Walmart is now carrying the Tokyo Roki black Subaru oil filter
- Thread starter Jeep_Riot
- Start date
Roki Japan are beautiest filters. Fram variants make the engine sound like a cement mixer full of scrap metal. Pulled an Ultra last year for this reason.WM realizing the Subie crowd are real technical and seem to prefer OEM bypass settings.
Still feeling squeamish about this Indonesian Roki. May be unfounded apprehension.
Our Crosstrek came with a ...160 Roki
Took this pic when we got it home -
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Perhaps we'll get a few c&p to make a good assessment.
metal sounds.What weight oil were you running with the Ultra?
While these are going to be cut open dry, I'm hoping to find one of those blue Champ Labs variants to add to this eventual huge comparison. I haven't called up the local dealer parts departments yet, but I can't imagine them intentionally hanging on to them. The AA160 has been a tough one to find, too.
(I know some of these aren't official part numbers for modern Subaru applications. I'm also not done acquiring filters.)
I see these coveted on 2 of my subaru boards. I don't feel the love.
OEM build quality and quality control, whether perceived or actual. After seeing so many defective aftermarket filters lately, I will happily forgo efficiency and use an OEM filter for the peace of mind
To paraphrase @ZeeOSix, there’s never been a study anywhere that shows cleaner oil is worse for wear.
The FE is pretty much the pinnacle of available spin-on filtration and is $12.97 at most all WMs. That means there’s no need to pay Amsoil or RP anything additional for what’s essentially the same filter; and at $11, the OEM doesn’t offer much of a value proposition compared to performance.
One is always free to buy whatever they want, but with the “oil is cheap, engines are not” it seems this mentality should carry over to filtration as well?
It was a couple pounds.
Already been cut.Perhaps we'll get a few c&p to make a good assessment.
We will learn nothing about the media properties. When I had inadequate oiling on a couple toyotas it was the Thailand Denso Toyota part that was the culprit, and NOTHING in a visual FMEA gave a clue as to why, but I proved that wthout any doubt that the filter was to blame. There was a similar issue with Suzuki filters at the same time and I had excessive TC noise crop up with an oil change with one of these filters. I was not working at a lab at the time so I couldn't test the suspect pulp/glass fiber media.
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I hate memes, but Jim C gets a pass 
Running oil cap grade. 0W20 I think it was Valvoline Advanced Protection. The Fram gasket also melted to the filter boss. really hard to get the filter off as Subaru puts hoses and brackets in the way of a traditional band wrench. I posted about this with pics at the time.
Running oil cap grade. 0W20 I think it was Valvoline Advanced Protection. The Fram gasket also melted to the filter boss. really hard to get the filter off as Subaru puts hoses and brackets in the way of a traditional band wrench. I posted about this with pics at the time.
I asked because I had plenty of the valvetrain clatter on startup with 0w-20’s, less but still some with 5w-30. I switched to 0w-40 earlier this year and now with over 2,000 on that, the clatter has been virtually eliminated. Running a Made In Indo. Roki for this OCI.I hate memes, but Jim C gets a pass
Running oil cap grade. 0W20 I think it was Valvoline Advanced Protection. The Fram gasket also melted to the filter boss. really hard to get the filter off as Subaru puts hoses and brackets in the way of a traditional band wrench. I posted about this with pics at the time.
The 40w greatly reduced the oil consumption as well.
I have found them (2.0) to run like a slug with a higher grade (HTHS) oil - but our engine has under 30K on it.
Our engine was impressively quiet and smooth with JDM factory oil and filter until OCI #1
The 20A is made in Indonesia, but still by Tokyo Roki. I believe the AA160 is still being made in Japan and comes on the Japanese built Subarus from the factory. 15A is long gone now. Unsure the difference with the new 21A but it appears to be made in Indonesia as well.
21 year old EJ engine? That machine is now old enough to drink legally
I would do what you have been doing ... or run this Wix** if you can get a fresh USA made part:
watch for weeping or leaks though ...
p/n: 51356 or 57356
** My opinion is that the new recommended Wix Catalog p/n: 57712 is MUCH too small for a base end bypass design
The nearest Subaru dealer had always had great oil change deals that make it cheaper than DIY. But those days are over. My nephew is going to change the oil for me do to my recent mobility issues. The car has only had Subaru oil filters its whole life. I was at Walmart looking at oil filters and saw this Tokyo Roku. The little computer and the paper catalog say that it takes the FRAM 9688. Looking at those, they are shorter and wider than the Subaru one. Would those even fit?
I’m thinking of switching to full synthetic oil since Pennzoil Platinum is the same price at Wally’s as their conventional oil. Since the car has been always serviced at a dealer it’s always had conventional oil. Would it be a mistake to switch to synthetic? If I do switch to synthetic, I am thinking of going with the FRAM Ultra or Endurance but I’m worried if they will fit. Does this Indonesian Tokyo Roki filter at Walmart fit my 03 Legacy?
Yes it will fit but the bypass setting may be too high. The Wix cross for the -20A part lists 27psid for this newer filter, The old filter for your 2003 EJ253 was 23psig +/-
Though it would "screw on" and likely not leak, I would not run this filter on your 2003 Legacy vehicle.
And unless you Nephew is experienced with the "challenging" Subaru EJ oil changes - I would go to the dealer and pay the extra cash.
Had you been using a cup wrench to extract the filter from the encircled converter heat shields ?
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