Hello folks, recently I have been looking into upgrading Oil Filters form the OEM filter to the K&N or the New Royal Purple Filter. Here is the catch. Each manufacturer shows a part number for an oil filter that is not like what comes off the Evo. The ones these aftermarket companies use looks in size and shape to a filter that comes off the Lancer ES, not the Evo. My 2002 Montero and Evo take the same Oil filter from the MZ690116.

Now with K&N for the Montero they show a #1004 vs. #1010 for the Evo. *Note: 1010 also for Lancer ES

Royal Purple shows 10-2808 for the Montero vs. 10-2867 for the Evo. *Note: 10-2867 also for Lancer ES

When I contacted K&N over 2 weeks ago to why the discrepancy this was their response:

Dear Jeff,

Thanks for contacting K&N. Unlike OEM or other oil filter manufacturers, K&N seldom go with one size fits all approach. Our oil filters are flow tested for each engine and application to exceed the OEM standards. For your applications, I would recommend going with the K&N’s application and not interchanging the 2 part numbers for the best performance and efficiency.

This doesn't make sense to me. Why would you put a smaller diameter that is longer and generally a totally different size than the OEM filter that came on the car?

Has anyone else looked into this? I do believe that these aftermarket filters are better in filtration and build to the OEM filter, but I don't want to put a filter meant for the ES on my 4G63, am I over reacting here? or has anyone else looked into this?

 

I would NOT use a k&N filter. Its not better then OEM

Always use an OEM filter.

 

i'm running a royal purple oil filter. works fine. but then again i've been running royal purple since i got my car.

 

boosted is right. the oil pressure from the factory is built in with the stock filter in mind. there is absolutely NO benefits to running different or higher priced filters. that said, i have used fram on occasions.

 

Dude, I run the Fram 7317 PH,TG,XT,HM. Whatever I can get my hands on. I try and buy them by the case since I do so many oil changes a year.

 

I use OEM 90% of the time but I dont see anything wrong with going aftermarket besides the fact you will probably pay more for it.

 

I've used mobil 1, purolator, fram, wix and bosch oil filters on various cars

 

Stick with the factory filter, I have been using factory filter on all my Mits for the last 24yrs. Good stuff.

 

Just stick with the OEM filters. You paying about double or at times triple for an aftermarket filter vs an OEM filter that cost $5-7 bucks will probably function the same. IMO, OEM Filters are the best filters for our cars, let alone on the price.
K&N filters are good as well, but the price you pay, ohhh man, not soo cool, ha.

 

I like wix or napa gold filters. I have also used the oem mitsu ones, which are good too. Those are probably the only ones I would recommend.

 

ive been using oem on mine since the day i got it. no problems. its my dd 100k+, no track or anything yet. but i been reading that the internal filters of the oem is actually pretty much just a tad better than crappy fram. got me a wix filter to try out. heard nothing but good about it. looks a lot better internally from what i can see. same fat and short size as oem too. also about the same price. paid less $6 for the Wix. the mobil 1 filter is skinny and long and cost twice as much.

 

when i got my car i was researching the oil filter dilema. i had went to my local mitsubishi dealer and they had offered to me the smaller looking filter. they told me that mitsubishi had discontinued the OEM filter for the evo and they were replacing it with the longer skinner version. the dealer told me that mitsu will be using the same filters on all 4cyl and a different filter for all of their 6cyls.

so i had bought a napa gold filter and i liked it because the build and quality was exactly like stock! but unfortunately when i tried to buy a replacement napa gold filter the threads were different than the one i had. same part number! so i returned it and got another one and the same thing. apparently Napa changed the thread specs on them (atleast that batch). so i went with mobil 1 for a while until i became an Amsol dealer. then i started using WIX which resembled the OEM fatty filter to include the valve inside the filter. and it only cost like $6-$7.

having the fatter shorter filter to me was important because i do not like that the skinner filter hangs a little lower and to me that makes it more at risk to getting hit. plus the original filter my car had was the fatty one

 

everyone always rants and raves with oem filters, ive used mobil one and bosch with no issues, Im not saying use a styrafoam cup with a gasket but i mean if you use mobil 1 oil whats wrong with the filters, and ive noticed the size difference too, but it seems like a bigger casing around it to protect it

 

I have never used an OEM filter on the EVO and never will.

Cut a couple open I'm sure you'll see most aftermarket ones listed here are superior internally. W/better filtering media and such...

 

same here. i always cut new brand filters open to see what is going on. brands like FRAM and those made by fram use cardboard top and bottom plates on the filter where WIX, NAPA, Valvoline, etc use metal end plates. i stock the valvoline ones so that is what is on my car and they are the thinner filters. been running that for two years with no issues. i like the thinner filter because it is easier to get my fat hand up in there, my buddy prefers the fat filter because that is what came on his car when he bought it from the dealer so he buys the WIX filters.

they all work, just a matter of preference.

on a side note... post #50. forsale threads here i come!