Cheapo Oil Filters

[l10tus]

Does the screw-on type oil filter from any pre- crossflow Ford, suit the Elan ?

Just wondering if there's really any need to buy a 'Lotus' one ?

As in noticed Cortina 1600cc oil filters listed on ebay for just ?4 each !

Is there really any difference?

Your Thoughts would be appreciated.

Regs,

Phil.

[Bombay Racing Green]

Morning,

I bought my last filter from Halfords. HOF 203 I think. ?3.69 off the Halfords UK website.

Regards,

Pete

[Elanconvert]

hi phil
I have also wondered about this.....
I believe there can be big difference in the size of particles which can be separated by filter elements....
but there doesn't seem to be any [british] standard.......and precious little info given by manufacturers....

I would assume [but not necessarily correctly] that more expensive means better [finer] fi;tration.....

fred

[rgh0]

If Lotus are supplying the Lotus brand filters why would you think they have changed their practices over the last 50 years and now source quality components rather than the cheapest and lightest ?

I would buy a filter from a brand name filter manufacturer - I use Ryco filters here in Australia who are a long established local after market manufacturer and supplier who make quality filters at a reasonable price

cheers
Rohan

[l10tus]

I was thinking that the oil pumps are the same, the blocks are the same, same pressure and same oil, so any Oil Filter used on the Ford range of the period, i.e. Anglia, Classic, Cortina, etc must all be the same ??

Perhaps?

[rgh0]

Yes any filter that suits the fords of the era will be suitable and screw on and do a reasonable job. But some will be better than others at actually filtering. There is no reason to believe the Lotus branded ones do a better job than any of the other ones that I am aware of

cheers
Rohan

[Grizzly]

As above........

Lotus Filters will just be re-branded anyway so buy a quality replacement (i use Fram, Bosch, Mann or Wix filters), they are readily available from any decent parts shop and are usually half the price of a Lotus Branded filter.

I have a bit of habit of cutting up my old filters just to see what sort of bits are being caught and i noticed the better quality filters have magnets in them where the cheaper ones don't (bit of useless information for you)

[nomad]

Name brand only listed for the Ford.
I use nothing but Wix...name brand manufacturers have a vested interest in offering quality to keep there name credible.

Kurt

[2cams70]

That filter never dies. It's still available as a Ford OE item and used on current model Fords! See the Burtons model listing for it below:

http://www.burtonpower.com/ford-oil-fil ... fl500.html

[nomad]

Grizzly reminded me of a practice I've heard of but never tried. Couldn't hurt.

Namely, sticking a small strong magnet to the outside of the filter and switching it to the new one with every filter change.

Kurt.

[fatboyoz]

Hi Kurt,
I use the SS 300 from Filtermag. http://www.shopfiltermag.com/choose-your-filtermag/
Cheers,
Colin.

Grizzly reminded me of a practice I've heard of but never tried. Couldn't hurt.

Namely, sticking a small strong magnet to the outside of the filter and switching it to the new one with every filter change.

Kurt.

[nigelrbfurness]

I've always used whatever Ford-compatible filter I can get from my local motor factors or Halfords - over 40 years I've never had any problems or noticed excessive wear on components that I consider would be attributable to poorly filtered oil. People have noted in the past that some Lotus supplied filters are longer - ie have greater volume - than the aftermarket filters and the early type of filter with a removable casing and replaceable paper filter element was longer too. A look in the box in my garage reveals that I have a good few Fram PH866B filters plus a few others from various manufacturers. I bought up a local engine reconditioner's entire stock when he offered them to me last year, as he had not worked on a Ford engine of compatible type for many years. The only difference I can see is that some of the others have a different can end profile meaning that my spin-off tool, which is designed for Ford OEM filters, doesn't fit, which is annoying. But it fits the Fram filter perfectly. If you change your oil and filter every 3,000 miles or every year (or every race!) then I would not expect any problems at all.

Just my opinion lol
Nigel F.

[el-saturn]

.......................i'm running the old purolator filters in a dry sump setup (140mm long as used on many a mono posto) and you couldn't even order one of these filters as a LOTUS part: they're made by mahle or mann (OX17, btw) etc.. sandy PS: 9? a piece

[Maulden7]

If you have an oil cooler fitted the Fram PH2870A will not fit (too long)

The Halfords HOF203 (or any of the shorter filters) is fine.

[Elan45]

I usually use a Fram 2870 on the Elan and the same filter on a remote mount that I got from Burtons years ago on my Formula Jr 105E dry sump system. I've also used Motorcraft and Pennsoil too.