PT Cruiser

[athan56]

I have a 2003 PT with 20K on the car. Can anyone suggest the best filter and oil for this car. It is a non turbo 2.4 model

 

[Bill Kapaun]

Well, you'll probably gete a lot of opinions on this one.
If you want a larger filter, the Turbo version takes the Motor Craft FL-400 size.
Search the threads for that # and you should find a list of other manfs. equivalents.

Oil- Same thing as far as opinions go.
Are you interested in synthetic or conventional?
I'd suggest going over to the "Oil" section of this forum for that.

 

[Gary Allan]

As Bill said, there are plenty of filter with the right gasket size and thread. Your only restriction is with physical room. I think the FL400S is about the longest "skinny" filter ...otherwise ..the sky is the limit for BIG.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

The std. filter for that car is EXTREMELY common.
It fits Briggs & Stratton to Lexus, with Yugo, Toyota and several others thrown into the mix.

Wix Purolator Hastings Baldwin MotorCraft AC Fram
51348 L10241 LF157 BT223 FL793 PF53 PH3614

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Wix or Motorcraft would be my choices for best buy with normal vehicle use.

 

[labman]

Not much evidence that an ST, Value Craft, or Total Grip won't work fine for less.

 

[CQUG4R]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill Kapaun:

quote:

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Originally posted by CQUG4R:
My wife has a 2002 PT Cruiser. I use a PureOne PL30001 on it. It will fit just fine and you get alot more filter and oil in your system. It is the same filter size as a Motorcraft FL-1A. Give it a shot.

---

Although it probably works fine, I'm leery about recommending a filter with different gasket dimensions.
I don't know if the posters vehicle is still under warranty, but if it is, I wouldn't even use a filter that wasn't "recommended" by the filter maker. That means "oversize".
Lets face it, even the std. filter will do a fine job using "normal" OCI's.

---

Oh no! I didn't realize what I've done. Please ignore my previous post. Don't use the oversized filter I recommened. I did not realize the gasket difference was that extreme. I'm very sorry. I'll have to change my oil filter now that I've been made aware of the "0.032 DIFFERENCE".

Come now. I've done the reaserch.

 

[Gary Allan]

There's nothing extreme about the gasket.

51516 (fl400s)


Gasket Diameters
Number O.D. I.D. Thk.
Attached 2.734 2.430 0.226

51515 (FL1A)


Gasket Diameters
Number O.D. I.D. Thk.
Attached 2.834 2.462 0.200

Just mate two up the next time you go to the parts store.

It's a non-issue. I use a fl1a in a fl400/300 ap all the time.

 

[CQUG4R]

I know...j/k.

Just kidding, Bill. But first you recommended an oversized fl400, then said not to use an oversized filter. What am I missing here?

 

[Bill Kapaun]

quote:

---

Originally posted by CQUG4R:
I know...j/k.

Just kidding, Bill. But first you recommended an oversized fl400, then said not to use an oversized filter. What am I missing here?

---

What are you missing? Maybe the fact I didn't "recommend" what you say I did!
I stated "IF HE wanted..."

 

[CQUG4R]

My wife has a 2002 PT Cruiser. I use a PureOne PL30001 on it. It will fit just fine and you get alot more filter and oil in your system. It is the same filter size as a Motorcraft FL-1A. Give it a shot.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

quote:

---

Originally posted by CQUG4R:
My wife has a 2002 PT Cruiser. I use a PureOne PL30001 on it. It will fit just fine and you get alot more filter and oil in your system. It is the same filter size as a Motorcraft FL-1A. Give it a shot.

---

Although it probably works fine, I'm leery about recommending a filter with different gasket dimensions.
I don't know if the posters vehicle is still under warranty, but if it is, I wouldn't even use a filter that wasn't "recommended" by the filter maker. That means "oversize".
Lets face it, even the std. filter will do a fine job using "normal" OCI's.

 

[dgc333]

FWIW, I have used the FL-1A size filter on every chrysler product I have owned over the past 20+ years that phyiscally has room for.

That includes the 360 in my 68 Barracuda, slant 6's, various 2.2 4cyl, 2.5l v6 mitsubishi motors and late model v6 trucks. I can't use it on my 03 turbo PT cruiser because there is not enough room. The FL400 size filter is the longest and widest filter that will fit. The turbo motor has a water to oil oil cooler between the filter and the block limiting the length and a hose from the turbo compressor runs parallel to the filter limiting the diameter.

 

[unDummy]

There is nothing wrong with using an oversized filter.

VW uses an oversized filter as a partial solution to their sludge prone 1.8L.
Older big Ford trucks used the FL299 instead of the FL1a with the same engine that is used in smaller trucks and passenger cars. Must be some positives to the larger filter and not just "voodoo" filter selections.

And, most filter mounts have extra gasket room for the various brands of filters.
What I do is remove the oversized gasket and stick it to the filter mount. If there is no gasket overhang, then it won't puke oil all over the place(like on Nissans that don't like the PH3985 filter compared with the PH7317).

I'd use any of the PH8a sized filters if there is room. I just worked on a Neon. I'd swear that an oversized filter would be a target for speed bumps or road debris. Use common sense when selecting an oversized filter.

 

[Gary Allan]

I just worked on a Neon. I'd swear that an oversized filter would be a target for speed bumps or road debris. Use common sense when selecting an oversized filter.

Yes, my son has a 1st gen Neon and a FLIA hangs just a little low for comfort. A PH16 works nicely and is a good bit bigger than a PH3614 size.


The 2.4 appears, from my attempts, to resist the PH8A/FLIA size (lateral mount) ..even without a turbo. It may have just been that it requires perfect alignment to fit into the allowed area

I agree that a FL400S would be about the biggest that you could fit.

 

[athan56]

Thank you all you guys for the great information. You all have helped a lot....Athan