Using a WIX filter?
#21
10-16-2010 | 04:31 AM
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 413
Likes: 1
From: texas
It's 21 micron. Says right on the Wix site. Look at my post above. Copy/paste right off their site. Wait. I stand corrected that is the Harley Spec. different filter number WTF, why don't they have that number pop up when I put my bike year model in????
How did you find that?
How did you find that?
#22
10-17-2010 | 09:36 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 18,834
Likes: 9,653
From: South Carolina
57148 is the correct filter, 5 micron and synthetic filter media.
Good detective work dynarule.
Good detective work dynarule.
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Campy Roadie (12-06-2017)
#23
10-17-2010 | 02:08 PM
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Huntington Beach, SoCal
Buy the wix, peel of the number label and feel comfortable using it. Unlike motor oil there are no set standards for measuring oil filter performance. 5 micron verses 20 microns means virtually nothing unless you take all the different flow characteristics of every different filter into account. Use the Wix and be happy.
#25
06-27-2015 | 02:49 PM
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 406
Likes: 13
From: Langley, BC. Canada
I know this is an old thread, but just in case there are any new views, Rockauto.com sells the 57148 Wix filter for $6.50. They are an extremely good filter.
It's all I buy and the only place I buy if they have what I need for cars or bikes.
It's all I buy and the only place I buy if they have what I need for cars or bikes.
#27
07-20-2015 | 11:06 PM
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 895
Likes: 95
From: Post Falls,Idaho
I also use the wix 57148.I also have a Hiflofiltro on deck.When it comes to filter, microns aren't everything.There is also efficiency. Some filter will have specs on first pass and second pass.Its like horsepower and torque.They work together.
#28
07-21-2015 | 02:57 PM
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 616
Likes: 37
I paid 8.50 for the chrome wix filter. Yes micron ratings are very misleading I saw an article talking about it any filter can claim 5 micron but what they dont tell you that it will trap 5 micron particles 20% of the time. I trust wix as they have been in the business for years and years.
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Idahokid (10-17-2016)
#29
07-27-2015 | 01:51 PM
Novice
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Central IL
From another forum...
Hello,
When referring to particle sizes in regards to oil filters, it is important to realize exactly how small the particles being discussed really are. Then, we can discuss the filtration effects of the filters in question in regards to engine life. There is a misconception when it comes to oil filters, that the smaller the micron rating the better the filter. Some companies rate their filter as a “5 micron” filter, which means the filter will catch particles microns in size with at least 50% efficiency. Let’s put a 5 micron particle in perspective. 1 micron is .001mm (or .00003937 inch), so 5 micron is .005mm (.00019685 inch). The tolerances in your engine will be no smaller than 2.5 thousandths of an inch (.0025”). So, 2.5 thousands of an inch which is equal to a 63.5 micron particle. A 5 micron particle is smaller than a human red blood cell, and too small to see with the naked eye. So how can a particle that size cause damage to your engine?
Next, let’s consider the purpose of an oil filter bypass valve. A bypass valve opens when the inlet side of the filter gets too restrictive. This can happen when the engine is cold and the viscosity of the oil is high (due to the weight of the oil), but this primarily happens when the filter media gets too restrictive or clogged. This is done to keep catastrophic engine failure from occurring. The lower the pressure relief rating, the sooner the valve allows oil to bypass the filter. The last factor that contributes to the bypass opening is the amount (surface area) of the filter media used in the filter. A filter that has a high surface area is going to hold more contaminant and promote good oil flow for a longer period of time, so the bypass will take longer to open.
If the filter you use is 95% efficient at 5 microns it is going to remove more contaminant than a filter that is 3% efficient at 5 microns. The question is, how long will it take for those filters to load up with contaminant and enter bypass? The answer is simple, the more efficient filter will load up sooner, but at what expense? Oil flow is necessary to lubricate rotating parts and prevent engine failure, and dirty oil flow is better than starving the engine of oil completely (the theory behind the filter bypass). Clean oil is best for long engine life, and a filter that can promote clean oil flow consistently for a long period of time is a key component of any healthy engine.
When you are talking about filtration, whether it be oil or air, there is a balancing act that has to be performed to ensure your engine gets the protection it needs while giving your engine the most flow possible. Unfortunately, when the focus is an oil filter that is catching extremely small particles at a high percentage, the tradeoff is flow rate. This put the consumer in a “Catch-22” situation. Do you use a filter with the most efficient media at the smallest particle rating, and have the bypass open letting unfiltered oil through the system? Or do you have a filter that does not filter as small a particle size, but filters more of the oil for a longer period of time? K&N filters are designed to give you the balance of oil flow and filtration. Of course, we would like to say we have the most efficient filter at the smallest micron range, but the fact is we are not going to sacrifice oil flow or the quality of filtration by having a high efficiency filter that operates in bypass mode for 80% percent of its life. I know for me personally it’s a simple decision, the small particle filtration does not mean anything to me since we are talking about particles I can’t see, especially if there is a remote possibility of unfiltered oil touching my bearing surfaces causing premature wear and eventual engine failure.
When you are comparing filters, to make the most informed decision possible, look at the following things (with the least amount of emphasis on micron rating): Filtration efficiency, Filter surface area, bypass setting, micron rating.
The KN-171 filter has a nominal micron rating of 25, meaning it will capture 25 micron particles with at least 50% efficiency. The filtration efficiency of the KN-171 at 5 microns is 3%. The KN-171 also has 165 sq.in. of filter area, partially the reason it flows 25% better than the OE, paired with a bypass that opens at 14psi. The equivalent Harley Davidson filter is 95.8% efficient at 5 microns and 98.6% at 25 microns. It also has 63 sq.in. of media and a bypass that opens at 10psi. This means the Harley filter will run in bypass mode for a significant portion of its installed life, whereas the K&N will allow oil to flow through the filter for a longer period of time.
If you have any questions, please contact our Technical Support department.
Thanks for writing,
Thomas Walden
Technical Support & Sports Marketing
800-858-3333
ThomasW@KNFilters.com
When referring to particle sizes in regards to oil filters, it is important to realize exactly how small the particles being discussed really are. Then, we can discuss the filtration effects of the filters in question in regards to engine life. There is a misconception when it comes to oil filters, that the smaller the micron rating the better the filter. Some companies rate their filter as a “5 micron” filter, which means the filter will catch particles microns in size with at least 50% efficiency. Let’s put a 5 micron particle in perspective. 1 micron is .001mm (or .00003937 inch), so 5 micron is .005mm (.00019685 inch). The tolerances in your engine will be no smaller than 2.5 thousandths of an inch (.0025”). So, 2.5 thousands of an inch which is equal to a 63.5 micron particle. A 5 micron particle is smaller than a human red blood cell, and too small to see with the naked eye. So how can a particle that size cause damage to your engine?
Next, let’s consider the purpose of an oil filter bypass valve. A bypass valve opens when the inlet side of the filter gets too restrictive. This can happen when the engine is cold and the viscosity of the oil is high (due to the weight of the oil), but this primarily happens when the filter media gets too restrictive or clogged. This is done to keep catastrophic engine failure from occurring. The lower the pressure relief rating, the sooner the valve allows oil to bypass the filter. The last factor that contributes to the bypass opening is the amount (surface area) of the filter media used in the filter. A filter that has a high surface area is going to hold more contaminant and promote good oil flow for a longer period of time, so the bypass will take longer to open.
If the filter you use is 95% efficient at 5 microns it is going to remove more contaminant than a filter that is 3% efficient at 5 microns. The question is, how long will it take for those filters to load up with contaminant and enter bypass? The answer is simple, the more efficient filter will load up sooner, but at what expense? Oil flow is necessary to lubricate rotating parts and prevent engine failure, and dirty oil flow is better than starving the engine of oil completely (the theory behind the filter bypass). Clean oil is best for long engine life, and a filter that can promote clean oil flow consistently for a long period of time is a key component of any healthy engine.
When you are talking about filtration, whether it be oil or air, there is a balancing act that has to be performed to ensure your engine gets the protection it needs while giving your engine the most flow possible. Unfortunately, when the focus is an oil filter that is catching extremely small particles at a high percentage, the tradeoff is flow rate. This put the consumer in a “Catch-22” situation. Do you use a filter with the most efficient media at the smallest particle rating, and have the bypass open letting unfiltered oil through the system? Or do you have a filter that does not filter as small a particle size, but filters more of the oil for a longer period of time? K&N filters are designed to give you the balance of oil flow and filtration. Of course, we would like to say we have the most efficient filter at the smallest micron range, but the fact is we are not going to sacrifice oil flow or the quality of filtration by having a high efficiency filter that operates in bypass mode for 80% percent of its life. I know for me personally it’s a simple decision, the small particle filtration does not mean anything to me since we are talking about particles I can’t see, especially if there is a remote possibility of unfiltered oil touching my bearing surfaces causing premature wear and eventual engine failure.
When you are comparing filters, to make the most informed decision possible, look at the following things (with the least amount of emphasis on micron rating): Filtration efficiency, Filter surface area, bypass setting, micron rating.
The KN-171 filter has a nominal micron rating of 25, meaning it will capture 25 micron particles with at least 50% efficiency. The filtration efficiency of the KN-171 at 5 microns is 3%. The KN-171 also has 165 sq.in. of filter area, partially the reason it flows 25% better than the OE, paired with a bypass that opens at 14psi. The equivalent Harley Davidson filter is 95.8% efficient at 5 microns and 98.6% at 25 microns. It also has 63 sq.in. of media and a bypass that opens at 10psi. This means the Harley filter will run in bypass mode for a significant portion of its installed life, whereas the K&N will allow oil to flow through the filter for a longer period of time.
If you have any questions, please contact our Technical Support department.
Thanks for writing,
Thomas Walden
Technical Support & Sports Marketing
800-858-3333
ThomasW@KNFilters.com
