Giant Mann Filter.

[BobbyShaftoe]

So the week before last, I picked up the Mann 950/4 filter. This thing was freaking HUGE! Held just about a litre of oil all on its own (that'd be about a quart to my brethren south of the border )
Pushed the total crankcase volume to just shy of a full 5 litres. Got me a funny look from the parts guy, who said it was spec'd out for a Volvo motor. Plenty of room to spin it on.
Can't think it's a bad thing, following the philosophy of more is more when it comes to motor oil in my 1.8T.
Can anyone think of any reason that this might be a not so good idea? I can't. The only concern I do have it that it might be putting a bit extra stress on the filter coupling because of the funny angle it sits at and the extra weight it's got.

[TurboJim]

The only concern I do have it that it might be putting a bit extra stress on the filter coupling because of the funny angle it sits at and the extra weight it's got.

Thought of that too. If it keeps me from getting sludge I'm willing to take the risk.

[DaOneEnOnly]

It might effect the fluid dynamics of the system. Flow in will still equal flow out, but the question is whether it causes a significant pressure drop. I'm not sure where the system monitors pressure on these engines. It would make sense for VW to have monitored pressure after the filter... but then it also would have made sense to include a turbo timer or large oil pan to avoid sludge.

That's the only other thing I can think besides the increased stress on the mounting threads.

[BobbyShaftoe]

Thought of that too. If it keeps me from getting sludge I'm willing to take the risk.

Two weeks, so far so good. No signs of anything cracked or strained or seeping.

It might effect the fluid dynamics of the system. Flow in will still equal flow out, but the question is whether it causes a significant pressure drop. I'm not sure where the system monitors pressure on these engines. It would make sense for VW to have monitored pressure after the filter... but then it also would have made sense to include a turbo timer or large oil pan to avoid sludge. ...

Well, the only way i have to tell is the dummy light and the sound of the engine at start up, and it all seems good. The dummy light hasn't come on, and the engine quiets down very quickly.
My rational is that the fluid flow through the filtering media would be spread out over greater surface area, but at the same volume as before, only making it more diffuse, but not affecting in/out pressures. Pressure would be controlled by the inflow and out flow restrictions, while simple having a larger surface area to move through, but over all pressure shouldn't be affected because of the hydraulic nature of the system..... that's my thinking anyways.... feel free to enlighten me if I'm wrong.

[ZachB5.5]

I'm not sure where the system monitors pressure on these engines.

It doesn't. There are no oil pressure sensors on our engines.

[dbrick]

It doesn't. There are no oil pressure sensors on our engines.

Really? What causes the "engine oil pressure" light to come on? What is part no. 06A 919 081A "oil pressure switch" ?

[Gene 1.8T]

Oil pressure switch ≠ oil pressure sensor; as in the switch only looks for 15+PSI. If it goes under that designated figure it cuts ground and activates the light.

[Steve in Chicago]

If it goes under that designated figure it cuts ground and activates the light.

It's a little more involved. Yes, it's a simple "limit switch" that goes open or closed to ground but it doesn't directly control the light. The cluster monitors the state of that switch and decides when and how to light the light based on that info and a few other factors.

I've been using the NAPA Gold 1333 filter which is also a much larger filter. It holds about a quart all on its own. With these 1.8t engines, anything you can do to increase the oil capacity and oil cooling area is a good thing.

[nolesfan]

Steve, what would you guess the total oil capacity to be with these filters? I'm using the standard size filter (Mann 940/25) and get 4 liters / 4.25 quarts. From what I've found online and here, it seems that people say between 4.5 quarts to 5 quarts, which would be about 4.25-4.5 liters or so.

[TurboJim]

I've been using the NAPA Gold 1333 filter which is also a much larger filter. It holds about a quart all on its own. With these 1.8t engines, anything you can do to increase the oil capacity and oil cooling area is a good thing.

With a 1333 a 5-quart jug of oil puts me right at the top of the full indicator on the dipstick.

[tenbsmith]

I've been runnin' the oversized Mann filter for years with no problems. My engine now takes 5 quarts.

Edit: 2001, 1.8t, AUG, manual tranny.