I have a 2009 V8V and live a 5 hour drive away from the nearest dealer. Consequently I've been doing the basic maintenance myself. To avoid having to source parts from the AM dealer I've researched the availability of interchangeable parts at the local Ford dealer. Bought a Ford thermostat (RT-1163) and it was a perfect match for the AM item which sells for almost 10 times as much. Ditto the engine oil drain plugs, copper washers and O-rings which are all also available at Ford parts counters. I just obtained a Ford oil filter (FL-2021) and externally it is identical to the AM oil filter (again at one-tenth the cost). Will check if the micron rating and bypass valve match the AM filter and post here again.


Same story for oils. Amsoil has a 75W-90 manual transaxle GL-4 oil (don't use GL-5 oil, it causes increased synchro ring wear). BMW dealers sell Castrol TWS 10W-60 at a much lower price than AM dealers.


Has anybody out there come across any other Ford parts which AM puts in their own packaging and goes 5X or 10X on the price?

 

The difference in oil filters is mostly internal. The FL-2021 filter has a bypass pressure rating of 15 psi. You also need to look at flow-through. The inlets, filter media, media surface, and total capacity all factor in. How does that filter compare to the OEM? If you're looking to save $15 per year on maintenance costs, I wouldn't use my $35k engine as collateral.

75w90 gear oils are very easy to get, tons of options out there. The expensive one AM uses, however, is a special formula made to improve shifting between 1st and 2nd gear when the gearbox is cold. It's a custom oil with a sole supplier, so it's expensive as hell. But for some people, it's worth it to improve shifting, especially in colder climates, and there's no direct replacement available.

BMW switched to Shell-supplied oil a couple years ago. Castrol's is still available from other vendors, though.

There's a ton of info about interchangeable parts and supplies on the forum. They come from several companies, not just Ford. But putting a package on something is very different than a custom specification that's similar to or based on another existing, low-cost item. So unless you've got the information to show it's truly compatible, I'd be very wary of switching out parts with high-cost risks associated with them. Just my two cents, of course...

 

I would be interested in the data on flow re the filter?

 

2004 - 2011 Mazda RX8 Cabin Air Filter are exactly the same as my 2009 AMV8V 6sp man at less than $20 Canadian.

But I do agree with Telum01 about saving money on parts that can possibly damage our engine.

 

From what I can find, the oil filter for the Jag engine (XK8) on which the V8V engine is based has the same bypass pressure as the AM filter. Many manufacturers make filters for the Jag.

 

telum01
You're absolutely right about using alternate parts on our AM's which could cause damage far outweighed by that part's lower cost. Something like using an unspecified oil filter, as you mention, could certainly be asking for an extremely costly repair. I would never make that gamble, but for run-of-the-mill items it is far more convenient for me to get them from my local source versus my AM dealer which is 300 miles away.

 

Wasn't trying to be a buzz-kill, by any means. The problem is that aside from ensuring there aren't repercussions from non-Aston parts, it's that records matter to a lot of buyers. Unless you plan to bury the car with you, you should expect to eventually deal with selling it to a buyer that wants to know its history. You'll generally get three kinds of buyers for these:
1) Only OEM/dealership parts and labor. period.
2) Aftermarket parts and indie labor are fine, so long as they're as good or better than OEM/dealership.
3) Buyer doesn't care, wants a cheap deal/exact match for color combos, options, etc.

I spent a couple months talking to several oil filter companies to have custom filters made. To sum it up, it'd cost "high five figures" to get the ball rolling for testing the OEM filters, tooling for custom filters to meet/beat OEM specs, engineering, design, etc etc, and the first batch of filters at whatever price point they deemed necessary based on a myriad of factors (they also wanted to know annual demand, and expected continued buy-in of product).

I'm sure it'd be far less expensive to simply test the OEM filters and then do the research to find a compatible filter, but there's more to it than just that. Sometimes it's just far more cost-effective to find the best deal you can on OEM stuff and stick to what's most acceptable.

 

hey handyman
is there much to changing the cabin filters ?
a step by step would be great if possible

 

Cadman,

AMFixer did a good DIY for removing and fixing the passenger dash panel, if you follow the first 2 steps (removing the glove box) you could have a look at his pictures also. After that, behind the glove box you will see the white air box for the filters, just pull on the front cover (about 1 x 8 inches) and you will see the 2 filters side by side. Pull them straight out and put your new ones in the same direction and put everything back. It is easy job that should take you less then 30 min from start to finish.

PS: the 2 or 3 screws at the bottom of the glove box are a bit of a pain but take your time and you will get it.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ml#post3378209

 

thanks handyman, fellow ontarian
awesome, my first job of the day

 

It would be nice if there was a sticky where all known interchangeable parts are listed in one place.

 

a sticky is a great idea,

 

+1 for the Sticky

 

Another plus for sticky...

I've been looking for the Volvo Cross part for the two premium amps.

I'm ready to upgrade, but don't want to buy From Aston :-/

 

There's a spot in the FAQ for cross-reference parts. List them up and I'll add them to it!