Suzuki 4 strokes - Do NOT use after market oil filters!

[Moonlighter]

On the VHF while we were at 1770 recently, a boat called in reporting that their oil filter had spun off and dumped all the oil from their Suzuki DF 200 4 stroke. They were out at one of the reefs, so a long tow home unless they could reattach the oil filter and refill with oil. Not to mention the enviro damage from 6 litres of engine oil spewing out.

I had been talking to my mechanic and Suzuki specialist Jon Eadie a while ago about motors in general and reliability of Suzuki's, and he mentioned this very thing so straight away I knew what the problem was - a non-genuine oil filter had been fitted.

Apparently the after market oil filters have a smaller o ring and different lip on the housing which means that they "bottom out" when fitted to the engine before they are in fact properly tight. The result is that they can work loose and with the 40psi oil pressure, they simply blow the o ring out or actually unscrew themselves.

If the operator is on the ball, turning the motor off immediately the alarms start ringing usually prevents catastrophic engine damage and the fix is simply to fit the genuine oil filter, clean up, and refill the sump with oil.

Anyway, its a trap some may fall into to save a few $ by buying non-genuine filters.

FYI guys.

Cheers

ML

[Spaniard_King]

More too the point the mechanic did not fit the correct after market oil filter, have seen this also. The V6 suzuki's have very high oil pressure going through the filter. The Suzuki's will be fine if the correct fiter is fitted anything else is simply scare mongering

[hino310]

I agree with SK. Any oil filter with the same thread will screw on, but you must use the right one for the particular horsepower or model year of engine. I think even the BF50 Honda uses different oil filters depending on the year of the engine. Am i correct SK ? There is nothing wrong with the right aftermarket filter.

Cheers Hino.

[Spaniard_King]

Yes Hino, Honda did advise service agents to install a bigger filter for the 50 but now have advised all to use the smaller filter as originally designated by Honda. No reason was ever given for this and now the 60hp uses this same filter

[Moonlighter]

I for one will happily pay the few extra bucks for the genuine article. I suspect that the dude who saved a few $ only to find oil everywhere 60kms out to sea would probably agree. He obviously trusted someone to fit the right aftermarket one and found out the hard way it was unsuitable.

Cheers

ML

[captain rednut]

No body should ever use after market impellers or oil filters if you care about your outboard but the customer can buy them off ebay at half the price as the dealers for the exact same thing??, they claim there all made in the same factory??? bull...t. people cant help to save a dollar but complain when it fails. i bet the bloke who had the filter fail rang around for the cheapest price service and now knows why it was cheaper. i don't believe genuine service items are dear when you see the quality of them and saving $10 on a oil filter would be the last thing i think of when im servicing my boat.

[littlemac]

hey captain rednut,

i fully agree as i am a service manager for toyota and the effects that i see from these sorts of things is sometimes hard to believe. i disagree with the fact that some people dont know how to fit them as alot of the time i have seen the orings and certain seal dont fit properly, it bothers me how people say going to a dealer is more expensive.
what is the cost in the long run
PS I BET PEOPLE DONT MIND PAYING FULL TILT FOR THEIR COMPUTER TO BE FIXED OR THE HOT WATER SYSTEM AT $ 150 AN HOUR

ps just my personal opinion

cheers

brett

[Moonlighter]

I have always said that the oil in the engine is its lifeblood. Good oil to start with, and good oil filter to keep it in as good condition as possible, is always the key. In my car, the oil change interval is 10,000km but I change it every 5000. Always have. Think of it as insurance.

SK would know how particular Honda are with the oil in their engines. My wife's Jazz gets Honda oil at the dealer only for this reason.

I just checked a US online site that sells after market oil filters, and they are actually nearly double the price of the genuine ones from Brownspoin Suzuki! Even then, we are only talking $10.

So it's a no-brainer as far as I am concerned.

I hope the guy whose oil filter came off out from 1770 the other day hears about this, and if he finds out that someone put a non-genuine filter on his motor and either didnt tell him, or told him it was just as good, well I hope he sues their bums off for the costs of recovery, towing and repairs plus stress and trouble its caused because I am certain they would be legally liable in such circumstances.

Cheers

ML

[Salad Fingers]

SK would know how particular Honda are with the oil in their engines. My wife's Jazz gets Honda oil at the dealer only for this reason.


hey mate i agree with your sentiment - however honda do not make oil.
Honda have been pedling this line for years and in the end It will be re-branded castrol/mobil/motorcraft or similar with the right API ratings, etc.

anyway, yes buy genuine parts all the way. I even buy genuine sump washers for all my cars, so much less hassle in the long run.

[Noelm]

I am not too sure genuine filters are all that dear, while I agree they are a rip off compared to (say) a Commodore/Ford filter, but genuine ones to suit my motors are "only" $30 "over the counter" at my local dealer, I don't think that is super expensive and worth shopping around for a non genuine or one from over seas, how much cheaper could they possibly be to make it worthwhile? and when it is all said and done, $30 a year is probably the cheapest part of your boating/fishing, probably spend more than that on sinkers alone.

[Moonlighter]

I agree Noel.

Having said that, I think I saw genuine ones on a US site for about $6 each which makes $30 here in Aus a ripoff. Plus of course delivery, though I didn't bother looking at that.

As you say, it's a very small percentage of your annual service cost and not worth the grief to try to save a few bucks on.

Anyway the point of this thread was simply to warn people of the potential perils of the after market alternative oil filters on Suzuki 4strokes. if people want to take the chance, at least they do so from a more informed position.

Cheers

ML

Cheers

ML