Funny oil filter interchange story

[cwatkin]

A while back I was changing the oil on my Kohler based riding mower and drained the old oil out. I had the new oil and thought I had a filter on hand but didn't. So I wanted to mow the yard but didn't have a replacement filter and there was no oil in the mower. I decided to see if any of the car oil filters fit. The Chevy truck filter didn't and neither did the Ford truck filter I had on hand.

I decided to check the Geo Metro filter and it was a perfect fit. It is a lot cheaper to buy oil filters at a parts store rather than a lawn and garden place so just started doing this. The Metro filters fit perfectly on all the Kohler and Briggs and Stratton engine options I have seen.

I now upgraded to a commercial grade Kawasaki based zero turn and am going through it. I realized that the oil filter wasn't the same as the Geo Metro one and was kinda bummed about having to keep another filter type on hand. I then cross referenced the oil filter currently on the unit and realized it was the same one used on my 2015 Mirage so that is good news.

Isn't it great when you drive cars that take lawnmower oil filters?

Conor

[inuvik]

Isn't it great when you drive cars that take lawnmower oil filters?

Conor

Great story!

[Top_Fuel]

Let me know the part number of that Metro oil filter. I've been paying $12 for this Kohler filter for my zero-turn mower...

[MetroMPG]

What are the odds it just happens to fit what you have on hand...

And then someone else on the forum has the same mower.

[Daox]

Haha, thats hilarious, and a nice find!

[cwatkin]

The Metro takes a Purolator PL10241. It looks like this fits most Kohler and Briggs engines. Apparently the others fit the Mirage.

Conor

[cwatkin]

Then there are some of the Kohlers with the strange inverted filter. These take the PL10241 but some have clearance issues. You can dent the top of the filter or use a shorter NAPA 1056 which will clear it just fine.

Then you have the longer Protec 116 and similar cross references if you want the same diameter but can take a longer length. Some filters stick out the side of the mower engine and there is plenty of room so no concern of clearance issues.

If you can take a fat and long filter with that gasket and thread, go into a parts store and ask for an oil filter for a 1985 Ford Bronco 302. These also fit a Metro without AC or where all the AC has been removed. One of my Kohlers had the room for one of these.

Conor

[man114]

It's all about clearance. Find the same or similar spec and you're fine. I use auto filters on my tractors. More oil volume equals cooler temps. Use synthetic oil, if you can find an additive with zddp use that too. Marvel mystery oil in the gas. Take it from guy who goes around garbage picking equipment and fixing it.

[cwatkin]

Almost all my mowers have arrived as "Fixer uppers" so I know about trash picking them.

I have had GREAT luck with the Rotella T6 5W40 full synthetic in all my equipment. Some slight oil burners have gone from smoking a tad and losing some oil between changes to not doing this at all anymore. The engines with the hydraulic valve lifters seem to really eat this oil up. I used to get clatter out of some on start but not after running this oil for a mowing.

I run my stuff HARD and have found that a trash picked commercial grade unit is much better than a new consumer grade unit. I run the balls off a couple of 16HP Kohler Commands and show them no mercy for hours on end. Once I get the deck engaged and mowing, I have a cable to bypass the governor and pull the throttle wide open. I do this for hours on end and these engines just keep coming back for more! The one issue I had was when the deck belt broke during mowing and the engine backfired and clattered to a stop. The engine was suddenly unloaded and revved to the sky! The pushrods had bent from overreving but I put new ones in and you wouldn't know the difference.

Cheap Briggs Intek and Kohler Courage don't seem to hold up to my use very well, even without the governor mod. I have a 48 acre farm and really need to invest in a decent tractor.

Conor

[roosterk0031]

Picked up a Fram 7317 to compare to ones I have for my Kawasaki powered Hustler. Bought some off ebay and have them waiting, funny thing ordered 6 oil filters, then 6 hydro filters, got 12 in one box and they are all the same. I have a 01 Altima that uses 7317, did have a FZ1, ZX600e and Montero sport that I think did, I used to always use Supertech but have been using Fram the last few years for the grip tape.