Spin-on oil filter: thread match is not enough

A spin-on oil filter is a sealed canister that screws onto the engine's filter head and cleans the lube oil before it reaches the bearings. When you replace one, the thread is only the first check. Two filters can share a 3/4-16 thread and still differ in size, gasket, bypass valve and anti-drainback valve. This guide compares two filters from our filters category, the Donaldson P550335 and the Perkins 2654403, alongside the trailer and truck spare parts we supply.

What a spin-on oil filter does

A full-flow spin-on filter sends all of the oil from the pump through the filter media before it goes to the engine. Dirty oil enters through the small holes around the base plate, passes through the pleated media, and leaves clean through the large threaded centre hole. Donaldson's installation guide describes this flow path for most liquid spin-on filters (Donaldson spin-on installation tips).

Inside the can there are often two small valves, and they are where look-alike filters differ most:

• Anti-drainback valve. A rubber flap (silicone or nitrile) that seals the inlet holes when the engine stops, so the filter stays full of oil and oil flows quickly at the next start.
• Bypass (relief) valve. It opens when the media is blocked or the oil is thick and cold, so the engine gets unfiltered oil instead of no oil.

Filter maker Ryco notes that not every filter needs an anti-drainback valve, because of how the engine is built, and that some engines have the relief valve in the block, so their filters have none (Ryco on oil filter valves). That is why a filter that screws on is not always the right filter.

Same thread, different filter: P550335 vs 2654403

Both filters below have a 3/4-16 thread. The figures come from the Donaldson P550335 specification sheet (Donaldson P550335 product page), the Perkins parts store (Perkins 2654403 product page) and our own part pages.

The Perkins filter is 45 mm taller and 20 mm wider. Fitted where a P550335 belongs, it may hit the frame or a bracket. Fitted the other way round, the smaller can may screw on, but it is not the filter the engine maker specified, and its valve settings may differ too.

Perkins also says to check your engine serial number or build list for the exact part number, because more than one filter type is used across some engine families. The same advice applies to every filter on this page.

How to match a replacement oil filter

Use this order. Each step rules out filters that only look right.

1. Start from the old number. Read the part number on the old filter can or in the engine's operation and maintenance manual. If the label is worn, our guide on finding the part number on an old part shows where else to look.
2. Use the engine, not just the machine. Give the engine make, model and serial number. Perkins lists 2654403 by engine series and model, not by machine, so the engine details matter more than the machine name.
3. Check a cross-reference, then the specs. Cross-reference lists link one original number to equivalents from other filter makers. After that, compare thread, outer diameter, height, gasket size, bypass setting and anti-drainback valve against the old filter.
4. Match the valves. If the original has a bypass valve, the replacement needs one at a similar setting. If the engine has the bypass in the block, the filter normally has none. If the filter is mounted sideways or upside down, keep the anti-drainback valve.
5. Hold the old and new filter side by side. Donaldson's checklist says to visually confirm that the new and old filters are the same part number or product before fitting.

Fitting a spin-on oil filter

These steps follow Donaldson's lube spin-on service guide (Donaldson Blue lube filter service steps) and its installation tips linked above. Always follow the engine maker's manual first.

1. Remove the old filter and make sure its gasket did not stay stuck on the filter head. Donaldson's tips say to confirm the old gasket has been removed before fitting the new filter.
2. Wipe the filter head clean and check that the threaded spigot is tight and undamaged.
3. Inspect the new filter for dents or dirt inside. Do not fit a dented filter.
4. Put a thin film of clean engine oil on the new gasket. Never use grease.
5. If the engine maker says to pre-fill, pour clean oil into the small outer holes only, not the centre hole.
6. Spin the filter on by hand until the gasket touches the head, then tighten by the amount printed on the can, often three quarters of a turn. Do not tighten with a filter wrench.
7. Top up the oil, start the engine, check that oil pressure comes up and look for leaks. Stop, wait and recheck the level.

Oil filters you can order from FDA

These engine oil filters have their own pages on our parts index:

• Donaldson P550335 oil filter, the small full-flow filter compared above
• Perkins 2654403 oil filter, the spin-on filter for Perkins 4.108, 4.236, 6.354, 1000 and 1100 series engines, also listed on our Perkins parts page
• Yanmar 129150-35152 engine oil filter
• Hitachi YA00058283 engine oil filter
• DMC 01174416 oil filter, listed as 77.7 mm OD and 88.4 mm high
• DMC A9061840325 engine oil filter

For a part not listed, search the number on the parts index. For fuel filters, see the Fleetguard FF5052 secondary fuel filter.

Before you order

Send us the number from the old filter, the engine make, model and serial number, and a photo of the filter on the engine through our quotation page. If you only have a cross-reference number, send that too. We supply from Balikpapan to fleets and workshops across Indonesia.