I understand that...things can get real ugly especially during the warranty period.
I just cant see spending more than 3x the amount on a snake oil filter that has 25% less material than an after market filter.
Good example being the spin on that Kawasaki recommends,its cost is enough to make the consumer skip an oil change,,the TG Fram 4967 or a Napa Gold that is factory recommended for a Toyota Rav 4 with a 2100cc engine fits on most all the small Kawasaki engines and IMO is a better choice than the over priced snake oil propaganda filter that just drains my wallet.
If I had to bring my machine in for any warranty work I always keep a stock filter around so there are no questions.We have to play by the rules at least till warranty is over.
I have engines with thousands of hours on them using after market parts and lubricants that are not recommended and run like new.
Tom
Well yes & no Tom.
I stock 16 different aftermarket filters for small engines.
In that group there is only 3 different threads so I could in theory fit the $ 3 filter to almost everything, but there IS a difference between them
They have different micron sizes and most important different bypass pressures.
Most small engines do not have an oil pressure releif valve and use the filter as a pressure regulator.
Small engine oil pumps work at a lot lower pressures and volumes than car engines.
There is a world of difference between an aftermarket part made to the same specifications and any old part that will fit in the hole.
The filter canister you are using might be suitable but now days the catalocgues do not contain the information needed to compare them properly and engine makers never publish this data for the same reason
Yes that much of your conspiracy theory is valid.
Liquise with air filters. A lot will fit over the hole but not all will work satisfactorily.
Two of my customers have made warrantee claims against Kawakasi which were originally declined because I had fitted Stens oil filters & was using Gripskie oil.
SO I sent this on to both Stens & Gripskie.
In both cases Kawakasi relented & replaced the engines.
In both cases the ( same) dealer who did the first service did not check the vlave lash which he was supposed to do as part of the first in Warantee service.
As such they missed the single retaining bolt on the rocker assmebly working loose.
I did all the rest of the services exactly as per the Kawakasi manual.
Both of the engines had a rocker failure , injested a pushrod and wrecked the cam.
had I been using car filters and car oils the story would have been different as those are not listed by their manufacturer as being suitable for those engines.
