Oil & Fuel Which Kohler oil filter?

[Fish4um]

I have a 2005 Cub 1050 w/ 26hp Kohler and I am using a 12-050-01 Kohler oil filter now. I have a great offer to buy some 12-050-02 filters from a freind. They seem to be a bit taller, but doesn't matter because it sits sideways on the engine. Does this or will this hurt the engine?

 

[DieselPower]

I would think as long as the gasket sealing surface and thread size is the same it shouldn't be a problem. It's probably a filter for a larger engine with a larger oil capacity.

 

[GarthH]

The length typically is not a big concern but be careful with any cross members that might be close to the filter. As the engine vibrates you would be surpised how a it can rub against it - watch the filter for any signs of rubbing.

A others few things to watch are the bypass valve setting - different engines can have a different setting. If you can cross the filters to baldwin or fleetguard check the valve setting.

Thread sizes are sometimes tricky 20 ml and 3/4" are amazingly close. The 20 mil thread will not thread on the 3/4" but the 20 will go on the 3/4" but will blow off under pressure. Make sure it winds on tightly try to wable it back and forth, and make sure it will not strip off - 20 mil thread may back off like a strip thread with over tightening. Find a couple bolts with a 3/4" thread and 20 Mil thread try them on your filter and on the DEAL - if you can't wable you are most likely OK.

The last issue is look down your filter, if it looks all smooth you might have stand tube - it is not very common but something to watch for.

It is true there most threads have a series of different lenght of filters. The 3/4" can go from a 3" filter to 10" filter - 20 mil is not qute as robust.

As DieselPower said match the gaskets. Face them together and make sure they are the same height and same diameter.

Good Luck.

Garth

 

[Fish4um]

GarthH, thanks for all the insight. You must have had an issue with this before? Yeah, from what I see on the engine nothing looks to be in the way. Now on the thread issue does Kohler have different threads on their filters. I would think they would all be std. I will be checking it now, since you brought it up. Thanks.

 

[Dave01]

Fish, I know you said it was a good deal but in my opinion its one of those good deals that ought to be passed up. If you change oil once a year, twice at most, the filters don't add up to all that much and to risk a different bypass valve or other issue just isn't worth it.

The only way I'd run that filter is if you contact Kohler directly and they say the filter will be OK on your engine. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Fordlords]

According to the parts lookup, the 12-50-02 is the proper filter for the 26 HP Kohler Courage engine in the 1050. The proper one for 1050's with Kohler Command engine is 12-50-08. Command/Courage engines use different oil pumps and lubrication systems between each other, so I wouldn't be so eager to swap around filters. -Fordlords-

 

[JTKub]

Like the other fellas say, you cant go wrong with what the OEM recommends. I wouldn't sweat a filter's bypass setting too much. That spec will vary from filter/filter as the bypass setting has to do with the pressure delta/difference across the filtering media associated with that specific filter. More surface area of filtering media generally means a lower bypass setting. A lower or higher setting does not mean you will starve your engine of oil pressure. It's got nothing directly to do with your engines oiling system, it's there to prevent the media and/or filter from bursting. That would have an ugly effect the engine. FWIW, I use the napa gold equiv of a FL400A filter on my 2544. It's the largest I can safely fit in there. I always have a stash of that filter on hand since a few of my family's vehicles use them.

Joel

 

[GarthH]

The bypass setting on the filter is very important and likely the most common error people do when using non-OEM filters. If the setting is very low and the oil pressure of the tractor is high then it is very likely the valve will open and the oil will just bypass the filter - as it is designed to do.

I agree most companies do have the same settings for all models. Their seems to a marriage between the oil pump and the filter. As long as the different engines can keep the same oil pump then you will like see the same filter (with varying lengths). Big companies like Deere, Ford, GM have rarely changed the filter over the many decades. I assume that they make their own pumps and are able to make them work with the varying models. Ford for example used the FL1 for every - maybe 30 years. When they introduced the 4.6L engine was the very first time they had a new filter - it was heavier duty than the FL1. The FL400 for example is identical to the FL1 except for the diameter - same gasket, same bypass setting and so on.

GM did the same - the PH13 Fram existed for decades, the PH3387 was the same thread size and the same settngs - different gasket as the 13 had an outside ring. Then came the 6.5 engine and they introduced a new filter.

The smaller companies like Kubota can vary based on design and if they outsourced the pump. I will take a look at some filter books in the next couple days to see if they do have multiple thread sizes, gaskets and bypass valve. Most filter manufacturers have a product guide that shows all of the details.

I did get my filter education over many years - my father had a filter shop that serviced mostly farmers. My brother now operate the business. I set up an oil change operation - one of the pit guys installed 20 ml filter on a 3/4 nipple and we got to buy a new engine. I was amazed how the filter even tightened up and under pressure literaly flew off. There is one car, an import that the manufacuture changed the filter between 20 mil and 3/4" in mid year - to figure out the correct filter you had to get the serial number. We started to always cross referencing the part number there after. I was very happy when we sold the oil change business.

Garth

 

[JTKub]

The bypass setting on the filter is very important and likely the most common error people do when using non-OEM filters. If the setting is very low and the oil pressure of the tractor is high then it is very likely the valve will open and the oil will just bypass the filter - as it is designed to do.

Garth, I'm with you on this, but installed on the same engine, a dinky filter with say a 20psig bypass could very well bypass before a huge filter with a 16psig bypass setting would. You never know. It's all about flow and oil viscosity. Unless you could read the pressure on both sides of the filter media, you'd never know the difference. I guess bottom line is, if this is a concern, go OEM.

Joel

 

[Fish4um]

Fordlords,
You say that the Kohler 12-050-02 is to replace the 12-050-08? Every place I've gone has told me that the 12-050-01 is the replacement filter? You are correct saying the 26hp used the 12-050-08 because thats the one I took off for my first oil change. The filters I'm looking to buy are Kohler OEM filters but are the -02 style. I don't believe in aftermarket. This has been an eyeopener! I never thought there was so much to know about oil filters.


Thank you everyone for your input.
We here in Delaware learned something today.