[Cut Open] Subaru 15208AA031

[nicrfe1370]

http://imgur.com/a/G4lnT


This is an OEM filter purchased from the dealer for my mom's 2011 Subaru Tribeca. The first thing you'll probably notice is the absence of an anti-drainback valve. This filter attaches directly to the bottom of the engine, so it sits "upside down" all the time. I don't know how many miles were on it, but like the Purolator in my other thread, it was probably 6-7k miles with Mobil 1 5W-30. This filter sat outside in the elements for 6-8 months before I cut it open. I couldn't find a batch number or date stamp anywhere on it. When you buy one of these new it comes with a plastic seal over the base plate end, so that seal may have had the stamp on it, or perhaps the box. I'll check next time. I "tested" the bypass valve by pressing it with my finger; it is very stiff!

 

[horse123]

Consensus has always been the black filters are [censored]. Blue were great.

 

[901Memphis]

Yes those filters do have very high bypass settings, the build quality looks good.

 

[ChiTDI]

Originally Posted By: horse123
Consensus has always been the black filters are [censored]. Blue were great.


I thought it was the other way around.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
Originally Posted By: horse123
Consensus has always been the black filters are [censored]. Blue were great.

I thought it was the other way around.

Correct. Blue ones are mediocre Fram/Honeywell. Black ones are Tokyo Roki.

 

[ChiTDI]

Thank you.
That was my understanding as well.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

The blue filter cans are made out of some kind of composite...Tokyo Roki cases (black) are metal.
I don't use the blue ones anymore.

 

[Stewie]

Had a tokyo roki on my Mazda3, did a great job.

PE01-14-302

Too bad they can only go up to 5k

 

[Padawan]

Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
The blue filter cans are made out of some kind of composite...Tokyo Roki cases (black) are metal.
I don't use the blue ones anymore.


I'm not sure what you're referring to, but every blue Subaru 15208AA12A filter I've cut open has had a metal can.

 

[goodtimes]

My car's oil filter sits base up and has an adbv. The oil in the galleries above the filter, which go directly to the main bearings, will bleed down faster without one. Maybe the Subaru engine bearings are lower than the filter outlet. Frankly I don't see anything unusual about the black filter, it looks like many filters. The Fram made one may filter better. To each his own, etc. disclaimer.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Padawan

I'm not sure what you're referring to, but every blue Subaru 15208AA12A filter I've cut open has had a metal can.


I will take a peek at the one I have left at home (used), but I would be totally amazed if the ones I am thinking of are metal, as I can feel them flexing when I hand tighten them. Must be extremely thin if metal...I even tapped on the case and it didn't sound like metal to me.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: goodtimes
My car's oil filter sits base up and has an adbv. The oil in the galleries above the filter, which go directly to the main bearings, will bleed down faster without one. Maybe the Subaru engine bearings are lower than the filter outlet. Frankly I don't see anything unusual about the black filter, it looks like many filters. The Fram made one may filter better. To each his own, etc. disclaimer.


Looks like all the Tokyo Roki black can filters in this thread have nitrile ADBVs.

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f113/subaru-oil-filter-comparison-99130/index3.html

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
Originally Posted By: Padawan

I'm not sure what you're referring to, but every blue Subaru 15208AA12A filter I've cut open has had a metal can.


I will take a peek at the one I have left at home (used), but I would be totally amazed if the ones I am thinking of are metal, as I can feel them flexing when I hand tighten them. Must be extremely thin if metal...I even tapped on the case and it didn't sound like metal to me.


I've never heard of cans being made out of something besides metal.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Padawan

I'm not sure what you're referring to, but every blue Subaru 15208AA12A filter I've cut open has had a metal can.


Looks like the 15208AA15A is the blue filter that dealers carry in place of the black 15208AA160.

 

[Nate1979]

Not metal? Come on, what would it be made out of?

 

[Stewie]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Not metal? Come on, what would it be made out of?


Maybe he is talking about the end caps or is a cartridge filter.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
I've never heard of cans being made out of something besides metal.


Well, I need to eat some crow here, as I dug a used 15208AA15A out of my stash of oil change stuff that needs to go to the dump and scored the can with a pick awl...yep, sure as heck is metal. I am really surprised and apologize for spreading misinformation on here (and other places).
I still like the 15208AA170 black can filters I have been picking up on Amazon for cheap, I used the blue ones for a while and they just felt flimsy while I was hand tightening them. Guess I would go back to them if my source of cheap black cans dried up (I am set for a couple of years).

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Stewie
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Not metal? Come on, what would it be made out of?


Maybe he is talking about the end caps or is a cartridge filter.


Yah, I definitely read the summaries of the Forester filter dissections too quickly and took the engineered media end caps (not cans!) to be evidence for the can not being metal.
Duh!!!

 

[FutureDoc]

The Rokis are good filters. The only issue I know about is that they might not have been meeting Subaru's bypass pressure. They were more 18-20psi rather than the 23+... still, better than most.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
The Rokis are good filters. The only issue I know about is that they might not have been meeting Subaru's bypass pressure. They were more 18-20psi rather than the 23+... still, better than most.


I did hear something about that, too, and some people thought that was why the blue filters mostly replaced the black ones in the US.
The 15208AA170 is still speced for the newer WRX and my daughter's Impreza came from Japan with a black 15208AA160 on it, so I'm not too worried. And, as I mentioned before, the Mazda N3R1-14-302 appears to be the same as the 160 and is also advertised with the 23 PSI bypass spec.