Oil filters for Kawasaki

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John Fitzgerald

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Would it void the factory warranty on a Kawasaki engine if an aftermarket oil filter is installed as long as it cross references with the Kaw 49065-7007? I think there are other filters that are as good or better than the OEM.
 

Darryl G

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The manufacturer can't dictate what brand of filter to use as long as it meets or exceeds their specs, but I always use genuine Kawasaki filters anyway. I figure they know best what to use on their engines.
 

mhavanti

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John,

I once owned a filter manufacturing division for our Warehouse Distributing Company. We manufactured under four names for our customers in the auto parts stores, mower dealers, motorcycle dealers, trucking, you name it. When we retired, we sold the company to a big company that was always trying to put us out of business. We even manufactured for them on a couple of occasions.

Kawasaki does not manufacture oil, hydraulic, air of fuel filters. They purchase them and a company like ours were under contract to ink their names, filter number and patent dates on each filter, along with any warnings, etc. Same for the filter boxes and case boxes that the filters were delivered to them in. Our company didn't make the cardboard boxes so we contracted out the boxes as well as the printing. At the very end, we invested in a printer that printed the boxes for a huge savings in production costs.

My point to all this is: Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Chrysler Motor Company, John Deere, Kia, Toyota, none of the motor companies makes a single filter of any kind. If you would like a filter brand, it is very simple, get in touch with any filter manufacturer out there and they'll give you a quote for the filters of your specifications. I don't know any that will manufacture a filter with a lower specification than the motor manufacturer.

The answer to your question is: You can use any brand filter that meets or exceeds the motor manufacturer's specifications. There has been hundreds in not thousands of lawsuits lost by motor manufacturers for trying to withhold warranty service or replacement due to items purchased and used without their company name on them.

I always look forward to a dealer trying that on me. Even though I'm twice retired, I might not mind owning another manufacturing company.

Good luck,

Max
 

ILENGINE

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Would it void the factory warranty on a Kawasaki engine if an aftermarket oil filter is installed as long as it cross references with the Kaw 49065-7007? I think there are other filters that are as good or better than the OEM.

By law, a manufacturer cannot void a warranty due to the use of aftermarket parts, unless the aftermarket part caused the failure.
 

SidecarFlip

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I buy Generac extend life filters for my Kowalski 27 horse V twin form Ziller Electric online. The Generac filters fit the Kowalski and the Genrac V twin.I get them in bulk lots of 12. Very inexpensive. The Generac extended life filters hold an extra pint of oil and with the little bit in there, every ounce counts.
 

Kremeneon

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The manufacturer can't dictate what brand of filter to use as long as it meets or exceeds their specs, but I always use genuine Kawasaki filters anyway. I figure they know best what to use on their engines.

This is exactly correct, the problem is that there is far more to a filter meeting or exceeding mfr specifications than just correct mechanical fitment, particularly on air cooled engines which have far higher average oil temperatures than water cooled engines.

A few other specs I can think of besides fitting on the engine and not leaking:
Filter surface area and micron filtration rating?
Drainback/check valve/bypass present? design bypass pressure?
What is the material and melting temperature of any non-metal parts of the filter? (glue, filter material itself, end plates, drainback valve, spring, gasket material)
shell pressure rating?
 

John Fitzgerald

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The premium (yellow) Briggs filters cross reference to the Kaw filters and are much cheaper. They are rated for high temp of air cooled engines. The dimensions are exactly the same.
 

kraky

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All this talk about meeting manufacturer's specifications is 100% believable. On the other hand you won't catch me using a basic Fram oil filter with a cardboard end caps on anything I own..... and apparently they meet "somebody's" specifications.
 

cpurvis

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All this talk about meeting manufacturer's specifications is 100% believable. On the other hand you won't catch me using a basic Fram oil filter with a cardboard end caps on anything I own..... and apparently they meet "somebody's" specifications.

Neither will I, but their air filters are OK. Mainly because there is no way to hide shoddy materials and workmanship on an air filter.

edit to add: Fram was a good filter until it became a target of counterfeiters. Probably most of the piece of junk 'FRAM' filters we see are not made by FRAM at all.
 
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