'04 Subaru Outback H6

[JGKC9AYC]

I'm going cross-eyed trying to get a definitive answer on oil filters for the Subaru I just purchased used.
I'm confused about the bypass valve thing & the PSI.
It seems before Subaru went to Honeywell (23psi) for their filters they were using tokyo roki (18psi?).
I plan on keeping this car for as long as possible & want to take care of it, but i'm confused about the subaru filters & their workings.
Hope someone can help!
Thanks!

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Subaru has used a few different manufacturers for their OEM filters, most recently (as you mentioned) Honeywell, makers of Fram. I would assume that any OEM-branded filter has the right bypass setting but Purolator is the only retail brand that I've been able to confirm makes a filter with the correct high bypass setting.

If your Outback uses the new small filter, this may not apply to you so you'll have to do a little research.

 

[JGKC9AYC]

As far as Purolator filters goes, the one for my particular engine is a PL14459.
The p/n for the OEM is 15208AA031.
Supposedly, the OEM # I mentioned is the same size as the 15208AA060 WRX filter which is 3" x 3"...whether that's the "new, small" filter, I don't know.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Interesting. Maybe the H6's oiling system is not designed like all of their H4s? Beats me. Sorry, can't help you there. If I can find out on NASIOC I'll let you know.

That L14459 is a common Honda application, nothing special. It will have an anti-drainback valve and deeper mounting threads than the Subaru-H4-specific L14460, and like you said, a lower bypass setting.

 

[SuperBusa]

Has anyone with a Subaru ever emailed Purolator Tech Dept to ask them if their filters for the Subarus (that spec a 23 psi bypass valve on the OEM filter) can handle the high volume oil pump without going into bypass mode at high RPM?

It's possible that the Purolator flows well enough to handle the high flow rate of hot oil without going into bypass mode. Only Purolator should/would know.

 

[JGKC9AYC]

I talked to Brian (an engineer for Purolator) & expressed my concern about the bypass valve & he pretty much said for my application (work & back, 5K mile OCI) i'd have no worries.
If you want to talk to him, you can reach him @ 910-426-4279.

 

[SuperBusa]

Originally Posted By: JGKC9AYC
I talked to Brian (an engineer for Purolator) & expressed my concern about the bypass valve & he pretty much said for my application (work & back, 5K mile OCI) i'd have no worries.
If you want to talk to him, you can reach him @ 910-426-4279.


Humm ... I'm wondering if Purolator (or any other filter maker) really knows what kind of flow it takes to get to the bypass valve PSID levels on some of their filters. If they do, they don't seem to divulge the information very readily.

Did you tell him you hit redline a few dozen times on your commute?

But seriously, the guys who track their cars might just be in bypass quite often ... that wouldn't be a very good thing IMO.

The question might be something like this:
"What flow rate (in GPM) would be required to put filter model XYZ into bypass mode with 5w30 oil at 200 deg F?" Or substitute the viscosity number (11.3 cSt @ 100º C, for instance) in place of the oil weight/temp if it's known.

I might email Purolator and pose the question to see if I can get any info from them.

 

[JGKC9AYC]

Yeah...i'm definitely no engineer...I just ain't too thrilled about putting a Honeywell (Fram) filter in my car.

 

[JGKC9AYC]

I just got off the phone w/my local Subaru dealer.
I gave the parts guy a stock # for the black (Tokyo Roki) oil filter to see if perhaps they had since the last time I was there all they had were the blue Honeywell filters.
The parts guy said they had them in stock & when I inquired about the manufacturer, he stated that it's what Subaru is sending now.
I think i'd feel more comfortable using it knowing it's a quality filter AND meets Subaru's specs.
I noticed that Subaru calls for a 7500 mile OCI. When I talked to Brian @ Purolator, he seemed hesitant about going more than 5K miles on a filter.
Am I missing something?
You guys that use synthetic oil...do your filters go the distance between OCI's or are you swapping out filters & just topping off the oil?

 

[SuperBusa]

Originally Posted By: JGKC9AYC

I noticed that Subaru calls for a 7500 mile OCI. When I talked to Brian @ Purolator, he seemed hesitant about going more than 5K miles on a filter. Am I missing something? You guys that use synthetic oil...do your filters go the distance between OCI's or are you swapping out filters & just topping off the oil?


Purolator implies that their PureONE is good for 15K mile OCIs on their website, so I really don't know where Brian at Purolator is comeing from. Seems like the engineering dept is not in tune with their own products at times.

See matrix at bottom of the Purolator website ... all though it's really not clear what they mean by this info since they really don't come out and say "OCI", but rather "over 15,000 mi/year" :
http://www.purolatorautofilters.net/products/oil_filters/Pages/purolatoroilfilters.aspx

 

[JGKC9AYC]

Originally Posted By: SuperBusa
Originally Posted By: JGKC9AYC

I noticed that Subaru calls for a 7500 mile OCI. When I talked to Brian @ Purolator, he seemed hesitant about going more than 5K miles on a filter. Am I missing something? You guys that use synthetic oil...do your filters go the distance between OCI's or are you swapping out filters & just topping off the oil?


Purolator says their PureONE is good for 15K mile OCIs on their website, so I really don't know where Brian at Purolator is comeing from. Seems like the engineering dept is not in tune with their own products at times.

See matrix at bottom of the Purolator website ... all though it's really not clear what they mean by this info since they really don't come out and say OCI:
http://www.purolatorautofilters.net/products/oil_filters/Pages/purolatoroilfilters.aspx


The way I read that was to how many miles per year one puts on their car, not how many miles one can put on their filter.
I could be wrong, though.

 

[SuperBusa]

Originally Posted By: JGKC9AYC
Originally Posted By: SuperBusa
Originally Posted By: JGKC9AYC

I noticed that Subaru calls for a 7500 mile OCI. When I talked to Brian @ Purolator, he seemed hesitant about going more than 5K miles on a filter. Am I missing something? You guys that use synthetic oil...do your filters go the distance between OCI's or are you swapping out filters & just topping off the oil?


Purolator says their PureONE is good for 15K mile OCIs on their website, so I really don't know where Brian at Purolator is comeing from. Seems like the engineering dept is not in tune with their own products at times.

See matrix at bottom of the Purolator website ... all though it's really not clear what they mean by this info since they really don't come out and say OCI:
http://www.purolatorautofilters.net/products/oil_filters/Pages/purolatoroilfilters.aspx


The way I read that was to how many miles per year one puts on their car, not how many miles one can put on their filter.
I could be wrong, though.


Yes, it's kind of ambiguous. You could put 50K miles on per year and change oil/filter every 3K ... so does that mean you should use the PureONE and not the Classic?

 

[JGKC9AYC]

I think that i'll just go w/the OEM for peace of mind. It's only ~$1 more & I know it meets specs.