K&N oil filter warning

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acadian

acadian

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No, this did not happen on my Norton, but as many here use the K&N 153 filter I thought I'd share this little nugget of advice: recently returned from a 7 day trip to South Dakota on my Speed Triple, oil changed with K&N filter prior to departure, all went well until day 3 of the return trip. Slight oil weep from filter area appeared over night, thought that was odd, got a 17mm wrench on the filter nut and gave her a little nip to snug it down. Long Story short, the leak was coming from one of the spot welds that holds the nut to the casing, best I can figure is it got hit with a stone or something on the interstate with enough force to cause a slight tear (no leak up to that point, and I check the area regularly), my tightening only made it worse, and by the time I found a bike shop with a replacement near Flint, nearly all my engine oil had been sprayed over the rear end of the bike, rear wheel coated slick with engine oil (not a fun experience on the off ramps).

No reply from K&N, but I suspect they will claim user error. I've since found many posts about this same issue from both bike and car guys. Back to OEM Hi Flo for me.

Moral of the story, the nut is a weak spot on these filters, and if you're going to use one, reduce the risk of breaking a spot weld and cracking the casing by NOT using the nut to install, only use it for removal
 
acadian said:
No, this did not happen on my Norton, but as many here use the K&N 153 filter I thought I'd share this little nugget of advice: recently returned from a 7 day trip to South Dakota on my Speed Triple, oil changed with K&N filter prior to departure, all went well until day 3 of the return trip. Slight oil weep from filter area appeared over night, thought that was odd, got a 17mm wrench on the filter nut and gave her a little nip to snug it down. Long Story short, the leak was coming from one of the spot welds that holds the nut to the casing, best I can figure is it got hit with a stone or something on the interstate with enough force to cause a slight tear (no leak up to that point, and I check the area regularly), my tightening only made it worse, and by the time I found a bike shop with a replacement near Flint, nearly all my engine oil had been sprayed over the rear end of the bike, rear wheel coated slick with engine oil (not a fun experience on the off ramps).

No reply from K&N, but I suspect they will claim user error. I've since found many posts about this same issue from both bike and car guys. Back to OEM Hi Flo for me.

Moral of the story, the nut is a weak spot on these filters, and if you're going to use one, reduce the risk of breaking a spot weld and cracking the casing by NOT using the nut to install, only use it for removal
Click to expand...
My understanding is the nut is to be used only to remove the filter, for the reason you mention above. Tighten by hand as always.
 
A lot of people on the Triumph RAT Forum have reported the same issues using these filters on Hinkley Bonnevilles. I prefer to use filters without the nut. It is just something else to go wrong.
 
cyclegeezer said:
acadian said:
No, this did not happen on my Norton, but as many here use the K&N 153 filter I thought I'd share this little nugget of advice: recently returned from a 7 day trip to South Dakota on my Speed Triple, oil changed with K&N filter prior to departure, all went well until day 3 of the return trip. Slight oil weep from filter area appeared over night, thought that was odd, got a 17mm wrench on the filter nut and gave her a little nip to snug it down. Long Story short, the leak was coming from one of the spot welds that holds the nut to the casing, best I can figure is it got hit with a stone or something on the interstate with enough force to cause a slight tear (no leak up to that point, and I check the area regularly), my tightening only made it worse, and by the time I found a bike shop with a replacement near Flint, nearly all my engine oil had been sprayed over the rear end of the bike, rear wheel coated slick with engine oil (not a fun experience on the off ramps).

No reply from K&N, but I suspect they will claim user error. I've since found many posts about this same issue from both bike and car guys. Back to OEM Hi Flo for me.

Moral of the story, the nut is a weak spot on these filters, and if you're going to use one, reduce the risk of breaking a spot weld and cracking the casing by NOT using the nut to install, only use it for removal
Click to expand...
My understanding is the nut is to be used only to remove the filter, for the reason you mention above. Tighten by hand as always.
Click to expand...

Loosen only indeed, unfortunately there is no documentation provided by K&N on this, and in many applications (like a speed triple), the recessed oil filter makes it difficult to get your hand on it, and the filter has no grooves for a cup type filter wrench (I had to modify my cup wrench to work in this application)
 
FYI, K&N has finally issued a recall on a specific. Batch of these welded nut filters. See their website for specs.
However, a Google search on these failures shows reports from before 2012... well outside the recent recall batch.
IMHO these filters are solution looking for a problem to solve. There are all manner of tools, methods for filter removal.
Also note. There are many reports of failures as described above by OP, but the owner swears never using the nut during install...so they can fail just from heat cycling, pressure etc.
The expectation that home mechanics will not use the nut for install is optimistic...afterall, can anyone think of a nut on anything that is only for use in one direction???
Ditch these things and remove another risk from your riding
 
I have been using K&N filters for many years on my bikes, cars, Jeeps,trucks etc. , both oil and air ... have never had an issue of any type with any of them .... the same oil filter that fits the Commando also does the Ducati win , win .... have been aware that bottom nut was for removal only just as long .... strap wrench for install when no finger room .... prolly start up lots of criticism over using their air filters that okay , like I said many , many years no issues ....
 
Tinsy said:
A lot of people on the Triumph RAT Forum have reported the same issues using these filters on Hinkley Bonnevilles. I prefer to use filters without the nut. It is just something else to go wrong.
Click to expand...

Yes it has been well known on the Triumph site thats why I pay the extra, money and always put a genuine Triumph filter on my Thruxtons, I would never use any tools to put a oil filter on any car or bike always hand tighten.

Ashley
 
Well Ashley we all can’t be correct all the time can we .... if you checked the Ducati ST3s shop manual you would find a Tourque spec for the oil filter .... very hard to get that right on +/- 10% with your fingers .... not sure how many actually use a tourque wrench on oil filter, but to remain in warranty Ducati say that you must ....
 
Hand tight not finger tight but all bikes and cars are different, try putting a oil filter on a Land Rover Deffender its in such a tight place between the turbo and exhaust manifold, but I don't own a Ducati, if you read most filters information on the box they say hand tight then another 1/4 to 1/2 turn only, no torque specs at all and you should only need a filter wench to remove not for putting them on, I have never had a filter come lose in over 45 years of doing my own oil changes, but of course you keep a eye on them after a few days to make sure they aren't leaking.
But then some people just over tighten them thinking they need to be really tight and some filters I had to use the old screw driver job to get them undone.

Ashley
 
Craig said:
I have been using K&N filters for many years on my bikes, cars, Jeeps,trucks etc. , both oil and air ... have never had an issue of any type with any of them..
Click to expand...

Consider yourself lucky. They are fine up until the point they let go and spew oil all over the rear wheel.
A recent report on the Triumph Forum had a Bonneville oil pressure light come on, rider pulled over and
found rear tire fully coated from

the blown weld points. Later discovered engine was damaged beyond repair and made a claim to K&N, which to their credit they agreed to pay out for a new engine.
Of course it could have been much worse had this caused a crash (as has been reported/video'd on track
events by motovloggers).

These are real situations, not
stories.
Not worth the risk in my book.
 
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One of the reasons I don't buy the cheapest filters some don't even come close to fit the thread properly so many go cheap on their filters but is it worth it motors cost a lot to rebuild and to save a few $$$ isn't worth it.
How many spend top $$$ to run good oil on their bikes and go cheap on filters, I see it all the time on the Triumph site.

Ashley
 
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