsoil cost me $45.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 566
Likes: 7
From: Seattle, WA
10 micron filtration is superior to 30 micron. So the filter you've got is better, not worse.
Microns are units of size and a 10 micron filter will stop particles larger than 10 microns from getting past while a 30 micron filter will only stop particles larger than 30 microns.
Microns are units of size and a 10 micron filter will stop particles larger than 10 microns from getting past while a 30 micron filter will only stop particles larger than 30 microns.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,765
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From: Johnson City, TN
He sold you a better filter 10 micros is smaller than 30 microns so it's catching more of the bad stuff........on newer H-D's the filter is the same for all air cooled engines.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,543
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From: Honah Lee
Letting the HDforum and counter parts man engineer your oil filter is crazy in my opinion. If the manufactor does not specify it for your bike do the Harley one. Harley may gouge us but they 'do no harm'
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 291
Likes: 3
From: buffalo, NY
Ok so the Drag Specialties filter is superior to the stock HD filter, and I'm good to go with the Drag? Thanks for the quick responses, i'm a noob when it comes to Harley's, I'm still used to my Suzuki GSXR.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Honah Lee
Not sure were you got micron spec for original requirement but Harley have little oil at idle. Just thinking I'll put a filter on it with more restriction is what part of crazy I am talking about.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,717
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I've always been told that you don't want a V twin filter on a sportster simply because the 10 micron filtration is more restrictive than the 30 micron called for on a Sportster. I don't know why you would want to go against the manufactures recommendation of a 30 micron filter.
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Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
BLACK, SPIN-ON p/n 63805-80A
CHROME, SPIN-ON p/n63796-77A
BOTH of these filters are 30 micron.
EVO motors work on oil flow, while Twin-Cam motors work on oil pressure. Using a too small (Twin-Cam) micron size filter may result in the filter operating in bypass mode, which is the same thing as not having a filter.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,067
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From: Edmonton Alberta Canada
I'd wait & get the 30 micron if it was me, if you want to use the one you have for a short time then change it all you will loose is less than 1/2 a quart just changing the filter later.
I would not reuse drained oil just in case it picks up a bit of sand or grit during the draining or from the container.
There must be a reason HD has the two filters and I think cHarley has it right with the volume vs pressure thing.
I would not reuse drained oil just in case it picks up a bit of sand or grit during the draining or from the container.
There must be a reason HD has the two filters and I think cHarley has it right with the volume vs pressure thing.
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 566
Likes: 7
From: Seattle, WA
The TC engines have a lot of smaller passages that can get gunked up by particles in the 10-30 micron range while the Evo engine have larger passages that aren't as particular and do fine with those smaller particles coming through. That's true enough, but it's not really a "flow vs pressure" dichotomy. I mean, both engines are going to be pushing around the old standard of 10 PSI per 1,000 RPM and probably hitting close to 50 PSI on cold starts with the standard 20W50 oil. It's not like the Sportster's Evo engine is somehow running half the PSI of the BTs.
I agree on the issues that can happen if the filter is running in bypass mode all the time, but the chances of even a 10 micron filter getting full and hitting bypass within the 5,000 mile change interval are very small indeed.
The filters I run on my other engines also surpass the micron rating of the OE filters for those engines but they don't end up operating in bypass mode.
Basically, I sincerely doubt the OP has anything to worry about. If it were my own bike, I wouldn't even give it another thought.