how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter?

   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter? #1  

Soundguy

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got a huskee lt3800 with a 12.5 brigs in it ( good mower by the way! )

wet to do an oil change on it today.. notied that if you go by the brigs engine specs.. it takes a filtr that is 200ml larger in capacity than if you use the mtd spec oil filter. IE.. when you buy the machine.. you get an mtd mower owner manual, and a brigs engine manual.. under the hood there is an mtd oil filter #, in the brigs manual is a brigs #.

both filters fit obviously.. however the mtd filter is about 1/2" shorter and maybee 1/4" narrower. brigs filter actually is larger diameter than the oring seal area where mtd filter diameter is same as oring diameter.

I opted for the brigs filter... more oil capicity can't be worse....

any ideas why?
 
   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter? #2  
Briggs has a long filter and a short filter. The short filter is used on machines that have limited access, and you wouldn't be able to unscrew the long filter. Kohler also has a long filter and a short filter. The thing is they are the same filter.
 
   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
well.. i had room, and went with big filter. it's not much.. but it is extra cc's of oil..and more heat disipation surface. :) ( brigs large filter is cheaper than mtd short filter. go figure.. :)
 
   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter? #4  
got a huskee lt3800 with a 12.5 brigs in it ( good mower by the way! )

wet to do an oil change on it today.. notied that if you go by the brigs engine specs.. it takes a filtr that is 200ml larger in capacity than if you use the mtd spec oil filter. IE.. when you buy the machine.. you get an mtd mower owner manual, and a brigs engine manual.. under the hood there is an mtd oil filter #, in the brigs manual is a brigs #.

both filters fit obviously.. however the mtd filter is about 1/2" shorter and maybee 1/4" narrower. brigs filter actually is larger diameter than the oring seal area where mtd filter diameter is same as oring diameter.

I opted for the brigs filter... more oil capicity can't be worse....

any ideas why?

I went through a similar exercise and discussion thread re. the oil filter on a 2000 Civic. (Honda downsized the factory filter in the '01 Civic, then reportedly (I haven't verified) back spec'd it on older engines).

Threads on this can get funny...... and turn into "size doesn't matter" type discussions pretty quickly. :p

I'm old school too, and prefer the larger can filter. I like a little more oil volume, and as the Civic thread taught me to say "Given the same filter media, and the same production technique, you should end up with more filter media in a larger can".

Not quite as bad as oil itself, but you can end up with a Holy War on your hands in filter discussions.....

I did learn that some of the Japanese factory filters are designed so that the fold pattern of the media allows them to concentrate more media in a smaller filter. Hence, the qualifier I listed above.

As a layman, I would tend to think that smaller filters cost less to produce, since they use less material. So, I can see an engine manufacturer wanting to standardize on the smallest/cheapest filter that will get the engine to survive lifecycle testing while getting Scheduled Maintenance.

My initial preference (w/o going into extensive research) is to use the largest OE sanctioned filter that will reasonably fit. Chasing a bit more system oil capacity, and more media area. Belt and suspenders approach, that helps me sleep at night. :thumbsup:

Rgds, D.
 
   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
i also sleep better with the larger oil sump. even though it ain't much.

the same deal is on my 2000 yukon.. there is a short and a long filter.. 2wd / 4wd. the short filter for the 4wd is SCARY small. 5.3l engine.. and filter is like 2" long and 3" around. the 2wd model is 2x the length.

kicker is. you can put the longer filter on the 4wd you just have to tip it to the side a lil to get around some suspension piece in the way. at instal.. it's no biggie. at oil change.. it pours an ounce or 2 of oil out.. nothing a papertowel stuffed into the end before you tilt it don't fix... and i deffinately want the extra media.

I have tractor engines from in53 that use an oil filter that, volume wise is 5-6x the one on that much larger engined truck.

scary...
 
   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
hmm.. interesting thread! :)
 
   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter? #8  
well.. i had room, and went with big filter. it's not much.. but it is extra cc's of oil..and more heat disipation surface. :) ( brigs large filter is cheaper than mtd short filter. go figure.. :)

AND if you buy from auto parts, cheaper still.
Basically all filters are made by but a few firms with a lot of private labeling. Probably Purolator is the biggest firm in the filter trade.
My motto is, if it fits then OK.
I did notice however that some have a flapper type check valve so that needs to be taken into consideration.
Micron specks is another consideration but I'd think that would apply more to hydrostatic tranny applications.
 
   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter?
  • Thread Starter
#9  
i'll have to see if napa can cross the brigs ( or mtd ) #
 
   / how come brigs oe oil filter is bigger than mtd spec oil filter? #10  
I've had some success on the Wix site before, tried Briggs 491056 for giggles.

Catalogs

Often not low cost, but has helped me out on less common filters....

Rgds, D.
 
 
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