Depth of filter means nothing. On my Camry, the factory Toyota filter is deeper then the Fram or Purolator filter. Then I found out, Toyota has 2 different filters for their 4 cylinder engines and specs one or the other depending on vehicle, but they are interchangeable.

Using a filter that is not meant for the engine can cause engine failure. If I were you, I'd cross reference the filters to make sure they're interchangeable. If they can not be cross referenced, do NOT use the Honda filter. It's just not worth the risk.

BTW, depth of a filter does not make the bigger one better then the other since you don't know how the internals are built.

 

Depth of filter means nothing. On my Camry, the factory Toyota filter is deeper then the Fram or Purolator filter. Then I found out, Toyota has 2 different filters for their 4 cylinder engines and specs one or the other depending on vehicle, but they are interchangeable.

Using a filter that is not meant for the engine can cause engine failure. If I were you, I'd cross reference the filters to make sure they're interchangeable. If they can not be cross referenced, do NOT use the Honda filter. It's just not worth the risk.

BTW, depth of a filter does not make the bigger one better then the other since you don't know how the internals are built.

Depth of filter just means you can hold a little more oil(maybe 0.5qt and that's a big maybe). It's more of a performance thing as more oil can raise oil pressure for higher reving engines and more flow, bigger filter media, and keep the engine cooler. Almost all oil filters have an anit-drian back valve so low oil pressure on a cold start isn't a big issue. As with anything there are arguments both ways.

I used a bigger filter on my Toyota 4runner, but I would go offroad a lot and did all I could to help keep the oil cooler while four wheeling.

Keep up the good research! always good to have options...

 

Don't forget...anything that goes wrong in your engine and Subaru will blame the Honda filter. I would ONLY consider doing this AFTER your factory (or extended) warranty expires.

But, in the grand scheme of things, WHY do it? Has there been a rash of engine failures due to bad Subaru oil filters for you to consider this?

 

Thanks everyone for your responses. As I mentioned I bought a few Subaru OEM filters and will use them and then will buy more OEM Subaru filters. Yes, it is not worth the risk to use the Honda OEM filters. The only reason I considered them was because I have quite a few of them, and as I mentioned they seems to be much better built (at least on the outside).

 

I'm not really sure how an oil filter can look like it's built better than another just by looking at the outside. Other than the size, they all look the same from the outside. The inside of the filter is what really counts. If I were you I would just stick with the Subaru filters and switch to Fram or K&N after your warranty expires.

 

I had noticed a long time ago that, using a reverse look-up feature (i think at purolater's website IIRC - not sure) that Soobs share aftermarket filters with a lot of Hondas so, not surprising.

Purists will also tell you, there are likely differences internally - like the bypass valve pressure setting. probably not a concern for careful owners under normal conditions.

 

I am in a smiliar situation. I also bought 2012 OB 2.5i premium 6MT. And I used to own a 2005 WRX, and I still have five subaru oil filters for that car. So I checked the part numbers for the new OB oil filter, it is different than the ones I have. Then I called dealership part department, see if they can exchange them. They said NO, but they confirmed that both 2005 WRX and 2012 OB in fact sharing the same oil filter, only the part number got updated. In your case, I would not put a honda oil filter in a brand new OB. This is totally not worth the risk. Sell your oil filters at ebay.

 

.5 quart is at least 3 times the capacity of the standard filter. The most that a bigger filter would hold is a few ounces. Maybe .1 quart.

Modern little bitty filters make me nervous, but it isn't rational. The manufacturers know how big they need to be, and when I have cut them open, they just don't have that much in them. If you change them anywhere near the recommendation, they are more than up to the task.

That said, I like purolator Pure 1 filters, since the media removes a higher percentage of contaminants in the first pass. But I will use the Subaru ones until the warranty is over.

 

A larger size on the outside does not necessarily mean more filtering on the inside.

Several years ago I contributed to a similar thread by examining a number of filters. One of them, a Wix, was highly regarded by members here. However, while that filter was about the same size as the others on the outside, it had about half the filtering media (total surface area). The rest of the space was taken up by a rather unique design of the by-pass valve, which sat at the top end of the filter (where it joins the engine) rather than at the bottom.

A larger outer can will expose the oil inside to somewhat more cooling air; however, if it's surrounded by the exhaust pipes, as is the case in recent Subarus, I tend to doubt there can be a significant increase in cooling effect, unless the filter hangs down below the pipes, but that could expose it to damage.

Incidentally, none of the used filters I examined had any internal signs of damage/failure even though I was told that some had gone well over the recommended change interval. (These were supplied to me by my dealer's service dept.) They included a range of brands, as well a quite a few of the Honeywell-supplied genuine Subaru filters.

 

I think Thai nailed it on the head.

It will probably work fine, aftermarket filters might even be the same P/N, but in the grand scheme IF you have a problem that will be the first place ANY auto manufacturer will blame.

I understand wanting to use up your Honda filters, but honestly for the money you'd save, you're better off going OEM. As mentioned if you sell the Honda and have plenty left over, e-bay or craigslist is your friend.

Welcome to the forums :29:

 

use whatever filter you want...problem occurs, replace filter xxx with factory filter and take in for service, problem solved!

j/k of course

 

shhhh! hush hush. don’t tell the unsuspecting vehicle and i promise it wont hurt. threads and all match… there’s no diff as side from label and some internal “specific” cone or dome and maybe even a honeycomb pattern. filter is a filter air not oem. uh… if not oem, i’d it then aftermarket? gram. honda? k&N? close your eyes and it will work as long as threads are correct and sizing is within reason. race filter? is that any worse than any other or just as risky as all others?